Ode Musick: First Edition (4 results)

Tall folio. Full modern ivory vellum with mid-tan leather ties, titling gilt to spine, all edges gilt with decorative gilt stamping. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), [ii] (list of subscribers), 166, 168-190, [i] (blank), 192-193 pp. Engraved throughout. Neat contemporary corrections and annotations, including additional figurings to pp. 1, 33, 43, 47, 52-3, 64, 77, 90, 92, 102, 123, 129, 133 and 158. Several leaves with textual insertions in a later hand. The 124 subscribers include seven members of the Royal Family, various members of high society, and people in Handel's circle such as Charles Jennens and John Christopher Smith. Binding slightly worn, soiled, and stained; partial loss to ties. Occasional minor soiling and staining. Lacking publisher's catalogue found in some copies following the final page of music. First Edition, first issue. Smith p. 90, no. 1. BUC p.432. Hoboken 5, 132. RISM H994 (not distinguishing among issues). Alexander's Feast, with text by the celebrated English poet John Dryden (1631-1700) and additions by Newburgh Hamilton, was first performed in London at Covent Garden on 19 February 1736. "That Handel's imagination was profoundly stirred cannot be doubted, and is not surprising in view of the subject . and the clarity, concrete imagery, and well-placed climaxes of Dryden's poem. But the fact that the only work with English words (other than two or three occasional anthems) composed during a period when he was staking all on Italian opera should have been this glowing masterpiece is psychologically revealing ." Dean: Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, p. 273 One of Handel's most expressive and influential oratorios. …

Folio. Full modern gray boards with titling gilt to olive green leather spine. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), [ii] (list of 124 subscribers), 166, 168-190, [i] (blank), 192-193 pp. The publication did not contain a page 167. Engraved throughout. Bookplate of Gilbert Samuel Inglefield (1909-1991), Lord Mayer of London, to front pastedown, with small bookseller's label to lower outer corner; manuscript ownership inscription "Ann Young 1817" and "H" to upper outer corner of title. Many pages with corrections in contemporary manuscript. Additional later occasional penciled notation. Singer's names within the score: Beard, Sigra. Strada, Miss Young, Erard, Aragoni and Sig. Hannibali (Annibali). Without the "Catalogue of Musick Composed by Mr. Handel" found in some copies and which Smith cites as following p. 193. Binding slightly worn, rubbed, and bumped; free endpapers considerably browned. Moderate internal browning; occasional soiling, staining, and foxing, a bit heavier to title and first few leaves; small hole to outer margin of title, just touching double-ruled border; many leaves carefully reinforced at lower outer corners and margins; small tear to lower margins of pp. 73 and 75 repaired. Very small burn hole to p. 89. The subscriber's list contains many distinguished personages from English contemporary society and royalty. Subscriber's also include musicians and other's of note: Giovanni Carbonelli (1700-1772), a violinist and composer who led performances of Handel's oratorios at St Pauls; John Festing (?-1772), an oboist, flutist and composer who was a founding member of the Royal Society of Musicians in 1739; Dr. Green; Wm. Hayes; Charles Jennens (1700-1773), Handel's librettist and subscriber to many of Handel's published works; John Stanley, and John Christopher Smith (1712-1795), a composer and Handel's friend and assistant. First Edition, first issue. Smith p. 90, no. 1. BUC p. 432. RISM H994.(Not distinguishing between issues). "In this edition (issue) a number of mistakes and omissions in the engraved plates were corrected by hand in the copies. A portrait of Handel was presented to the subscribers to 'Alexander's Feast', engraved by Jacob Houbraken . This portrait was not included in this first issue of the score, but was afterwards delivered to the subscribers." Smith p. 90 Alexander's Feast, with text by the celebrated English poet John Dryden (1631-1700) with additions by N. Hamilton, was first performed in London at Covent Garden on 19 February 1736. "That Handel's imagination was profoundly stirred cannot be doubted, and is not surprising in view of the subject . and the clarity, concrete imagery, and well-placed climaxes of Dryden's poem. But the fact that the only work with English words (other than two or three occasional anthems) composed during a period when he was staking all on Italian opera should have been this glowing masterpiece is psychologically revealing ." Dean: Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, p. 273. The ownership signature of Ann Young is possibly that of Ann Young (1756-1827) the Scottish composer, teacher, and author of "Instructions for playing the musical games," Edinburgh, 1801, and "Elements of Musical Fingering the Harpsichord," Edinburgh, ca. 1810. …

8vo, engraved frontispiece and pp. 12, [2] advertisements; the frontispiece presumably A1; disbound. Third edition, and the first printing in an octavo format; there is no printing designated as a second edition, and this may well be represented by the version in Pope's Works of 1717. New to this edition is the frontispiece of a group of women playing music in a sylvan setting; the plate was engraved by Samuel Gribelin, Jr., after a design by Louis Cheron. Complete with the final leaf of advertisements not mentioned by Griffith. Griffith 110; Foxon P905.…

First edition. First edition. [iv], 8 pp., with half-title ("Mr. Pope's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day"). Folio. Rare first edition of Pope's Ode for Music on St. Cecilia's Day, completed in 1711 at the suggestion of Richard Steele. Lintott paid Pope £15 for the copyright. ABPC records three sales of the first edition; the Locker-Lampson copy (in 1984 and 2008) and the present copy in 1982. Foxon P904; Griffith 20; Rothschild 1568. Provenance: Ward E. and Seth Sprague Terry (bookplate); Gerald E. Slater (his sale, Christie's New York, 12 February 1982, lot 129); Louis & Anne Marie Davidson (bookplate) Full green crushed levant morocco gilt by Riviere. Front joint expertly repaired, contents washed and pressed, half-title lightly soiled [iv], 8 pp., with half-title ("Mr. Pope's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day"). Folio.…