Goldoni - Drammi Giocosi per Musica - 1795

THE THEATER THAT DUPLICATES ITSELF: GOLDONI AMONG EDITORIAL SERIES AND MUSICAL DRAMA IN THE ZATTA LABORATORY
A typical eighteenth-century specimen, it exemplary reflects the complex editorial stratification of Carlo Goldoni's works. The volume belongs to the great Venetian enterprise of Antonio Zatta, which reorganizes the Goldoni corpus into parallel and interconnected series: on one side the Dramatic Works, on the other the Jovial Dramas for Music. This tome clearly shows how the two series dialogue with each other, with a structure that integrates a series eyelet and a specific title-page, testifying to a refined yet commercial editorial practice, destined for a wide and cultured audience.
MARKET VALUE
The Zatta editions of Goldoni are relatively widespread, but maintain a steady collecting interest; isolated copies in average condition generally fall between 50 and 100 euros, with higher values for well-preserved copies, complete and with sharp engravings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Volume belonging to the series of the Dramatic Works. Half-leather binding with cardboard boards, contemporary or slightly later, with wear marks on the spine and corners. Presence of a copperplate vignette on the title page of the dramas. Editorial structure articulated with an internal series indicator for tome XLIV and an autonomous title-page for the Jovial Dramas for Music. Pages with some browning and occasional creases or tears. Ex libris “G. F. Alessandrini.” In old books, with a centuries-long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 396; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
The Dramatic Works of Mr. Advocat(c) Carlo Goldoni. Tome Forty-Fourth.
Containing: Jovial Dramas for Music by Mr. Carlo Goldoni, Tome Tenth.
Venice, printed by Antonio Zatta and sons, 1795.
Carlo Goldoni.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The volume represents a paradigmatic example of the Venetian editorial policy of the late eighteenth century, in which Goldoni’s works were systematized and disseminated through modular series. Tome XLIV of the Dramatic Works here is dedicated to the dramas for music, a fundamental genre in Goldoni’s output, marking the transition from traditional comedy to musical theatre and opera librettos. The presence of a double level of titling — series eyelet and specific title-page — is not an anomaly but a precise editorial choice: to integrate under a single book architecture different genres, while preserving their identity. This system reflects the transformation of theatre from a performative practice to a stable book object, intended for reading and collecting.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Carlo Goldoni (Venice, 1707 – Paris, 1793) was the leading reformer of Italian theatre. Surpassing commedia dell'arte, he introduced written and structured texts, characterized by social realism and attention to the emerging bourgeoisie. Prolific author, he wrote comedies, dramas and libretti for music, contributing decisively to the development of modern European theatre.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Zatta editions (Venice, 1788–1795 approx.) constitute one of the most important eighteenth-century collections of Goldoni’s works. Organized in numerous volumes, often divided by genre, they were designed for wide and serial distribution. The Jovial Dramas for Music were integrated into the general series of the Dramatic Works, creating a complex yet coherent editorial structure that favored both separate sale and the formation of complete collections by readers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: multiple records for the Venetian Zatta editions of the Dramatic Works and the Jovial Dramas for Music by Carlo Goldoni (1788–1795)
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, catalogs of the Venetian Goldoni editions of the XVIII century
Giuseppe Ortolani, All the works of Carlo Goldoni, Venice, various editions
Franco Fido, Goldoni and the reform of theatre
Mario Infelise, Venetian publishing in the eighteenth century