[BRÜHL (Carl von)]. - Lot 42

[BRÜHL (Carl von)]. Lalla Roûkh. Entertainment with song and dance. Performed at Berlin's Royal Castle, January 27, 1822. Berlin: Louis Guillaume Wittich, 1822. - In-4, 288 x 230 : (1 f.), 23 pp. 23 plates. Long-grained dark green half-maroquin, double gilt fillet, ornate ribbed spine, gilt edges (period binding). Extremely rare first edition of the libretto of the soirée organized by Count Brühl for Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and Duchess Alexandra Feodorowna during their stay in Berlin. Inspired by Thomas Moore's oriental epic, the entertainment, which included song and dance, was a sort of interlude composed of "tableaux vivants" in which the main characters were distributed among the crowned heads and high dignitaries present: Nicholas of Russia played Aliris, King of Bucharia, the Duchess Alexandra, Lalla Roûkh, the Duke of Cumberland and Princess Louise de Radzivil took on the costumes of Aliris' parents, Prince William of Prussia that of the Great Mogul... The text gives the program for the evening, with the cast of all the characters, as well as the sung romances and a description of the costumes. The illustration consists of 23 finely hand-colored stipple-engraved plates of oriental costumes after August von Klöber, each depicting two or three figures, with the exception of the last plate, which folds out and depicts a procession of some 50 figures. The author drew his inspiration from Forbes' Oriental Memoirs, Elphinstone's description of the Kingdom of Cabul and the collection of drawings from India held by the Berlin Royal Library. Seven copies are listed by the worldcat, none in France. Traces of wax on leather, covers and corners restored. Perfect condition inside. Provenance: Louis Becker, with bookplate.