Le Bourgeois gentil-homme
“This first edition of Molière is extremely rare and remains highly sought after by bibliophiles who are enthusiasts of 17th-century ballets.”
(Guibert. Molière Bibliography).
Quarto (1) f. [title] and 26 pp., red morocco, triple gilt fillet, smooth spine decorated in the grotesque style with the title in long, inner dentelle, gilt edges.
216 x 169 mm.
Molière, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. The Bourgeois Gentleman. Comedy-Ballet, presented by the King to his entire Court at the Château de Chambord, in the month of October 1670.
In Paris, at Robert Ballard, sole Printer to the King for Music, 1670. With privilege of His Majesty.
“First edition of the synopsis and the sung couplets of the ballet. It is extremely rare and preceded the edition of the complete text.”
(Tchémerzine, IV, 813).
“This first edition is of extreme rarity and remains highly sought after by bibliophiles specializing in 17th-century ballets.” (Guibert, Molière bibliography of Works, p. 468).
“The Bourgeois Gentleman is a farce with ballets and music by Lully; but through this farce, which was the main part of the play, Molière introduced the elements of a comedy of manners. All he had to do was look at his own time to see the spectacle of a newly rich bourgeoisie wanting to attain nobility, imitating noble manners, and being exploited by the nobility. As for the ‘turquerie’ that concludes it, which seems quite childish to us today, it was of topical interest then. In addition to the fact that ‘turqueries’ were fashionable in the theater, the king and the court still kept bad memories of Soliman, the envoy of the Grand Turk in France in 1669, who had seemed very disdainful of the splendors of Saint-Germain. Colbert, to serve the king’s bad temper and his own resentment, is said to have asked Molière to accommodate the Turks in his play. Laurent d’Arvieux, newly returned from Turkey, full of anecdotes and details of manners with which he entertained the court, was tasked with providing Molière with details that would give his creation a sufficiently Turkish air.”
Only one copy cited by Tchémerzine, that of James de Rothschild.
Precious copy from the libraries of Jean Tannery (I, 1954, no. 362) AND Maxime Denesle (1978, no. 133).
