Notte d'Amore, rappresentata tra danze, nelle nozze del Sereniss. D. Cosimo de Medici, Principe di Toscana e della Sereniss. Arciduchessa Maria Maddalena d'Austria, in Firenze l'anno MDCVIII.
Florence: Appresso Cristofano Marescotti, 1608.
Price: $2,100.00
Quarto: 20.8 x 15 cm. [22]p. Collation: A-C4 (-blank leaf C4)
FIRST EDITION.
Recently bound in early parchment (slight wear). The text is in very good condition with scattered mild foxing. Early ink note at head of title (illegible). Small woodcut (impaled arms of Cosimo II and Maria Magdalena) on the title. PROVENANCE: 1. Unidentified collector’s stamp (three hills with initials PLT, surmounted by a cross and wings); 2. Gustavo Cammillo Galletti (1805-68), Florence collector (stamp on title); 3. Baron Horace de Landau (1824-1903). Four copies located in the U.S.: Harvard, Duke, Huntington, Newberry.
First edition of these verses composed for a musical spectacular performed in the Pitti Palace, Florence on the evening of 22 October, in celebration of the wedding of Cosimo II de’ Medici (1590-1621) and Maria Magdalena, Archduchess of Austria (1589-1631).
The spectacle, ‘La notte d'Amore’ (Night of Love), a series of tableaux interspersed with dancing, was performed on the evening of the fifth day of festivities and lasted until dawn. The verses, by Francesco Cini, were set to music by Lorenzo Allegri. The famed set designer Giulio Parigi may have provided the décor. We are told that “Signora Ippolita, musician to the Signor Cardinal Montalto, distinguished herself marvelously in the singing.”
The entertainment was described by Camillo Rinuccini’s in his account “Descrittione delle feste, fatte nelle nozze de' serenissimi prencipi di Toscana, D. Cosimo de' Medici, e Maria Maddalena arciduchessa d'Austria.”(Bologna, 1608)
“A stage had been erected in the largest room of the Palace, and suddenly in the middle of the princely dancing the curtain fell, revealing a view of the western quarter of the city of Florence, with its neighboring mountains. Then, while the spectators were lost in admiration and surprise, Hesperus crossed the scene in a cloud and, singing, summoned Night to come on her accustomed path and give rest to mortals, for the sun was hidden and had yielded up his power to her.
“At this, Night appears and responds to the call of Hesperus, saying that she brings her faithful followers with her: Oblivion, Silence, Repose, and Sleep. But her purpose is thwarted by the arrival of Love who brings with him his troop, namely Cupid, Play, Laughter, Dancing, Song, Contentment, and bids Night yield up her scepter to him, for here is an assembly of lovers more ready for delights than for dreams. Night obeys and departs with her followers while Love urges his own followers to descend and dance among the spectators. The company and Love sing a chorus while they dance. With this, the first ‘vigil’ ended and normal dancing was resumed.
“For the second vigil, the scene changed unexpectedly to a beautiful garden 'full of flowering trees and green plots, squares, fountains, loggias and similar delights that deceived the eye.’
“Now there appeared in the sky certain Stars in front of the Moon, and 'one of them, not seeing the accustomed obscurity of Night asked where she might be, or whether the sun had reversed his course.’ The Moon appeared, astonished at seeing such splendors and invited the Stars to descend and to admire these new wonders. Just then Endymion appeared in the garden and, seeing the Moon, he entreated her by their ancient love to descend on the spot where Love had assembled the flower of lovers and beauties. Then followed a chorus of Stars, the Moon, and Endymion, dancing together. Love adds his summons to mirth and dancing and the second vigil ends.
“More hours passed by, the guests dancing and making merry in company with the new masquers until weariness began to overtake them. In order to revive their flagging interest the scene changed again and showed ‘castles in the air, mountains, rocks, seas, buildings burning or in ruins; with men, some sailing, some falling; with various other dreamlike apparitions; the whole thing sustained by the rainbow.’ Across the scene flew the Nocturnal Hours and one of them cried out in a loud voice, summoning Dreams False and True, calling upon ‘Morpheus, representor of human figures, Itatone of monsters, Panto of material forms’ and on all sleep-disturbing phantasms. The Dreams appeared, in all kinds of stunted, monstrous and unfinished shapes, and danced together for a while, until one of them asked the flying Hours whither they were driving them, 'for this was no place for them, here where the lovers -like so many Arguses- were keeping a delightful vigil.’
“Love, hearing this, tells the Dreams that all the lovers present are enjoying their true delights, and are not to be troubled by vain visions, but the Dreams may dance among themselves to cause laughter and delight. After the Dreams have performed their burlesque dance, Love and his chorus sing together, bidding the monstrous Dreams to vanish, to go and disturb the dreams of sleepers:
‘E noi tornando, à gl’ amorosi inviti
Guidiam balli d'Amor, balli graditi.’
“The princely guests now amused themselves with dancing until it was almost day. Then the scene was changed into a garden as before, and there appeared in the air the Morning Breeze, who called upon Aurora to redden the mountain tops. Aurora obeys the call. Tithonus remaining alone in the sky, laments his bride Aurora and curses the Morning Breeze.
“Love bids Aurora to delay the arrival of the Sun and to descend among them. Stars and Cupids sing in chorus during the descent of Aurora. Then there is a chorus of Stars, Loves, The Morning Breeze, Aurora, and Endymion dancing together. ‘It is no wonder’, they cry ‘that deities should descend when such a goodly company is gathered together.’ They bless the princely couple and their friends. Aurora turns toward the Sky and announces the coming of the Sun. One by one the Moon, the Stars, and finally Endymion all depart, lamenting the transience of human delights.
“Apollo appears, leading in the day, and coming to drive everyone to deeds worthy of the light. There is a short dispute with Love who finally departs with his chorus of Cupids, singing:
‘O chiaro, o lieto giorno…!’
(Welsford, Italian Influence on the English Court Masque, The Modern Language Review , 2005, Vol. 100, Supplement: One Hundred Years of "MLR" General and Comparative Studies (2005), pp. 75-90).
Nagler, Theater festivals of the Medici, p. 101; Sartori 16644; Oxford, Early modern festival books database, 1249; Solerti, Musica, ballo e drammatica alla Corte Medicea dal 1600 al 1637, p. 45; Valdrè, Pratolino e la scrittura. Bibliografia storico-ragionata della Villa Medicea e della sua gente, p. 62.