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Folio. Disbound. 1f. (recto title with woodcut device incorporating rocks, a cave, a torch, foliage, and an owl perched atop a scale, verso blank), 1f. (recto "The Resolution of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, in London" dated December 28th 1768, verso blank), 23, [i] (publisher's catalogue) pp. Typeset. Fougt's catalogue to final page includes works by Uttini, Sabatini, Croce, and Sarti. Slightly worn, browned, and soiled; edges dusty; some leaves creased; minor imperfections. An attractive, wide-margined copy overall. First Edition. Rare. BUC p. 922. RISM S1067. Sarti was a leading figure in late 18th-century opera. Each of his three sonatas are introduced by a "Preludio," incorporating a variety of through-composed arpeggiation figures, as well as whole-note chords meant to be arpeggiated at the discretion of the performer. Stylistically straddling the area between baroque and classical styles (despite being a contemporary of Haydn), Sarti employs forward-looking figurations like bold chromatics and almost pianistic broken-octave patterns in these works. The preludes are followed by binary form sonata movements with lively melodies, Alberti basses, walking basses, and sparkling scales and arpeggios. The "Preludio" of Sarti's second sonata appears to quote the Allegro moderato of Sonata IV of Domenico Alberti (ca. 1710-1746). Fougt (1720-1782) was a Swedish printer and publisher active in London. "After studies at Uppsala University and some years of clerical work he became a general book printer. About 1760 he developed his own version of Breitkopf's improvements in printing music from movable type, using a system of 166 characters. He applied for a patent in 1763, and in the following year was granted a privilege for music printing in Sweden for 25 years. Lacking economic support, however, he left Sweden in 1767 and in November of that year arrived in London, where he began to issue music in his new type. After submitting his first work, an edition of Uttini s Six Sonatas op. 1, to the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, he obtained a resolution from that body that his method of printing was superior and much cheaper than any that had been in use in Great Britain; he later printed this resolution as a preface to his edition of Sarti s Three Sonatas. Fougt may be considered a pioneer of cheap music, for he sold his music at one penny per page, or 18 for a shilling , far less than the sixpence a page which was the average price of music at that time. He apparently aroused ill-feeling among the rest of the trade, though Hawkins was probably wrong in saying that they drove him out of the country by undercutting his publications. During his three years in London he published about 80 sheet songs and instrumental pieces, and eight more substantial items, including the sonatas mentioned above, others by Croce, Leoni, Menesini, Nardini and Sabatini, and Twelve of the most Favourite French Songs collected from the Comic Operas. The typography is of excellent clarity, though the results are not as elegant as the best engraved music of the period. In 1770 Fougt sold his plant and type to Robert Falkener and returned to Stockholm, where in 1773 he was granted a new privilege by Gustavus III and enjoyed patronage as royal printer. Falkener, who was also a harpsichord maker, continued to issue sheet songs in Fougt s style until 1780, and was the author and printer of Instructions for Playing the Harpsichord (1770)." Krummel and Sadie: Music Printing and Publishing, p. 246. "The Society took into Consideration the Specimen of Mr. Henry Fougt s New-invented Type for Printing Music: Resolved, That Mr. Fougt s Method of Printing Music is an Improvement superior to any before in Use in Great-Britain; and That it appears to answer All the Purposes of Engraving in Wood, Tin, or Copper, for that end, and can be performed with much less Expence." (Resolution) A rare example of. Seller Inventory # 39770
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