From the library of Serge Lifar. The rare first edition in Russian of Löhlein's Clavier-Schule (1765), translated by Fyodor Gablitz, a student at Moscow University, and printed, as the imprint here notes, at the University Press 'at the expense of book custodian Christian Ludvig Wever' (he had run the University bookshop since 1757), Russia's first private music publisher. The book, written to aid those interested in mastering the keyboard, was 'widely imitated' and 'appeared in various new editions for almost a century' (New Grove), but this version—the first Russian adaptation of a Western music book— was its only contemporary translation and is very rare. It was extremely popular and remained the only Russian manual on keyboard playing until the nineteenth century.

The Danish-born Christian Ludvig Wever (d.1781), whose charming woodcut device is printed on the title verso of the second part here, was responsible for its introduction, acquiring types from Breitkopf in Leipzig.
His first three publications appeared in 1773, all printed at Moscow's University Press.

Serge Lifar was a noted bibliophile, acquiring Diaghilev's great book collection (perhaps the largest private collection at the time of Russian books outside Russia) in 1930.

First edition; 2 parts bound in one vol., oblong 4to (203 × 245 mm), [8], 70; [2], [71]–188pp.; the musical examples in the text printed typographically; old waterstains in places, the paper a little creased, some spotting to upper corner, a little light browning towards the end; contemporary mottled calf, slightly marked, hinges sometime strengthened, short crack to lower joint, but sound, marbled endpapers, spine gilt in compartments, red leather label, a very good copy.