[MUSIC - THEATRE] MONIGLIA, Giovanni Andrea (1624-1700). Collection of 20 theatrical etchings dedicated to Francesco de' Medici, depicting the stage designs for the operas Hipermestra and Ercole in Tebe. Rare and beautiful set of 20 (of 25) plates from Moniglia's Opere, illustrating the sumptuous stage sets for the operas Hipermestra and Ercole in Tebe. The first was performed at the Teatro della Pergola in the summer of 1658, with music by F. Cavalli. The spectacle and scenography were recounted by Rucellai in his Descrizione della presa d'Argo e degli amori di Linceo con Hipermestra (Florence, 1658). The wedding of heir prince Cosimo to Margherita Luisa d'Orléans occasioned the composition of Ercole in Tebe, a five-act opera with music by Melani and Antonio Cesti performing the title role. Visual delight was central to the success of such productions, and these fine plates'witnesses to the origins of Florentine melodrama'attest to their spectacular nature. 4to (254 x 190mm). 20 double-page plates. Without binding. (1)