Wagner's Tristan and Isolde
New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company (Printed at The University Press, Cambridge), (1909). Williams, George Alfred. Hardcover. Quarto size, 368 pp. Very good +. Item #22041301
The 12th-century romance "Tristan and Iseult", with its tale of star-crossed lovers, has fired the imaginations and hearts of many through the centuries. Wilhem Richard Wagner (1813-1883) adapted the story to his opera "Tristan and Isolde" which premiered on June 10, 1865. The opera would have a deep influence on later composers such as Gustav Mahler and Benjamin Britten.
This publication is highlighted through seven full-colour reproductions of paintings by George Alfred Williams (1875-1932) who was known for his genre, landscape, and figure paintings (n.b., info from the web site of AskArt). The entire volume is further enhanced by lovely decorations in a celtic style used as page borders, chapter headpieces, and surrounding the initial capitals, not to mention the intricate, stunning publisher's binding design by George W. Hood.
___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full black cloth over boards, the front board with a lovely publisher's trade binding with a large border of a celtic design framing three sections, the top with the scene of a ship in a harbour with buildings to the left and billowing clouds to the right, the middle the title and authors debossed in black upon a gilt ground, at the bottom the artist in gilt on a black ground, the spine with similar decoration and lettering, top edge gilt, the lettered tissue-guarded frontispiece one of seven total (each with their original tissue guard); quarto size (11" by 8.25"), pagination: [i-iv] v-x, [1-2] 3-358.
___CONDITION: Better than very good and could almost be deemed near fine, the boards clean, the gilt and colours on the front board still bright (with just a hint of rubbing to the ship's sail), straight corners with minimal rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges (the front hinge slightly tender but unbroken), the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the spine lightly sunned with the gilt and colours somewhat faded, a small tear to the cloth at the tail of the spine (not affecting the publisher's name), and a small (approx. one-half inch by two inches) area of toning in the gutter margins of facing pages 78 and 79, caused by a clipping having been laid in by a prior owner. Still overall a lovely copy, not often found in such nice condition.
___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually large and heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details.
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Price: $450.00