Les fêtes d'Hébé ou Les talents liriques, ballet, representé pour la premiere fois, par l'Academie royale de musique, au mois de may 1739. Dédié à S.A.S. madame la duchesse douairiere [...].

Obl. 4to: [4]-181 pp., pp. 97-107, engr. music (price on title altered in manuscript to 13 and 15 livres with sm. holes due to the acidity of ink, dampstaining, some soiling, occ. spotting).

Contemp. mottled calf, gilt-orn. spine with raised bands (us., partly loosening, lower joint partly split, some missing on spine, head and tail, def. in endpapers).

Early edition of Rameau's second opera-ballet after a libretto by A. Gautier de Montdorge, first performed at the Paris Opéra on 21 May 1739; from 23 June it was given with revisions to the second "entrée". Our score contains the revised scenes 1-3 = 11 pp. numb. 97-107, bound at the end). Score engraved by L. Huë (cf. p. 181). Our copy seems to combine first and second printings of the edition, probably for a new performance of the play, which was staged no fewer than 80 times in its first year. Without errata (printed below the list of characters in 1st issue) but some errors not corrected, e.g. p. 42 ("Aux mortels criminels", later corr; in "Pour les coeurs criminels"), p. 48 (corrected after "Scene V": "Divertissement allégorique" and "Des mariniers entrent en dansant"), etc.
Ref. RISM R138, R139. - BnF.