BEAUJOYEULX

BEAUJOYEULX, BALTASAR DEBALET COMIQVE DE LA ROYNE,Faict avx Nopces de Monsieur le Duc de Ioyeuse & madamoyselle de Vaudemont sa soeur. Par Baltasar de Beavioyevlx, Valet de Chambre dv Roy, et de la Royne sa mere.A Paris, Par Adrian le Roy, Robert Ballard, & Mamert Patisson, Imprimeurs du Roy. M. D. LXXXII. [1582]. First edition, 4to, [xvi] + 75 numbered folios, + 'Extrait du priuilege' leaf at the rear, with 27 engraved illustrations, as called for. Bound in later (probably 18th century) worn blue paper wrappers, manuscript label to spine, some creasing to corners, hairline worm-track to very inner margin of first few leaves (barely noticeable and not affecting text), folio 18 with short marginal tear not affecting text, folio 40 with closed tear along plate margin, folio 41 with m/s writing to outer margin, faint waterstain from folio 41 onwards. Rare. The 'Balet Comique de la Royne' is considered to be the first ballet, performed in 1581 at the French court of Catherine de Medici as part of the wedding celebrations for the Duke de Joyeuse and Marguerite de Vaudemont. The ballet was choreographed by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx and was the first piece to combine poetry, music, design and dance, using as a theme the witchcraft of the goddess Circe. It is also the first ballet of which there is a printed account (libretto), published in 1582. Beaujoyeulx's volume, with printed music and superb illustrations by Jacques Patin, was highly successful and influenced the courts of Europe.Rare. This copy has not been seen on the market for over 100 years, and comes with various letters to/from the British Library as well as enquiries to Sotheby's and Christie's. A manuscript note dated Dec 12th 1911 records that the book was "valued by Mr Quaritch at £80". American Book Prices Current records the most recent copy as having sold for 105,000. (Christie's New York, Jun 12, 2009, lot 344)