Observations sur notre instinct pour la Musique et sur son Principe. Où les moyens de reconnaître l’un par l’autre conduisent à pouvoir se rendre raison avec certitude des différens effets de cet Art.

Paris, chez Prault, Lambert, et Duchesne, 1754. 8vo. XVI. 125 pages. 7 out-of-text folding plates. Untrimmed in its contemporary wrappers (modern casing in half-morocco with ornamented spine). First Edition of this theoretical work by Rameau, in which he deepens the reflection undertaken in his 'Demonstration of the principle of harmony' (1750). For him the principle of instinct for music is no longer limited to be the basis of all the arts of taste, but also of all sciences subject to calculation (see Bibliothèque Nationale, Rameau Exhibition). Extremely valuable copy printed on thick paper and presented by Rameau to Louis Alexandre Catherine Duport de Montplaisant (1691-1774), "président à mortier" of the Parliament of Dijon, the hometown of the famous composer. It bears the following autograph inscription on the title page: "Ex dono Authoris a Mr. Demonplaisant". Another old handwritten note, written in gray pencil on the back cover, reads: "Ex Dono de Montplaisant 1765". 7 music out-of-text folding plates printed in typographical (not engraved) characters. Light waterstain in the upper margin of the title page. A nice copy printed on large paper and presented in a modern book case superbly handcrafted in contemporary style. Bibliothèque Nationale, Exposition Rameau, n. 359.