L’épreuve villageoise started out as Théodore et Paulin before Grétry convinced Desforges to rewrite the libretto. The original three-act opera was reduced to two acts, and the improbabilities of the original plot were reworked. Théodore et Paulin received one performance at Versailles on 5 March 1784, but it was never published. L’épreuve villageoise appeared at the Comédie-Italienne on 24 June 1784. This revision remained one of the most popular of Grétry’s opéra-comiques, receiving performances throughout the nineteenth century.

The story of Atys was first known operatically through Lully’s opera that premiered in 1676 at the court of St Germain-en-Laye. Marmontel adapted Quinault’s libretto and modified it by removing the prologue and divertissements. He also altered the plot; in lieu of Ovid’s metamorphic ending (to which Quinault had adhered), Atys commits suicide.

The contrast between Piccinni and Gluck can perhaps best be illustrated with Iphigénie en Tauride, as Piccinni’s opera appeared just two years after Gluck’s work on the same subject. In fact, supporters of Piccinni (“Piccinnistes”) hoped that the Italian composer would demonstrate the superiority of his style with Iphigénie, and scholars have used these settings to illustrate the difference between the two composers.

Panurge, like Colinette à la cour, features recitative, rather than spoken dialogue. In his memoirs, Grétry recognized Panurge for being the first comic opera to enjoy a successful run at the Opéra, and he saw it as a turning point for this theater, which traditionally presented serious plots (Grétry, Memoires; ou, Essais sur la musique, 377). The overture to Panurge was featured on concerts in the nineteenth century, and although the opera eventually disappeared from the repertoire, its long stint was noted as late as 1866, by which time it was no longer being performed (Crozet, Revue de la musique dramatique en France, 275-76).

Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia was based on the first play, Le barbier de Séville, ou La precaution inutile (1772), of Beaumarchais’s famous trilogy. The controversial commentary on aristocracy caused the play to be banned from the stage for three years. The ban was lifted in 1775 and the work premiered that same year; Beaumarchais finally saw the work performed in 1780 when he was employed by Catherine II in St. Petersburg. Although Rossini’s later opera (of 1816) is more familiar today, Paisiello’s rendition was extremely popular throughout Europe during its time. The work was first performed in St. Petersburg in September of 1782.

This is the second of a five-volume anthology featuring 160 arias and songs from various oratorios by G. F. Handel. The vocal score contains musical selections arranged for 1-2 voices with unrealized figured bass intended for harpsichord (continuo), oboe, or flute accompaniment. The English text is printed between the treble and bass, or alto staves. A publisher's note in the t.p. announced the availability of instrumental parts are available separately for concerts. The table of content that follows after the t.p. indicates the titles of the oratorio from which the arias and songs were taken. The songs are numbered continuously from 81-160 paginated from 172-332.

This is the third volume of a five-volume anthology featuring arias and songs from various oratorios by G. F. Handel. The vocal score contains musical selections arranged for 1-2 voices with unrealized figured bass intended for harpsichord (continuo), oboe, or flute accompaniment. The English text is printed between the treble and bass, or alto staves. A publisher's note on the t.p. announced the availability of instrumental parts sold separately. The table of content indicates the oratorio from which the arias and songs were taken. The songs are numbered continuously from 161-240 paginated from 334-498.

This is a copy of Giovanni Battista Casti's libretto for the comic opera "Prima la musica e poi le parole". On the back of the t.p. appears a list of characters and names Antonio Salieri as the composer of the music. The one-act opera was commissioned by Emperor Joseph II. Members of the Burgtheater's Italian troupe premiered it at the Schönbrunn Palace on February 7, 1786. The library's copy is bound with the libretto of Zaccaria Valaresso's "Rutzvanscad, il giovine."

This is a copy of the third of three volumes of "Storia della musica" (Music History), including numerous figures, musical examples demonstrating theoretical concepts of Greek music, and footnotes. It divided as follows: ch.1 - Greek music (pp. 1-24); ch.2 - Poetics, music and drama (pp. 25-90); ch.3 Dramatic poetry (pp. 91-148); ch.4 - Medieval and new dramatic poetry (pp.149-169); ch.5 - Music in Greek tragedy and drama (pp. 170-197); ch. 6 - Illustrious Greek music teachers (pp.198-268); ch.7 Greek philosophers on music (pp.269-369); ch.8 - Greek music theory practice (pp.370-440); Dissertation on the prodigious effect produced by antique Greek music (pp.[419]-440); Index of people mentioned in the volume (pp.441-445); Index of authors with short biography, in alphabetical order (pp445-458); Errata (p. 459).

Lucile Grétry’s opera Le mariage d’Antonio premiered in Paris when she was a mere fourteen years old. As the second daughter of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, she was afforded lessons at a young age in counterpoint and declamation. Her father supplied the orchestral parts for her comédie mêlée d’ariettes after Lucile had composed the vocal, bass, and harp parts. Although Le mariage d’Antonio was a modest success, Lucile’s second endeavor, a divertissement mêlée d’ariettes entitled Toinette et Louis (1787), did not receive the same positive attention. The young composer died from tuberculosis before she could establish herself further at the Comédie-Italienne.

As with many French operas, Rousseau’s Le devin du village was first staged for the court, appearing at Fountainebleau on 18 October 1752. The work was then performed at the Paris Opéra on 1 March 1753. The historical importance of this short intermè is closely tied to its role in the famous Querelle de bouffons, a debate about the merits of French serious opera in comparison to Italian comic opera (especially Pergolesi’s La serva padrona).

This map shows most of North America including present-day Canada, United States, and parts of Mexico. Various areas are outlined in color. Some cities, bodies of water, and geographic features are marked (with relief shown pictorially). There is a text annotation in the upper left corner of the map. Outside of the map, there are two columns of text that appear to have been pasted onto either side of the map.

Painting depicting a self portrait of Angelika Kauffmann

Overall view from right front

Overall view from right center showing reclining Psyche

close frontal detail of Cupid holding Psyche

Total from front center

Various efficient cures and remedies for diseases and cattle plagues taken from newspapers.

Map shows known geography and major cities located in North America, South America, Southern Europe, and Western Africa. Inset: [Supplement to the north-west of America, after the discoveries of Captain Cook]. Includes text. Boundaries outlined in color. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:32,000,000].

Map shows six continents, exploration routes of Captain James Cook, and areas of indigenous populations in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Includes notes, explanation, and time [zones]. Prime meridians: Philadelphia and London. Scale not given.

Map shows late eighteenth century navigational data for the confluency of the Ferrol, Coruña and Betanzos Rivers in Spain. Shore structures are noted. Includes notes. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. Scale not given.

Map shows late eighteenth century details for anchorage and navigation in Bilbao Bay in Spain. Shore structures are also detailed. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. Scale not given.

Map shows the upper part of India below the Ganges between the coast of Concan and that of Orissa, with the Mogul Empire, and Bengal. Relief shown pictorially. Inset: "Bouches du Ganges." Scale [ca. 1:10,000,000].

Map shows exploration routes of English Captain James Cook with dates, six continents. Australia is indicated as "Nueva Holanda." Relief shown by hachures. Scale not given.