Joan Sutherland: Designs for a Prima Donna

New South Wales: The Craftsman Press, 1985. First Edition. A beautiful bound porfolio of reproductions of the costume designs for twenty five of Dame Sutherland's opera performances, ranging from her breakthrough performance of Lucia de Lammermore in Covent Garden in 1959 through the mid 1980's. Each opera is represented by up to ten tipped in color plates of the original costume designs from a variety of performances. Each opera has a detailed introduction by Richard Bonynge who displays a sensitive understanding of the Prima Donna and her approach to her roles. Sutherland's husband and musical partner--Bonynge--conducted most of her operatic performances. The sketches are all reproduced in full color, often with opera title and Act/Scene designated, and frequently with dates and or inscriptions by the designer. The text and tipped in designs appear on a heavy Japanese dove-grey Mermaid paper and the endpapers are ebony Shindanshi. The binding is black cloth, with the front board blind-embossed with part of the score of Bellini's Norma, another one of Sutherland's legendary roles. Lettering on the binding is red. The solander box is covered in red cloth, with a detail of the design for a costume for the Australian Opera's production of I Masnaderi, one of Sutherland's more rare performances. This is number 192 of an edition of 500 copies. It is signed by both Sutherland and Bonynge. The book is in fine, as new condition, but the box, while sound, bears some general discoloring and a few black marks, one corner is bruised, and one of the two bone clasps is missing.