GEMINIANI, Francesco (1687-1762) L'art de jouer le violon, contenant les règles nécessaires à la perfection de cet instrument, avec une grande variété de compositions... Opera IX. - Paris, Chevardiere, (1752).
Small folio. Contemp. half vellum, ms. title on spine. Engr. frontispiece with portrait of Geminiani playing the violin, engr. title and 55 engr. pp. of text and music. Inner margin of first and last leaves strengthened, and some light uniform browning.
First French edition. Geminiani, violinist and composer from Lucca, pupil of Corelli and Scarlatti, was one of the most famous virtuosi of his time. He lived for a long time in London (where he performed concerts with Händel), in Paris and in Dublin where he died. Besides several compositions he wrote various theoretical treatises, the first and most important being this one which includes all the technical principles of essential violin performance (first edition: London 1751). It is the earliest of its kind and precedes by about a generation the one by Leopold Mozart. Eitner IV, 196. Fétis III, 444. Wolffheim 659.
Euro2900
This item is listed on Bibliopoly by Libreria Antiquaria C. E. Rappaport; click here for further details.