G. Frescobaldi. Toccate d'intavolatura di cimbalo et organo...Libro P[rimo], fifth edition, 1637

Frescobaldi, Girolamo

Toccate d'intavolatura di cimbalo et organo, partite di diverse arie e corrente, balletti, ciaccone, passachagli...Libro P.^o, Rome: Borboni, 1637 

fifth edition, 2 leaves, 94 pages, 1 leaf, folio (38.2 x 26cm), engraved title within an elaborate border and with the arms of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, fine frontispiece portrait of the composer by Sas after Jean Saillant, letter to the reader, calligraphically engraved music, table at end, illegible Italian armorial ink stamps to title and letter to the reader, Dolmetsch Library stamp and pencil shelfmark ("II D 9, 1") to reverse of title, some modern pencil annotations, WITH ENGRAVED PORTRAIT OF FRESCOBALDI BY CLAUDE MELLAN LAID DOWN ON FRONT PASTEDOWN (14.2 x 10.7cm), first five gatherings detached, textblock almost detached, some worming to gutter, old repair to lower margin of pp.17/18 and 19/20, some damp-staining and browning to margins, covers worn, spine crudely repaired with brown paper

RARE. WE HAVE TRACED ONLY FOUR COPIES OF THIS RARE PRINT AT AUCTION IN THE LAST 70 YEARS.

This volume is the celebrated fifth issue of Frescobaldi's first book of toccatas of 1615, which contains some of the most significant keyboard music of the seventeenth century. The reprint is notable for its 26-page Aggiunta (pp.69-94), which constitute the last keyboard works of Frescobaldi published in his lifetime. The 1637 reprint was issued by Borboni contemporaneously with the second issue of Il secondo libro di toccate, originally published in 1627 (RISM F 1826; TNG A.6). Often found together in institutional libraries, the two volumes are, however, complete in themselves.  

The superb, undated, engraved portrait of Frescobaldi by Mellan which is here laid down on the front pastedown is apparently, as noted by Alexander Silbiger, the first of three versions, the two later reprints being by the Parisian publisher and engraver Michel Odieuvre (1687-1756), and by Paul François Velley.

See previous lot.

LITERATURE:

RISM F 1859 and FF 1859; TNG A.8; TNG, ix, pp.238ff.