Andre Obey — The Rape of Lucretia

London, The Bodley Head, 1948. First edition. Cloth. A first edition of this commemorative volume of Benjamin Britten's chamber opera, 'The Rape of Lucretia&apos. First performed at Glyndebourne in 1946, this is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, originally performed by Kathleen Ferrier, for whom the work was written.Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer, one of the most prolific and acclaimed of the twentieth century.Brightly illustrated from original designs for scenery and costumes by John Piper, including three folding plates in colour, and five colour plates besides. Also with five photographic illustrations by Angus McBean of the original performance of this work.The libretto was written by Andre Obey for his work, 'Le Viol de Lucrece&apos.Containing a musical and dramatic analysis of the work, as well as a foreword by Britten himself.With a smart, clipped dust wrapper.A lovely first edition of Benjamin Britten's chamber opera. In the publisher's original full cloth binding. Externally very smart, with just a little minor wear, with some fading to the cloth at the tail of the spine. Dust wrapper is sunned to the spine, with chipping to the head and tail. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are occasionally slightly spotted, but otherwise bright. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: John Piper. Very Good Indeed/Very Good Indeed.