[English Music] Gay, John. (1685-1732). The Beggar's Opera As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal... [Bound with]: John Gay. Polly: An Opera Being the Second Part of The Beggar's Opera.. London: John Watts. 1729. The Beggar's Opera As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal... London: John Watts, 1729. Third edition. BUC p. 96. RISM P1195.

[Bound with]

John Gay. Polly: An Opera Being the Second Part of The Beggar's Opera. London: Printed by the Author, 1729. First edition. BUC p. 801. RISM P1222.

Two quarto volumes bound into one. [viii], 60, 46 (engraved pages of music), [2], [viii], 72, 31 (engraved pages of music), [1, blank] pages. Bound in contemporary vellum over marbled paper boards, manuscript title on spine. Binding worn but well restored, one split in vellum spine at upper rear joint, very minor soiling in text. A very good copy with bright text. Ink ownership note of noted book collector Brent Gration-Maxfield on the front pastedown. Housed in cloth clamshell case.

The first edition of Beggar's Opera gave the tunes of the songs; the second edition added an overture and four staves, the third edition included the bass portion. Therefore, the third edition is the most complete early edition (it was also the first to be printed in the larger quarto format, instead of the smaller octavo format).

"The originality of this theatrical landmark lay in its being about the real inhabitants of London's underworld rather than the cardboard heroes of antiquity, with short popular tunes known to the audiences instead of long arias in Italian...It started a ten-year fashion for ballad operas, and was the greatest theatrical success of the century." (TNG Vol. 7, p. 203)