J. Playford. The dancing-master...The twelfth edition, 1703 [or 1701]

John Playford

The dancing-master: or, directions for dancing country dances, with the tunes to each dance for the treble violin. The twelfth edition, containing above 350 of the choicest old and new tunes now used at Court, and other publick places. London: J. Heptinstall for H. Playford, 1703 [but probably 1701]

oblong 12mo (10.2 x 17.9cm), engraved title-page dated 1703, typeset music to each page with letterpress dance instructions below, early ownership inscription of Sarah Bowden to verso of title-page, modern manuscript index on 7 leaves at end, Dolmetsch Library stamp and pencil shelfmark ("II B 15") to verso of title-page, modern calf, a composite copy, lacking probably 3 leaves of preliminaries (including preface and first leaf of the table of contents), E2, S6 and C3-4, first few leaves repaired at fore-edge with slight loss, F3-4, G1 and I6 slightly defective at foot, quire C misbound

John Playford's dance book was first published in 1651 and regularly reprinted into the early eighteenth century by his successor, Henry Playford.

Although the title-page is for the 1703 edition, this copy contains 312 pages (ending "finis") which matches the 1701 (eleventh) edition; the 1703 edition should have 354 pages. According to Dean-Smith, the 1701 edition should contain 311 dances and the 1703 edition 353 dances.

A postcard in English addressed to Arnold Dolmetsch in Fontenay s. Bois, dated May 1913, has been pasted to the verso of the front flyleaf.

LITERATURE:

1701 edition: ESTC T168775 (listing 2 copies, BL and NLI Dublin); 1703 edition: ESTC T168779 (listing 4 copies, BL, NLS, Bodleian and NYPL); Margaret Dean-Smith, Playford's English Dancing Master 1651 (London: Schott, 1951), listing another copy of the 1701 edition in Dundee

PROVENANCE:

From the collection of Arnold Dolmetsch