AA.VV. - Nouveau Theatre Italian - 1738

THE PROHIBITED THEATER OF THE 1700s – 4 VOLUMES OF ITALIAN PARODIES IN PARIS
An extraordinary collection of comic and satirical theater from eighteenth-century Paris, published in 1738 in four elegant volumes. The famous parodies performed by the Comédiens Italiens Ordinaires du Roy on the stage of the Hôtel de Bourgogne. Second expanded edition, with theatrical texts, arias recorded on music, and four splendid copper-engraved frontispieces. A fascinating document of the rivalry between Italian theater, French opera, and the culture of spectacle in the Ancien Régime. A complete set of the four volumes, in contemporaneous full leather bindings with gilded decorations and prestigious provenance from Sordelli.

ABSTRACT
Important eighteenth-century collection of theatrical parodies performed by the Italian company in service of the King of France at the Théâtre de l’Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Published in 1738 by Briasson, this second edition, revised, corrected and considerably enlarged compared with the first of 1731, brings together in four volumes a rich repertoire of parodic comedies, satirical texts, and musical compositions that document one of the most original phenomena of eighteenth-century French cultural life. The works collected reinterpret tragedies, operas, and popular shows in a comic and burlesque key, transforming great subjects of myth and literature into lively, ironic, and often irreverent performances. Of particular interest is the inclusion of the engraved arias, which allow reconstruction not only of the literary content but also some aspects of the musical dimension of the performances. The edition is enhanced by four copper-engraved frontispieces, one for each volume, and by copperplate ornaments. The collection thus constitutes a significant testimony to Parisian theatrical culture during the reign of Louis XV.

WHY TO BUY
An item of particular interest for collectors of antique theater, history of performance, Baroque music, satirical literature, and 18th-century French culture. The collection preserves a repertoire that is rarely accessible in modern editions, restoring the lively and experimental character of the Parisian scene of the time. The presence of engraved arias represents a matter of notable historical and bibliographic interest, as it documents the integration of acting, singing, and parody in eighteenth-century theatrical practice. The 1738 second edition also offers expanded content compared to the original 1731 publication. Particularly appreciable is the preservation of the set in the four original volumes with uniform leather bindings, spines ornamented in gold, red edges, and marble flyleaves. The ex libris of M. and L. Sordelli, accompanied by the motto “Fatica senza fatica” (Effort without effort), adds an interesting element of provenance and bibliographic history. A work of considerable cultural heft, destined for specialized libraries and collections dedicated to the arts of the theater.

MARKET VALUE
The collection belongs to the specialized sector of eighteenth-century theatrical and musical antiques. Its commercial interest stems mainly from the presence of the four volumes, the expanded second edition, the illustration program, and the engraved arias. The preservation of the original uniform bindings and the documented provenance are additional positive elements. The conditions, though overall satisfactory, show defects at the hinges and some trimming of the musical pages, which affect the collectible value. In the absence of verified auction comparisons for the same edition, a rough offering range in the antique market can be placed between 400 and 750 euros for the set of four volumes. A particularly well-preserved copy that is bibliographically complete could reach higher values with a specialized audience.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Four volumes. Uniform contemporaneous full leather bindings, spines with raised bands, titles, ornamental devices and gold tooling. Red edges and marbleized flyleaves. Considering also 16 blank leaves, equivalent to 32 pages, the stated physical total is 1,770 pages, in addition to any out-of-text plates not included in the pagination. Illustrative apparatus including four full-page frontispieces engraved in copper, one per tome, plus title pages, initials and finials copper-engraved. Numerous pages with engraved arias. A copy showing signs of use to the bindings. Cards with sporadic signs of handling.
Provenance: ex libris M. and L. Sordelli, with motto “Fatica senza fatica.” In old books, with centuries-long histories, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visualizations. Please refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual condition. The images are an integral part of the description. Collation: Volume I: [2 blank leaves], XXXVI, 352, 4 pages, [2 blank leaves]. Volume II: [2 blank leaves], [24], 328, 60 pages, [2 blank leaves]. Volume III: [2 blank leaves], [30], 408, 88 pages, [2 blank leaves]. Volume IV: [2 blank leaves], [34], 312, 92 pages, [2 blank leaves].

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Les Parodies du Nouveau Théâtre Italien.
À Paris, chez Briasson, 1738.
AA.VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Théâtre Italien occupied a fundamental position in the cultural life of eighteenth-century Paris, representing a meeting point between Italian commedia dell’arte tradition and modern French theater. After the Italian troupe’s expulsion from Paris in 1697, Italian actors were recalled to France in 1716, during the Régence, initiating a new season of extraordinary creativity. Their repertoire combined traditional masks, character comedies, improvisations, music, dance, and parodies of works staged at the major Parisian theaters. Theatrical parody became a privileged instrument for commenting on, imitating, and sometimes ridiculing the great successes of French opera and tragedy. Mythological characters, classical heroes, and solemn figures were transformed into protagonists of everyday situations, sentimental confusions, and comic dialogues, producing an effect of contrast particularly appreciated by the public. The Théâtre de l’Hôtel de Bourgogne was one of the main venues of this experimentation, where a new form of musical and comic performance gradually developed. The 1738 collection thus represents a direct testimony to parody culture under the Ancien Régime and allows study of the relationships between Italian theater, Comédie-Française, Opéra, and popular shows. The engraved arias also preserve a musical heritage linked to theatrical practice, offering valuable information on the circulation of melodies and their reuse in satirical contexts. The work documents a crucial moment in the formation of French comic musical theater, destined to influence the development of opéra comique.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
The collection is not the work of a single author but brings together texts belonging to the repertoire of the Comédiens Italiens Ordinaires du Roy, a theater company that played a central role in the development of the French stage in the early eighteenth century. Among the figures of the revival of Italian theater in Paris was Luigi Riccoboni (1676–1753), known by the stage name Lelio, actor, troupe leader, dramatist, and theater historian. Riccoboni helped reorganize the Italian company after its return to France in 1716, fostering a repertoire capable of integrating the tradition of the commedia dell’arte with the new needs of the French audience. Alongside the Italian actors worked numerous French playwrights specializing in comedies, parodies, and musical shows. Among the authors linked to the period’s parodic theater culture are Louis Fuzelier (1672–1752), Jacques-Philippe d’Orneval (died 1766), and Alexis Piron (1689–1773), who, in different ways, contributed to the transformation of comic and satirical theater. Their activity helped develop a stage language in which music, irony, and reinterpretation of classical subjects played a decisive role. The attribution of individual texts in the collection requires the examination of indices and respective headings.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The first edition of Parodies du Nouveau Théâtre Italien dates to 1731 and testifies to the growing public interest in publishing the texts performed by the Parisian Italian company. The new 1738 edition, published by Briasson, is expressly presented as revised, corrected, and expanded with additional parodies. This editorial note documents the evolution of the repertoire and the intent to offer a more extensive collection than the previous one. The four-volume publication, enriched by copper-engraved frontispieces and engraved arias, required a more elaborate editorial production than a simple collection of theatrical texts. The copper-plate music printing was indeed a specific process needed to reproduce staves, notes, and musical indications with accuracy. The presence of such engravings gives the publication particular interest for the history of musical typography and French theatrical publishing. The publisher Antoine-Claude Briasson (1700–1775) was an important figure in Paris’s books trade in the eighteenth century, later known also for his involvement in publishing Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie. No documented data are available here on the edition’s print run or the number of surviving copies. The conjoint presence of the four volumes and the musical apparatus nevertheless constitutes a significant element in the bibliographical valuation of the set.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Les Parodies du Nouveau Théâtre Italien, ou Recueil des Parodies représentées sur le Théâtre de l’Hôtel de Bourgogne, Paris, Briasson, 1738, four volumes. Brenner, Clarence D., A Bibliographical List of Plays in the French Language 1700–1789, bibliographic index for eighteenth-century French dramatic production. Soleinne, Martine, Bibliothèque dramatique de Monsieur de Soleinne, fundamental historical catalogue for both old and modern theater. Riccoboni, Luigi, Histoire du Théâtre Italien, Paris, 1728, contemporary testimony on the history and traditions of the Italian stage. Campardon, Émile, Les Comédiens du Roi de la troupe italienne pendant les deux derniers siècles, Paris, 1880, historical and documentary study on the Italian company. These references provide the bibliographic and theatrical context of the work; they do not constitute, without checking each entry, a certified collation of the specific 1738 edition.