Louis-Ferdinand CÉLINE. Autograph manuscript signed,... Lot 366

Louis-Ferdinand CÉLINE. Autograph manuscript signed, Voyou Paul Brave Virginie, Ballet-mime, [1936?]; title and 57 leaves in-4 (27 x 21 cm) mounted on sheets of Arches wove paper, all bound in one volume in-fol. tan morocco embossed with an elliptical shape, decorated on the upper board with 6 colored box pieces with author's name and title in gilt, tan nubuk lining and endpapers, folder, lined slipcase (N. Berjon). First draft and working manuscript of this ballet libretto. The manuscript, in midnight-blue ink on the recto pages, is preceded by a title page, signed "LF Celine"; it is paginated 1 to 54 with 3 additional leaves (2, 21, 29); it presents numerous erasures and corrections. It consists of 3 tableaux, each preceded by a "petit prologue". First published in 1937, with two other ballet arguments, in Bagatelles pour un massacre (pages 30-40 of the original edition), this ballet was reprinted in 1959 in Ballets sans musique, sans personne, sans rien, illustrated edition by Éliane Bonabel, published by Gallimard. Subtitled "Ballet-mime", this argument was probably written by Céline in 1936, in the hope that his ballet would be performed at the 1937 World's Fair. Unfortunately for him, his ballet (like the others) was rejected and never brought to the stage. This failure affected Céline, who had always loved his ballets: "I still love dancers. That's all I love. Everything else is horrible to me", he declared (February 7, 1935). Voyou Paul Brave Virginie features characters from Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's novel. The action is set in the Romantic period. Paul and Virginie, shipwrecked on an island, are brought back to life by a witch's bewitching potion. Paul abuses the potion and turns into a "rogue". The second painting is set in Tante Odile's salon in Le Havre in June 1830, with Virginie's cousin Mirella, the lively Oscar and the dog Piram. A messenger comes to announce the return of Paul and Virginie, and everyone takes off for the port. The third scene takes place on the harbor, invaded by the crowd. Dancing ensues. Paul finds himself in Mirella's arms. Having had enough, Virginie swallows the vial filled with the witch's potion. Paul, seeing her abandon herself to the dance, moves closer to her. Mirella, full of jealousy and hatred, kills Virginie with a pistol shot. The crowd disperses and Virginie's body is forgotten. Only Piram, the dog, comes to lie beside her... 2 photographs of Céline are mounted at the head and end of the volume.