Rilke, Rainer Maria; Mitchell, Stephen (Translator); Chappell, Warren (Illustrator)

The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christoph Rilke [Die Weise von Lebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke]

San Francisco: Arion Press, 1983. Chappell, Warren. Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 300 copies, folio size, [72] unnumbered pp., with prospectus. Near fine. Item #23030801

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (known as Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926) has been described as "one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets". An existential writer, he was a bridge between the traditional and modern writers; his work has remained popular to this day, hence the Arion Press choice of this work. "This prose-poem was written during a single night in 1912 when Rilke was twenty-three. It took Germany by storm and over a million copies were sold."

"For this bilingual edition the Arion Press commissioned a new translation from Stephen Mitchell. The type for the translation, Trajanus, was designed by Chappell, who studied with Rudolf Koch, designer of the black-letter types used for the first Insel Verlag edition and Arion's German text" (per Arion Press catalogue).

___DESCRIPTION: Original full brown cloth, paper labels printed in red and black on upper board and backstrip, fore-edge uncut, red, brown and black inks throughout, with twenty-nine two-colour illustrations (printed from photo-engravings); handset Trajanus and Wilhelm Klingspor Schrift types, with Trajanus and Zierschrift initials, T. H. Saunders mouldmade paper, folio size (12" by 9.5"), [72] unnumbered pp., limited edition, one of 300 copies, the first edition of this translation with these illustrations. Loosely laid in is the prospectus (measuring 9 1/4" by 5 5/8"), a single sheet folded once to four pages, the first page with red and black lettering and an illustration, the second and third pages with the header in red, the final page blank.

___CONDITION: Near fine and could almost be deemed fine; the cloth covering the boards clean and unworn, the corners perfectly straight and not rubbed, the binding strong and tight with solid hinges, internally clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the sole condition issue we see is sunning to the spine that extends past the joint on the front board (as seems common with this title). The prospectus fine, clean and without wear. Other than the bit of sunning a truly remarkable example.

___CITATION: Arion Press Catalogue, no. 12.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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Price: $600.00