BEETHOVEN (Ludwig van). Fidelio. Lyric drama in three acts, - Lot 1

BEETHOVEN (Ludwig van). Fidelio. Lyric drama in three acts, Op. 72. Paris, A. Farrenc, [pl. A.F. 72, 1826]. In-folio, green half-vellum with corners (contemporary binding). Title, V (Alphabetical table of subscribers, Characters), 328 pp. Large orchestral score, extremely rare, with French and German lyrics. First edition, 2nd edition according to KINSKY/HALM 186, who distinguishes the specific features of this edition (engraved price 80 F, publisher's address "Boulevard Poissonnière 22") from the first edition they assumed (125 F, address "Rue St Marc 21"); It should be noted, however, that Devriès and Lesure's Dictionnaire des éditeurs de musique français (Minkoff, 1988, volume II, 189) gives the latter address for the period 1831-1836, whereas "22 Boulevard Poissonnière" is referenced for 1825 and early 1826. Admittedly, Farrenc often changed addresses, but a higher price can also be taken as an indication of a later print run... Until further notice, we will tend to consider our copy as a first edition. Among the fifty-seven subscribers are the names of composers and music teachers Carafa, Onslow, Rigel, Spontini, Zimmerman...as well as numerous publishers such as Carli, Frey (who published the great scores of Mozart's operas with comparable lists of subscribers), Janet and Cotelle, Pleyel, Schott, Simrock (who had announced in August 1826 a joint edition with Farrenc at a price of 80 F, according to Kinsky...), in a way many of whom we would have easily imagined as publishers of Fidélio, but success eluded this opera. Clément and Larousse don't beat about the bush: "With no disrespect to Beethoven's genius, we can say that from the point of view of vocal music and dramatic genre, Fidélio does not meet the conditions of the lyric work as Gluck, Mozart, Rossini and Meyerbeer have made us conceive it. Binding damaged; brown spots, numerous minor defects. Act III volume incomplete.