Merope; Canzonette e Cantate; Eclogues

Three eighteenth-century editions of Italian works of poetry and music bound together, including Scipione Maffei's Merope; a collection of the important librettist Paolo Antonio Rolli's canzonettas and cantatas, with 23 pages of engraved music; and Virgil's Eclogues. 7" x 5". Early leather-backed boards, leather portions mostly perished and with glue to spine, holding the whole. Contents with occasional light foxing, second work age-toned and a few other leaves with some toning as well, a few of the engraved sheets of music with closed marginal tears, contents very good overall.

The contents bound in the following order:

Maffei, Scipione. (1675-1755). Merope, Tragedia del Marchese Scipione Maffei [...]. In Modena: Per Bartolomeo Soliani Stamp. Due, 1735. [2], xxxvi, 125, [1] pp. 

Rolli, Paolo Antonio. (1687-1765). Di Canzonette e di Cantate, Libri Due, di Paolo Rolli. Londra: Presso Tommaso Edlin, 1727. [8], 124, xxiiii pages of engraved music.

Virgil. (70 BC-19 BC). La Bucolica: di Publio Virgilio Marone all' Altezza Serenissima di Giorgio Prencipe della Gran Britannia da Paolo Rolli, Compagno della Reale Societa. Londra : [publisher not identified], MDCCXLII [1742].  [2], 73, [1] pp.

The Italian librettist and poet Paolo Antonio Rolli was born in Rome, Italy and, like Metastasio, was trained by Gian Vincenzo Gravina. He worked in London from 1715 to 1744 where he became Italian tutor to the prince of Wales and the Royal Princesses . During this period, he wrote librettos for numerous Italian operas including Handel's Floridante (1721), Muzio Scevola (1722), Riccardo Primo (1927) and Deidamia (1741). He also worked frequently with composer Giovanni Bononcini writing and adapting numerous librettos for him including his popular Griselda (1722). In December 1729 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1744 he returned to Italy and wrote poetry, cantata texts, satires and translations and also published an Italian verse translation of Milton's "Paradise Lost", widely considered the finest in any language. (14567)

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Book

Printed Music

Classical Music

Opera

Literature

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