[Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)]  (Santucci, Marco). Atti della solenne adunanza dell' Accademia Napoleone in occasione de celebrarse il Giorno di nascita, e di Nome DI S. M. I. e R. Napoleone I. Il di 15. Agosto.. Lucca: Accademia lucchese di scienze, lettere ed arti. [Francesco Bertini]. 1806. First edition. Original wrappers. 11 leaves of engraved music. Wrappers heavily torn, some leaves shaken or partly detached, a few minor stains, but an otherwise good copy of a rare and fragile item of considerable interest.

This is an account of the proceedings of the Napoleonic Academy in Lucca, including the program held in honor of Napoleon's birthday on 15 August, 1806. In addition to other business, the volume lists the prizes given in the Academy's contest to solicit original and innovative works of painting, architecture, sculpture, and music. This item's main interest is the printing here of the winning entry in this final category, a motet for four choirs ("S. Cecilia ora pro nobis" ) by the Italian composer Marco Santucci (1762-1843). The work was a unanimous selection because it was seen as manifesting an entirely new combination of voices. (Subsequently, energetic protests were raised against this judgment, based on the assertion that Santucci's type of polyphonic writing was common in works by Italian composers in the 16th and 17th centuries). Santucci was later named as one of the eight members of the music section of the Societa Italiana founded by Napoleon.

Very Scarce. OCLC lists only 2 copies worldwide.