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TOLSTOÏ (Léon). The Power of Darkness. Drama in five acts and six tableaux. Paris: Tresse & Stock, 1888. - In-12, 182 x 122 : (2 ff.), 152 pp. Bradel brown half cloth with corners, smooth spine, untrimmed (contemporary binding). Precious proof copy of the first edition of the French translation by Isaac Pavlovsky and Oscar Méténier of this drama by Leo Tolstoy, first performed at the Théâtre Libre on February 10, 1888. It contains numerous handwritten corrections, some in the author's own hand and others attributed to his daughter Tatiana Lvovna (1864-1950). A copy of the playwright and translator Oscar Méténier, with his monogram OM at the bottom of the spine, enriched with the proof before the letter of the portrait of Leo Tolstoy by Théophile Bérengier dated 1886, and an autograph letter signed by Tatiana Lvovna, one page in-12, addressed to the translator Isaac Pavlovsky and dated 1887. This precious letter is quoted in the preface to Calmann-Lévy's 1894 edition, and refers directly to these proofs. Here is the translation: "Gracieux seigneurs, Mon père vous fait communiquer qu'il a reçu vos épreuves; il approuve beaucoup votre traduction et la rendre vous avec quelques petites corrections qu'il a trouvé nécessaires; il est très content de voir monter La Puissance des Ténèbres et surtout au Théâtre-Libre." Here's what Oscar Méténier had to say about this letter and these proofs in the preface to the 1894 edition: "With this letter we received our proofs corrected by Count Tolstoy, who had gone so far as to correct the typographical errors, of which there were many in these proofs! Barely twenty words had been changed in the text. And even then, most of these words were synonyms we had shied away from, finding them too Parisian and not Russian enough. In a certain passage, for example, Count Tolstoy replaced "bavarder" with "blaguer"; he substituted "Et si les femmes m'adorent" for "Et si les femmes m'adorent": Et si les femmes me courent après, etc. Anything that could be considered a bold use of language has been approved and even accentuated by the author. An important detail: the role of Akim, the stumbling block of the play, has not been the subject of a single correction, and not a single taië has not been replaced by a French equivalent that the spectator can understand. We'll be the judge. M. Antoine himself has kindly taken on this dangerous role. It is therefore not an adaptation, but a tight translation, complete in all its parts, literal, countersigned and declared exact by the author himself, that the valiant troupe of the Théâtre-Libre will present to the public" (preface by Oscar Méténier to Trois chefs-d'œuvre du théâtre russe, Calmann Lévy, 1894, p. XIV). Rubbing to title-piece on spine. Enclosed: - TOLSTOÏ (Léon). The Power of Darkness. Drama in five acts and six tableaux. Paris: Tresse & Stock, 1888. - In-12, 182 x 122: (2 ff.), 152 pp. printed cover. Paperback. Copy of the original edition of the translation, enriched with an autograph letter signed by the two translators, addressed to Lucien Descaves: A Lucien Descaves // avec une bonne poignée // de main // Pavlovsky & Oscar Méténier The cover is slightly torn and missing.

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TOLSTOÏ (Léon). The Power of Darkness. Drama in five acts and six tableaux. Paris: Tresse & Stock, 1888. - In-12, 182 x 122 : (2 ff.), 152 pp. Bradel brown half cloth with corners, smooth spine, untrimmed (contemporary binding). Precious proof copy of the first edition of the French translation by Isaac Pavlovsky and Oscar Méténier of this drama by Leo Tolstoy, first performed at the Théâtre Libre on February 10, 1888. It contains numerous handwritten corrections, some in the author's own hand and others attributed to his daughter Tatiana Lvovna (1864-1950). A copy of the playwright and translator Oscar Méténier, with his monogram OM at the bottom of the spine, enriched with the proof before the letter of the portrait of Leo Tolstoy by Théophile Bérengier dated 1886, and an autograph letter signed by Tatiana Lvovna, one page in-12, addressed to the translator Isaac Pavlovsky and dated 1887. This precious letter is quoted in the preface to Calmann-Lévy's 1894 edition, and refers directly to these proofs. Here is the translation: "Gracieux seigneurs, Mon père vous fait communiquer qu'il a reçu vos épreuves; il approuve beaucoup votre traduction et la rendre vous avec quelques petites corrections qu'il a trouvé nécessaires; il est très content de voir monter La Puissance des Ténèbres et surtout au Théâtre-Libre." Here's what Oscar Méténier had to say about this letter and these proofs in the preface to the 1894 edition: "With this letter we received our proofs corrected by Count Tolstoy, who had gone so far as to correct the typographical errors, of which there were many in these proofs! Barely twenty words had been changed in the text. And even then, most of these words were synonyms we had shied away from, finding them too Parisian and not Russian enough. In a certain passage, for example, Count Tolstoy replaced "bavarder" with "blaguer"; he substituted "Et si les femmes m'adorent" for "Et si les femmes m'adorent": Et si les femmes me courent après, etc. Anything that could be considered a bold use of language has been approved and even accentuated by the author. An important detail: the role of Akim, the stumbling block of the play, has not been the subject of a single correction, and not a single taië has not been replaced by a French equivalent that the spectator can understand. We'll be the judge. M. Antoine himself has kindly taken on this dangerous role. It is therefore not an adaptation, but a tight translation, complete in all its parts, literal, countersigned and declared exact by the author himself, that the valiant troupe of the Théâtre-Libre will present to the public" (preface by Oscar Méténier to Trois chefs-d'œuvre du théâtre russe, Calmann Lévy, 1894, p. XIV). Rubbing to title-piece on spine. Enclosed: - TOLSTOÏ (Léon). The Power of Darkness. Drama in five acts and six tableaux. Paris: Tresse & Stock, 1888. - In-12, 182 x 122: (2 ff.), 152 pp. printed cover. Paperback. Copy of the original edition of the translation, enriched with an autograph letter signed by the two translators, addressed to Lucien Descaves: A Lucien Descaves // avec une bonne poignée // de main // Pavlovsky & Oscar Méténier The cover is slightly torn and missing.

Estimate 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

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