Les Festes de L'Hymen et de L'Amour, ou Les Dieux d'Egypte, Ballet Heroïque ... Représenté pour la premiere fois sur le grand Théatre de Versailles le 15. Mars 1747. & par l'Academie Royale de Musique, le 5. Novembre 1748. Prix treize livres en blanc, & quinze livres reliė. [Condensed score]
- Paris: Chez L'Auteur, ruë Saint Honoré, vis-à-vis le Caffé de Dupuis. Le Veuve Boivin, ruë Saint Honoré, à la Regle d'Or. M. Lec, 1749
Paris: Chez L'Auteur, ruë Saint Honoré, vis-à-vis le Caffé de Dupuis. Le Veuve Boivin, ruë Saint Honoré, à la Regle d'Or. M. Leclair, ruë du Roule, à la Croix d'Or. Avec Approbation et Privilege du Roi, 1749. Oblong folio. Contemporary full green vellum with raised bands on spine and dark red leather title gilt, red edges. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 144 pp. Engraved throughout.
Binding somewhat worn, rubbed, bumped, and warped; lacking blank free front endpaper. Slightly worn; occasional soiling and staining; minor creasing to title. First Edition. Lesure p. 526. Sonneck Dramatic Music p. 135. Hirsch II, 769. BUC p. 871. RISM R143 and RR 143.
Les Festes de l'Hymen, in three acts and a prologue to a libretto by Cahusac, was first performed at Versailles on 15 March 1747.
While not Rameau's most significant work, it does contain some notable examples of his better writing, notably in Act II, scenes 3 and 5. "The first is Memphis' poignant air 'Veille, Amour' ... the one personal utterance in the whole opera; for the short space of her air this character becomes a living being. The second (in scene 5) is a curiosity; a ten-part double chorus that accompanies the overflowing of the Nile." Girdlestone p. 445.
"The first ballet figure has more value, especially a saraband in G minor and a musette, "Ma bergere fuyait l'Amour", which is among the best examples of Rameau's pastoral pieces." Ibid p. 448.
Rameau had already composed this work under the title Les Dieux de l'Egypte "when an entertainment was ordered for the Dauphin's second wedding (to Maria-Josepha of Saxony, the mother of the future kings Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X), so it was used for this purpose with a special topical prologue and given at Versailles in March 1747." Ibid p. 444.
The scarce first edition of Rameau's vibrant and imaginative ballet.
Binding somewhat worn, rubbed, bumped, and warped; lacking blank free front endpaper. Slightly worn; occasional soiling and staining; minor creasing to title. First Edition. Lesure p. 526. Sonneck Dramatic Music p. 135. Hirsch II, 769. BUC p. 871. RISM R143 and RR 143.
Les Festes de l'Hymen, in three acts and a prologue to a libretto by Cahusac, was first performed at Versailles on 15 March 1747.
While not Rameau's most significant work, it does contain some notable examples of his better writing, notably in Act II, scenes 3 and 5. "The first is Memphis' poignant air 'Veille, Amour' ... the one personal utterance in the whole opera; for the short space of her air this character becomes a living being. The second (in scene 5) is a curiosity; a ten-part double chorus that accompanies the overflowing of the Nile." Girdlestone p. 445.
"The first ballet figure has more value, especially a saraband in G minor and a musette, "Ma bergere fuyait l'Amour", which is among the best examples of Rameau's pastoral pieces." Ibid p. 448.
Rameau had already composed this work under the title Les Dieux de l'Egypte "when an entertainment was ordered for the Dauphin's second wedding (to Maria-Josepha of Saxony, the mother of the future kings Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X), so it was used for this purpose with a special topical prologue and given at Versailles in March 1747." Ibid p. 444.
The scarce first edition of Rameau's vibrant and imaginative ballet.