Méry

1860 · Best.-Nr. 26178 — Paris: Arnauld de Vresse Editeur 1860. Hardcover. g. Octavo. 4 276pp. Original half red cloth over marbled paper covered boards with gold lettering on spine. Ribbon marker. Marbled endpapers. Printer's device on title-page. Fascinating and exquisite edition of this gem of 19th century French literature. Some age wear on binding with corners heavily rubbed minor chipping on head and tail of spine and tiny closed tear on lower back joint. Contemporary previous owner's stamp at margin of a few pages throughout Librairie Papeterie Drocourt. Avenue des Ternes. Very minor and sporadic foxing throughout. Text in French. Binding in overall good- interior in good to very good condition. About the author: Joseph Méry 1797 - 1866 was a French writer. An ardent romanticist he collaborated with Auguste Barthélemy in many of his satires and wrote a great number of stories now forgotten. Nowadays he is perhaps best remembered as the co-librettist of the original version in French of Verdi's Don Carlos which premiered in Paris in March 1867. Also he was the author of the play La Bataille de Toulouse which Verdi had earlier adapted for his opera La battaglia di Legnano in January 1849. He was noted in his time for his wit and ability to improvise. He produced several pieces at the Paris theatres and also collaborated with Gérard de Nerval in adaptations from Shakespeare and in other plays. Alexandre Dumas père in 1864 invited all the poets of France to display their skill by composing to sets of Bouts-Rimés selected for the purpose by Joseph Méry. Later in life Méry received a pension from Napoleon III. Arnauld de Vresse, Editeur hardcover books