Offered here for the first time in 40 years of collecting the scarce, rare FIRST EDITION of Augustin Challamel's ALBUM DE L'OPERA: PRINCIPALES SCENES ET DECORATIONS LES PLUS REMARQUABLES DES MEILLEURS OUVRAGES REPRESENTES SUR LA SCENE DE L'ACADEMIC ROYALE DE MUSIQUE. Individual plates from this album can sell for as much as US$300. It is rare to find the complete album without any missing plates. (It took us 40 years to find this copy!)

This work was original published in 12 parts between September 1843 and some time in 1844. Bound circa 1844-45 in one volume is the Frontispiece and title vignette, [4], 48 pages, 24 unnumbered leaves of B&W lithographed plates. Illustrations are by Alophe, Baron, Challamel, Celestin Deshays, Deveria, Lepaulle, Mouilleron, Celestin Nanteuil. 

This album was produced during the hey-day of the BEL CANTO OPERA and the ROMANTIC BALLET (with stars such as Marie Taglioni, Fanny Elssler, Carlotta Grisi, and Lucile Grahn). 

The operas and ballets summarized and illustrated are the following:

(1) Ballet LA GYPSY by Sainit-Georges & Mazilier
(2) Opera LA REINE DE CHYPRE by Saint-Georges & Halevy
(3) Opera CHARLES VI by Delavigne & Delavigne & Halevy. With Mme Stolz et Mr. Barroilhet
(4) Ballet BISELLE OU LES WILIS by Stain-Georges, Th. Gautier et Coraly. With Carlotta Grisi as Giselle
(5) Opera CHARLES VI, 8th scene of Act 3: "Le Vieux Paris"
(6) Ballet LE DIABLE AMOUREUX by Saint-Georges et Mazilier. With Pauline Leroux et Mr. Elie
(7) Opera LA FAVORITE by Alphonse Royer et Gustave Vaes, music by Donizetti. With Mme Stolz and M. Duprez.
(8) Ballet LA PERI by Th. Gautier et Coralli. Starring Carlotta Grisi as La Peri and Petipa as Achmet.
(9) Opera LA JUIVE by Scribe and Halevy. Divertissement by Filippo Taglioni. Mr. Nourrit as Le Juif Eleazar
(10) Opera DOM SEBASTIEN, ROI DE PORTUGAL by Scribe and Donizetti. Mr. Duprez as Dom Sebastien.
(11) Opera ROBERT-LE-DIABLE by Scribe et Delavigne, music by Meyerbeer. 
(12-13) Opera LES HUGUENOTS by Scribe, music by Meyerbeer. (2 scenes). Mme Dorus-Gras as Marguerite.
(14) Opera GUIDO & GINEVRA OU LA PESTE DE FLORENCE by Scribe, music by Halevy.
(15) Ballet LADY HENRIETTE OU LA SERVANTE DE GREENWICH by Saint-Georges et Mazilier.
(16) Ballet section on MARIE TAGLIONI with lithograph showing her in "SCENE DES FLEURS
(17) Opera GUILLAUME TELL by Jouy and Hippolyte BIS, music by ROSSINI.
(18) Opera STRADELLA by Deschamps et Pacini, musci by Niedermeyer.
(19) Ballet LA JOLIE FILLE DE GAND by Saint-Georges et Albert. Music by Adam. 
(20) Opera OTHELLO, music by Rossini. Lithograph of Mme Stoltz et Mlle Mequilles.
(21) Opera LE COMTE ORY by Delestre-Poirson, music by Rossini. 
(22) Opera LA MUETTE DE PORTICI by Scribe et Delavigne, music by Aube. 
(23) Opera RICHARD EN PALESTINE by Foucher, music by Adam. 
(24) Opera DON JUAN, music by Mozart.

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