Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus.

first [Artaria] edition of "The Magic Flute", oblong 4to (23 x 34 cms), 24 separate numbers (many first issues), each with engraved title, separate pagination and price, engraved throughout,  plate number 377 to Overtura, title label laid onto front wrapper (cf Hirsch, Haberkamp plate 333), watermarks "GFA", "Soto Iperial" & 3 crescent moons, contemporary blue wrappers, tear to first title-page with slight loss to verso, top edge occasionlly trimmed, back-strip defective, otherwise a good copy with clear impressions, [Haberkamp, pp.362-365; Hoboken 510ff. Hirsch IV.192; RISM M 4776]  

Rare: Editions of operas published during Mozart's lifetime are rare.  Die Zauberföte was staged on 30 September 1791.  Between then and Mozart's death on 5 December, the enormous success of the opera lead to three Viennese publishers competing to bring out the most popular numbers, with Artaria first off the mark.   This volume contains all 24 numbers published by Artaria, including the first two issued, on 23 November 1791: "Bey Männern" and "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" (see Haberkamp plates 334-335).  The impressions in this volume are generally fresh and clear and the watermarks accord with those given by Haberkamp for Artaria's earliest issues, mainly dateable to December 1791 and May 1792. A list of the separate numbers and issues is available on request.