Le tre più celebri pastorali italiane, cioè, Aminta, favola boscareccia di Torquato Tasso; Il Pastor Fido, tragi-commedia pastorale del Guarini; Filli di Sciro, favola pastorale del C. Guidubaldo de' Bonarelli. Bibliothèque des meilleurs poëtes italiens, 36.

Orléans, Da' Torchj di L.P. Couret de Villeneuve, 1787.. FIRST EDITION. 8°, contemporary speckled calf, smooth spine gilt in six compartments, red spine labels in second and third compartments with titles (some wear to edges and hinges, slightly defective at head and foot of spine), marbled endleaves, text block edges marbled. Woodcut vignette on title page. Woodcut headpieces and ornaments. Scattered light stains and browning. Overall good to very good condition. 502 pp. *** First edition thus. Two of these three pastoral plays formed the inspiration for operas.Tasso's Aminta, a pastoral romance set in the era of Alexander the Great, was the basis of a libretto by Metastasio, Il re pastore, which premiered in 1751. Metastasio's libretto became the basis of Mozart's Il re pastore, which premiered in 1775, and of Aminta, il re pastore, by Antonio Mazzoni (d. 1785). Tasso's story was the basis for the ballet Sylvia, ou La nymphe de Diane, with music by Léo Delibes, first performed in 1876.Guarini's Il pastor fido, a pastoral tragicomedy set in Arcadia, is one of the most famous plays of the seventeenth century. Written in honor of the nuptials of the Duke of Savoy and Catherine of Austria in 1585, it was first published in Venice, 1590, and revised by the author through 20 editions, the latest being Venice, 1602. Il pastor fido inspired many composers of madrigals (including Claudio Monteverdi, Giaches de Wert, and Heinrich Schütz) as well as Handel's opera of the same name, first performed in 1712.Bonarelli's Filli di Sciro is in the mold of Tasso and Guarini. Although it is not of their caliber, the play was popular in its time.*** Jisc locates copies at British Library, University of Glasgow, Oxford University. NUC: UU, DLC, PU, ICN.