Jean-Philippe RAMEAU (1683-1764). Hippolite et Aricie. Trage - Lot 194

Jean-Philippe RAMEAU (1683-1764). Hippolite et Aricie. Tragedy set to music. Represented by the Royal Academy of Music on Thursday, October 1, 1733. Score in folio, engraved by De Gland. Paris, Chez l'Hauteur, Boivin, Le Clerc, 1733, large in folio, full contemporary calf, 6-rib spine, ornate caissons, morocco title-piece; title, prologue (XXIX, distribution p. XXX), 206, 2 ruled leaves added, 4 + 1 pp. Very rare first edition of the "Partition in folio", orchestral score "engraved by De Gland, printed by Montulé", of this "Tragédie représentée par l'Académie Royale de Musique le Jeudy Premier Octobre 1733". Copy enlarged with "Changements conformes à la représentation", 5 pp. in fine. A pinnacle of the genre! And the notice by Clément and Larousse is edifying: "The subject of the piece is the same as that of Racine's Phèdre. Rameau was already fifty years old, and had not yet been able to tackle the lyric stage. After attending a performance of Jephté, he decided to approach the Abbé Pellegrin for a poem; but the Abbé, who made his living from his works, told him that he required a 500 livres bill as a guarantee in case of failure. The deal was struck, and the abbé handed over the manuscript of Hippolyte et Aricie. Some time later, Rameau performed fragments of his music, probably the first act, at the home of his patron, the farmer-general La Popelinière. In the middle of the rehearsal, Pellegrin got up excitedly, ran to the composer and said: "Monsieur, when you've made music of this beauty, you don't need a deposit", and immediately took the bill and tore it up before anyone else. Very good condition inside, defects to the spines and corners, heavy spotting, but solid binding and therefore restorable.