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COLOUR COSTUME DRAWINGS FOR AN ITALIAN BALLET
[MANUSCRIPT & DRAWINGS - BALLET]. Ordinazione del Vestiario per il Balletto La Pastorella Svizzera di Giovanni Briol. N-14-figurini.
[Naples?], ca. 1840. 4to (21 x 15 cm). A set of 15 costume drawings on 14 numbered leaves in pencil, ink and gouache (numerous colours plus silver and gold) serving as models for the head costume-maker (capo-sarto) for Briol’s ballet “La Pastorella Svizzera” (The Swiss Shepherdess) each with a facing page of manuscript text indicating the name of the character(s), the number needed (when more than one) and further information about the costume. On wove paper. Contemporary green half sheepskin, gold-tooled spine, green textured-paper sides, black title-label with gold lettering & decoration on the front board.
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A lovely series of costume drawings made as models for the costume makers for an Italian ballet. The main characters appear as nos. 1-9 (6 men and 3 women, including the “prima ballerina dansante”). These are followed by figures for the chorus parts: 12 male dancers, 12 female dancers, 6 male & 6 female “Zagazzi” (2 figures on 1 plate), 6 or 8 “Corifei” and 12 soldiers. Each figure is about 16 cm tall and attractively drawn with, of course, the details and colours of the costumes clearly delineated. The two figures on leaf 12 have been cut from another sheet and pasted onto the blank leaf, while the others are drawn directly on the leaves. A note on the flyleaf (in the same hand as the data about the costumes) reads: “Si prega il Sig.re Capo-Sarto ad aver cura del presente, e procurare che non sia lordato, né piegato né scucito.”
Givanni Briol (ca. 1810?-ca. 1851) worked in the ballet in some capacity by 1829 and became best known as a choreographer and author of several ballets. He associated closely with Salvatore Taglioni (1789-1868). Briol himself performed in the title-role (the Brazilian Ape!) of what may be his first ballet: “Jocko,” or “La Scimmia Brasiliana” (to music by Peter Lindpainter), which premiered at Palermo in 1835. He apparently choreographed at La Scala in Milan, where he met Colombon, the leading female mime artist of the time ("prima mima assoluta"). She performed at La Scala from 1833 to 1836, married Briol in 1838 (when they moved to Naples), and performed in his and Taglioni's ballets until 1851, retiring after Giovanni's death around that time. Among his Naples ballets were “l’Istituto delle Fanciulle” (1841, to music by Nicola Gabrielli) and “Viaggi di Gulliver.” Aside from the present book of drawings, we have found no reference to “La Pastorella Svizza.” The (wove) papers of the drawings, text and endleaves bear no watermarks.
In very good condition, with only minor tears along the gutter fold of a couple leaves, not affecting the drawings or text, and an occasional very minor smudge. The binding is also very good, with only minor wear, mostly at the corners. A lovely and unusual book of ballet costume drawings to serve as a guide for the costume makers.
