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Amadis, tragedie en musique

Description: Libretto of the 1684 opera "Amadis," by Philippe Quinolt. The premiere of Amadis was delayed for a year after Lully completed its composition in order to allow the proper mourning period for Marie Thérese, wife of Louis XIV, who died in July of 1683. While still abstaining from theater at court, Louis XIV at last allowed the first public presentation of "Amadis" at the Opéra in Paris on 18 January 1684. It was an immediate public success. On the title page for this opera, there is a lithograph… more
Date: 1684
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Amore fra' gl'impossibili

Description: According to Grove Music, Gigli's 'Amore fra gli impossibili' is an eccentric work where "the pastoral setting is disturbed by mythological references and the addition of the characters Don Chisciotte and Coriandolo, in an ironic and grotesque atmosphere."
Date: 1693
Creator: Gigli, Girolamo, 1660-1722 & Campelli, Carlo
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Arianna e Teseo

Description: Libretto of the opera seria "Arianna e Teseo" by Pietro Pariati. The story unfolds in the island of Crete where several young Athenian men are brought to be ritually sacrificed, and Athenian maidens are to be delivered as victims to a minotaur that lives in a labyrinth. Among the Athenians is Arianna, the daughter of Minos (Minosse), King of Crete, who was abducted as a child by King Aegeus, and Teseo, Aegeus's son. Teseo is determined to kill the minotaur in order to save Arianna's friend Laod… more
Date: 1764
Creator: Pariati, Pietro, 1665-1733
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Astrée

Description: Libretto of the 1691 opera "Astrée" by Jean de la Fontaine. Pascal Collasse composed the music of the opera which premiered under the title "Astrée et Céladon" on November 25, 1692.
Date: 1691
Creator: La Fontaine, Jean de, 1621-1695
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Le cadi dupé

Description: This is a 1766 copy of the libretto of the one-act comic opera "Le cadi dupé" (The duped judge), by Pierre René Lemonnier to music by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny. The first performance of the opera took place at the Paris Foire St-Germain on 4 February 1761. Christoph Willibald Gluck's music replaced that of Monsigny's for the 8 December 1761 performance at the Burgtheater in Vienna.
Date: 1766
Creator: Lemonnier, Pierre René, 1731-1796
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Catone in Utica

Description: This is a ca. 1763 copy of the libretto of "Catone in Utica," by Metastasio. Gian Francesco de Majo set this libretto to music for the 1763 carnival season in Turin. In this story, Caesar and Fulvio meet Cato, Utica's ruler, and offer him a peace truce, but Emilia, Pompey's widow, suspects treachery and plots to murder Caesar. Cato rejects a Senate's order for a reconciliation with Caesar and demands that Caesar surrender his dictatorial powers. Marzia, Cato's daughter, promised in marriage t… more
Date: 1763
Creator: Metastasio, Pietro, 1698-1782.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Coronis

Description: Libretto of the 1691 "Coronis," a French lyrical genre called pastorale-heroïque, representing the love of nobles or gods often disguised as shepherds (or shepherdesses) in Arcadian settings. Daniel-Paul Chappuzeau de Baugé wrote the libretto and Teobaldo de Gatti composed its music.
Date: 1891
Creator: Chappuzeau de Baugé, Daniel-Paul.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 1

Description: This is a copy of the first volume of "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," edited by Sir George Grove. This volume, published in 1879, is an encyclopedic work that contains the biographies of well-known composers as well as articles contributed by various authors on music topics, concepts and definitions starting alphabetically from: "A" (i.e., the sixth note in the scale of C major) to "I" (impromptu). The names of contributing authors appear in a list on pp.[vii]-viii), signed "Bedford Stree… more
Date: 1879
Creator: Grove, George, Sir, 1820-1900.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 2

Description: This is a copy of the second volume of "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," edited by Sir George Grove. This volume, published in 1880, is an encyclopedic work that contains the biographies of well-known composers as well as articles contributed by various authors on music topics, concepts and definitions starting alphabetically from: "I" (improperia) to "P" (plain song). The names of contributing authors appear in a list on pp.[v]-vii, signed "Bedford Street, Covent Garden, October 1, 1880." … more
Date: 1880
Creator: Grove, George, Sir, 1820-1900.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 3

Description: This is a copy of the third volume of "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," edited by Sir George Grove. This volume, published in 1883, is an encyclopedic work that contains the biographies of well-known composers as well as articles contributed by various authors on music topics, concepts and definitions starting alphabetically from: "P" (Planché, James Robinson) to "S" (the title of the Medieval rota, "Sume is icumen in"). The names of contributing authors appear in a list on pp.[v]-vii, sign… more
Date: 1883
Creator: Grove, George, Sir, 1820-1900.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 4

Description: This is a copy of the fourth volume of "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," edited by Sir George Grove. This volume, published in 1890, is an encyclopedic work that contains the biographies of well-known composers as well as articles contributed by various authors on music topics, concepts and definitions starting alphabetically from: "S" (continuation of the article about the Medieval rota, "Sume is icumen in" that appears on vol. 3) to "Z" (starting with the singer, Zur Mühlen, Raimund von).
Date: 1890
Creator: Grove, George, 1820-1900
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Elements of Musical Composition; comprehending the Rules of Thorough Bass, and the Theory of Tuning.

Description: Manual describing musical composition for beginners. The manual is divided in 9 chapters and includes 479 musical examples engraved in 59 pages at the end of the book, as well as four plates with figures (plate no. II appears at the beginning of the book. The musical examples cover the following subjects: scales, intervals (diatonic and chromatic) and their inversion, counterpoint rules, harmonic progressions, use of non-harmonic tones (suspensions, passing notes, appoggiaturas, and upper-low… more
Date: 1812
Creator: Crotch, William, 1775-1847
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Enée et Lavinie

Description: Libretto of the opera "Enée et Lavinie" by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle. Pascal Collasse composed the music of the opera which premiered on November 7, 1690. The plot, which Bovier de Fontenelle adapted from Virgil's "Aeneid, Book vii," revolves around the marriage of Enée (i.e., Aeneas) to the Latin bride Lavinia.
Date: 1690
Creator: Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Estebanillo: zarzuela en tres actos, en verso

Description: Libretto of the three-act zarzuela "Estebanillo" by Ventura de la Vega. The plot is an adaptation of the ca. 1634 Spanish comedy, "Fortuna te dé Dios, hijo" (May God give you good luck, son), by the playwright Tirso de Molina's. The zarzuela is also known by the title "Estebanillo Peralta." It was premiered in 1855 at the Teatro del Circo (built in 1834 and destroyed by fire in 1876).
Date: 1855
Creator: Vega, Ventura de la, 1807-1865.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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La favola di Orfeo

Description: Libretto of the opera "La favola di Orfeo" in several verse forms. Poliziano's version of the legend of Orfeo differs from the story in Monteverdi or Gluck's operas. In Poliziano's ending, Orpheus is torn to pieces by the maenads (or Bacchantes). This copy includes Bernardino Baldi's eclogue "Celeo e l'Orto," a culinary poem that describes the production of polenta.
Date: 1749
Creator: Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494. & Baldi, Bernardino, 1553-1617.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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La fede ne' tradimenti

Description: This is a 1689 copy of Girolamo Gigli's three-act libretto for the opera "La Fede ne' tradimenti," set to music by Giuseppe Fabbrini for the 1689 Carnival season at the Collegio Tolomei in Siena, Italy.
Date: 1689
Creator: Gigli, Girolamo, 1660-1722
Partner: UNT Music Library
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La Geneviefa

Description: This is a ca. 1685 copy of the three-act libretto of "La Geneviefa" by Girolamo Gigli. The work was dedicated to Prince Francesco Maria of Toscana. The Sienese composer Giuseppe Fabbrini set the libretto to music for an opera staged at the theater of the Collegio Tolomei in Siena. Although the music of the opera is lost, the remark, "Il Sign. Giuseppe Fabrini, che ha data l'anima al verso con l'armonia della musica ..." in the preface of the libretto confirms Fabbrini's setting it to music. C… more
Date: 1685
Creator: Gigli, Girolamo, 1660-1722
Partner: UNT Music Library
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The gentle shepherd, a pastoral comedy

Description: This is a copy of the libretto of the pastoral opera, "The gentle shepherd" by Allan Ramsey. It includes an engrave image bearing the inscription "Alan Ramsey Scotus," and "A. Ramsey, ad viv. del." (translatable as, drawing of the living subject) at the bottom left. It also bears the disclaimer and engraving signature, "Published according to Act of Parliament by D. Allan Edin, July 12, 1788" at the bottom right. The libretto includes twelve numbered plates depict various scenes from scenes… more
Date: 1796
Creator: Ramsay, Allan, 1686-1758.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Ifigenia in Aulide

Description: This is a ca. 1762 copy of the libretto of "Ifigenia in Aulide," by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi, the principal librettist at the Teatro Regio in Turin. Cigna-Santi's libretto is an adaptation of Euripide's story of Ifigenia, the daughter of the king of Argos, Agamemnon. The goddess Diana decreed that Ifigenia had to be sacrificed in order to guarantee fair winds for the king's fleet on their journey to Troy. Achilles, rushed to save Ifigenia, his wedding bride, but Diana, moved by Ifigen… more
Date: 1762
Creator: Cigna-Santi, Vittorio Amedeo.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Isis, tragedie en musique

Description: Libretto of the opera "Isis," by Philippe Quinolt. The music of the opera was composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully's and premiered on January 5, 1677 at St. Germain-en-Laye. The libretto is a loose adaptation of one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. The plot resembles that of Lully's previous opera, Atys. It is set in pastoral and divine realms. In the opera, Jupiter courts the nymph Io, and jealous Juno imprisons her under the hundred watchful eyes of Argus. The god Mercury helps Io … more
Date: 1677
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Le istitutioni harmoniche

Description: This is a 1562 copy of "Le istitutioni harmoniche," one of the most influential music theory treatises written by Gioseffo Zarlino. The first edition appeared in Venice in 1558. The treatise, divided in four parts, includes theoretical and practical elements of music. The first two parts discuss philosophical, cosmological and mathematical aspects of music, Greek tonal system and tuning. The third and fourth parts cover the rules of counterpoint and modes, respectively. This copy bears a dedic… more
Date: 1562
Creator: Zarlino, Gioseffo, 1517-1590.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Jeannot et Colin

Description: This is a ca. 1857 copy of the libretto of Jeannot et Colin, an opera by Charles Etienne with music by Nicolo Isouard. The opera premiered in Paris at the theater of the Opéra-Comique on 17 October 1814. The expressive melodies of the opera as well as its performers ensured its success. The opera was staged again on 14 October 1857. The first page of the library's copy contain the names of the performers that participated in both productions.
Date: 1857
Creator: Etienne, Charles Guillaume, 1777-1845.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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Momie

Description: This is a ca. 1778 libretto for the burlesque opera in three acts "Momie" by a Jean Étiennethat Despréaux. The opera is a parody based on Leblanc du Roullet's libretto of "Iphigénie en Aulide," an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. The libretto includes the titles of the tunes at the opening of each scene. Page 6 of the library's copy is incorrectly numbered as page 9.
Date: 1778?
Creator: Despréaux, Jean Étienne, 1748-1820.
Partner: UNT Music Library
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The Padlock

Description: This is a copy of a ca. 1768 edition of Isaac Bickerstaff libretto for the two-act English comic opera "The Paddlock" by Charles Dibdin. The plot is an adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes's "El celoso extremeño" (translated as, The Jealous Estremaduran). The t.p. features a vignette signed by IJ Taylor [possibly by the London engraver Isaac Taylor (1730-1807)] with four infants. The one at the center is holding several keys and is playing horse riding with a walking stick that has a padlock attac… more
Date: 1768
Creator: Bickerstaff, Isaac, 1735-1812
Partner: UNT Music Library
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