SEGALEN (Victor). - Lot 109

SEGALEN (Victor). Orphée-Roi. Paris : Georges Crès et Cie, Le théâtre d'art, 1921. - In-8, 235 x 171: frontispiece, (2 ff.), VI pp., (2 ff.), 131 pp., (2 ff.), printed cover. Victor Segalen, musician and admirer of Claude Debussy, collaborated with him on a lyric drama inspired by Orphée after their meeting in 1906. An article by Segalen in 1907 aroused Debussy's interest, and he saw the myth's "unheard-of" potential. Between 1907 and 1908, Segalen wrote Orphée-triomphant, a human and conflicted version of the myth, focusing on "lyrical incomprehension". Debussy, enthusiastic, suggested adjustments to strengthen the role of the crowd and streamline the style. Despite fruitful exchanges, the project ran out of steam: Debussy, ill, gave up in 1916, believing that "one cannot make Orphée sing, for he is the song itself". Segalen completed a final version alone in 1916, but both men died (Debussy in 1918, Segalen in 1919) before publication. Their collaboration, blending poetry and music, aimed to create a work in which "words sacrifice themselves to the future hymn". Segalen describes the work as a quest for "syllable incantation" and "musical lyricism", where "a voice singing all by itself" was to have sealed their joint artistic testament. The edition is illustrated with a woodcut frontispiece based on a composition by the painter Gustave MOREAU, and 9 woodcuts in the text by George-Daniel de MONFREID (1856-1929), a painter whom Segalen met under the auspices of Paul Gauguin. It is an edition of 1,430 copies. This is one of 30 hors commerce first editions on large Tribut paper (no. 4, one of 15 with wide margins), with a second proof of the frontispiece on blue paper. A very well preserved copy, despite the lightly soiled cover.