- 96
Massenet, Jules.
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Description
- Fine and comprehensive collection of over fifty first editions, most signed and inscribed by Massenet, seven with autograph musical quotations, and containing a complete set of the operas
including seven volumes with autograph musical quotations by Massenet:
1) Werther, drame lyrique, inscribed on the day of the first Paris performance with an autograph musical quotation of "O nature pleine de grâce!", ("à Madame Jeanne Pineau hommage respectueux J. Massenet...Paris 16 janvier 1893, 1ère représentation"), contemporary embossed cloth gilt-lettered "J.P.", Paris: Au Ménestrel [1892]
2) Thaïs, comédie lyrique, with an autograph musical quotation of "C'est Thaïs L'dole fragile", inscribed ("à Madame Pineau...Massenet, 16 mars /94"), contemporary embossed cloth gilt-lettered "J.P.", Paris: Heugel, 1894, [Fuld, p.361]
3) Esclarmonde, opéra romanesque, with an autograph musical quotation of the chorus "O divine Esclarmonde!", inscribed "en souvenir d'Esclarmonde à Bruxelles..."), chromolithographed preliminaries, gilt-lettered title-wrapper, fine illustrated dust-jacket (by Georges Clairin), boxed, Paris: Hartmann, [1889]
4) Le Cid, with an autograph musical quotation of "Dieu jamais ne nous abandonner", signed and inscribed ("souvenir de la répétition générale J. Massenet 26 nov./85"), publisher's decorative boards with gilt, black, red and green onlays, slipcase, Hartmann, [1885], rebacked retaining original covers and spine [Fuld, p.107]
5) Cendrillon, with an autograph musical quotation of the Fairy Godmother's coloratura, facing the title, inscribed ny Massenet and by the librettist Henri Cain, contemporary half morocco, Heugel, [1898], tear to spine
6) Musique de scène (Le Crocodile), with an autograph musical quotation of the Entr'acte to act 4, Paris, 3 February 1887, publisher's embossed wrappers, boxed, Hartmann, [1887]
7) Pensée d'Automne, with an autograph musical quotation of the passage "Une chanson d'adieu sort des sources troublées", inscribed ("...J. Massenet [18]88"), boxed, Hartmann, [1888]
a further nineteen vocal scores signed and inscribed by Massenet of Le grand'tante (two copies, both inscribed by the composer in 1867, one to Girard, the creator of Chevrette), Don César de Bazan (2 copies 1886, 1888, one inscribed to Vaucorbeil), Marie Magdalène (1876), Hérodiade (1881), Manon (1892), Biblis (inscribed to the poet Paul Collin in 1887), Le Mage (inscribed to Paul Taffenel, 1891), Werther (another copy, inscribed to Louis Gallet), La Navarraise (1895), Sapho (1897), Grisélidis (1901), Chérubin (1905), Thérèse (1907), Bacchus (inscribed on the day of the première in May 1909), Roma (April 1912), Les Érinnyes (the full score, 1892), Lui et Elle (1892)
together with first editions of Manon (first issue [Fuld p.460-461]), Le roi de Lahore, Le portrait de Manon, Amadis, Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, Ariane, Don Quichotte, Panurge and Cléopâtre (some only published after Massenet's death), the oratorio Le Terre promise, Poëme d'Avril, Poëme Pastorale, Saisons d'amour, Si ti veux, Mignonne and Chansons des Bois d'Amaranthe and other songs; together with first editions of the librettos of Thais (no.7 of 10 copies on Hollande) and Esclarmonde (signed by the librettists Blau and de Gramont) and Louis Schneider's biography of the composer, inscribed by the author.
over 60 items in all, vocal scores, mainly in contemporary bindings or wrappers, 1867-1922
1) Werther, drame lyrique, inscribed on the day of the first Paris performance with an autograph musical quotation of "O nature pleine de grâce!", ("à Madame Jeanne Pineau hommage respectueux J. Massenet...Paris 16 janvier 1893, 1ère représentation"), contemporary embossed cloth gilt-lettered "J.P.", Paris: Au Ménestrel [1892]
2) Thaïs, comédie lyrique, with an autograph musical quotation of "C'est Thaïs L'dole fragile", inscribed ("à Madame Pineau...Massenet, 16 mars /94"), contemporary embossed cloth gilt-lettered "J.P.", Paris: Heugel, 1894, [Fuld, p.361]
3) Esclarmonde, opéra romanesque, with an autograph musical quotation of the chorus "O divine Esclarmonde!", inscribed "en souvenir d'Esclarmonde à Bruxelles..."), chromolithographed preliminaries, gilt-lettered title-wrapper, fine illustrated dust-jacket (by Georges Clairin), boxed, Paris: Hartmann, [1889]
4) Le Cid, with an autograph musical quotation of "Dieu jamais ne nous abandonner", signed and inscribed ("souvenir de la répétition générale J. Massenet 26 nov./85"), publisher's decorative boards with gilt, black, red and green onlays, slipcase, Hartmann, [1885], rebacked retaining original covers and spine [Fuld, p.107]
5) Cendrillon, with an autograph musical quotation of the Fairy Godmother's coloratura, facing the title, inscribed ny Massenet and by the librettist Henri Cain, contemporary half morocco, Heugel, [1898], tear to spine
6) Musique de scène (Le Crocodile), with an autograph musical quotation of the Entr'acte to act 4, Paris, 3 February 1887, publisher's embossed wrappers, boxed, Hartmann, [1887]
7) Pensée d'Automne, with an autograph musical quotation of the passage "Une chanson d'adieu sort des sources troublées", inscribed ("...J. Massenet [18]88"), boxed, Hartmann, [1888]
a further nineteen vocal scores signed and inscribed by Massenet of Le grand'tante (two copies, both inscribed by the composer in 1867, one to Girard, the creator of Chevrette), Don César de Bazan (2 copies 1886, 1888, one inscribed to Vaucorbeil), Marie Magdalène (1876), Hérodiade (1881), Manon (1892), Biblis (inscribed to the poet Paul Collin in 1887), Le Mage (inscribed to Paul Taffenel, 1891), Werther (another copy, inscribed to Louis Gallet), La Navarraise (1895), Sapho (1897), Grisélidis (1901), Chérubin (1905), Thérèse (1907), Bacchus (inscribed on the day of the première in May 1909), Roma (April 1912), Les Érinnyes (the full score, 1892), Lui et Elle (1892)
together with first editions of Manon (first issue [Fuld p.460-461]), Le roi de Lahore, Le portrait de Manon, Amadis, Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, Ariane, Don Quichotte, Panurge and Cléopâtre (some only published after Massenet's death), the oratorio Le Terre promise, Poëme d'Avril, Poëme Pastorale, Saisons d'amour, Si ti veux, Mignonne and Chansons des Bois d'Amaranthe and other songs; together with first editions of the librettos of Thais (no.7 of 10 copies on Hollande) and Esclarmonde (signed by the librettists Blau and de Gramont) and Louis Schneider's biography of the composer, inscribed by the author.
over 60 items in all, vocal scores, mainly in contemporary bindings or wrappers, 1867-1922
Catalogue Note
This is a remarkable collection containing first editions of all the operas published in Massenet's lifetime, with incidental music, oratorios and songs. Esclarmonde has an illustrated dust-jacket, one of the earliest known for a musical score.