Lettres sur La Danse, et sur Les Ballets ... Maitre des Ballets de Son Altesse Serenissime Monseigneur le Duc de Wurtemberg, & ci - devant des Theatres de Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Londres, &c.
Lyon: Chez Aime Delarouche, Imprimeur-Libraire du Gouvernement & de la Ville, aux Halles de la Grenette 1760. First Edition. [iv], 484 pages. 8vo. 10 x 17 cm. Period calf gilt with raised bands and red spine label "Noverre Sur La Danse". Page edges spotted red. Portions of silk ribbon present. Lower few inches front and rear joints cracked. A few stains to boards, wear to the corners and extremities. Marbled endpapers, flyleaves browned. Generally bright and clean internally. "Avec Approbation et Priviledge du Roi" at base of title page and approbation/privlege general on pp. [iii],[iv]. Text in French. A good copy. Good. Boards. [27409]
"The dancer and choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre's 'Letters on dancing and ballets' were first published in 1760, and set forth his ideas for the reform of ballet, ideas which were considered revolutionary in their day and were not fully implemented until more than a century later. 'Letters on Dancing and Ballets' is one of the most important dance books ever published, and through its influence Noverre can be seen as the grandfather of ballet as we know it today." (from a synopsis of "Letters on Dancing and Ballets" translated by Beaumont).
There were two issues in the first year, one in Lyon and one in Stutgard. Although at least one well known bookseller suggests Lyon (as here) precedes the Stutgard issue, we haven't been able to confirm this.
LITERATURE:
Magriel, "A Bibliography of Dancing", 1936, p. 115 (referencing Stutgard issue)
Derra de Moroda, "The Dance Library", 1966. Page 419 shows two issues. #1965, the Lyon issue (as here) and t#1966 the Stutgard issue. The footnote indicates: "There is no definitive proof yet which ed. appeared first, [the Stutgard] or the one of Lyon"
Price: $750.00