‎"ANDERSEN, H.C.‎
‎Da Spanierne var her [When the Spanish were Here]. Originalt romantisk Lystspil i tre Acter. - [PRESENTATION-COPY - FIRST EDITION IN SCARCE ORIGINAL BINDING]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, 1865. In the original printed paper binding. Some wear to extremities and spine partly missing. Housed in a beautiful custom-made half morocco box with beautifully gilt spine (Mogens Dickow Lund, gilt by Hagel Olsen). Apart from the spine, an excellent copy in the rare original binding. 87 pp.‎

Reference : 63539

‎First edition in the scarce original binding, with a signed presentation-inscription to front free end-paper: ""Hr. Etatsraad Kranold/ Der har har viist dette lille Lÿstspil/ saa særdeles modtageligt, vil/ ikke slaae Haanden af det og/ jeg haaber det holder sin Plads/paa Scenen./ Med Hengivenhed og/ Taknemmelighed/ H.C. Andersen."" (Own translation: ""Mr. Councillor of State Kranold/ Who has shown this little play/ so especially receptive, will/ not cut it off and/ I hope it keeps it place on the scene./ With devotion and gratitude/ H.C. Andersen.""). Rudolph Kranold (1819-1889) was a former councilor of state, who in 1864 was elected director of the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, a very prestigious title, which he held until 1866. His short reign here coincides exactly with the work on and premiere of one of the plays that was very closest to Andersen's heart, namely ""When the Spanish were Here"", which premiered at the Royal Theatre on April 6, 1865. From the beginning of 1865, Andersen is very occupied by his new play, ""When the Spanish were Here"". Through his diaries, we can actually follow it the whole way through to the stage. It is evident, both from his diaries and from the present presentation-inscription, that the play meant a lot to Andersen. As the inscription indicates, he's anxious that the play not be taken down again and he clearly asks Kranold to take good care of this play that is close to Andersen's heart. Already in January 1865, Andersen writes in his diary that he's read the play to Høedt, who liked it and gave him a few suggestions for improvement (January 30, 1865). In February, 2nd, he notes that he made corrections to the play, and, on the 5th, that Collin has actually made the entire fair copy of the entire play, so that it can be realized as quickly as possible! On the 22nd, Andersen is exalted – he's read the play for Rasmus Nielsen, who ""was very taken with it, considered it the most important of my works in dramatic concerns, that I had elevated myself and that there was dramatic action, poetry, depth, that it was like a Calderonian work, but earthbound in Denmark and in our time. That possibility turned into reality, and that Don Klaus' role here became so full of significance and strength, was so explicit and still the person did not appear in the play."" On the following day, however, Andersen reads the play for the stage actors that are to perform it, and it is not well received by them. Andersen is furious and walks away ""neither depressed nor vexed, merely cooled from the joy I had expected. I will not read for those people any more and have my opinion of them"". The day after, February 24, he describes how Høedt said that he would never have read the play for those people, how he, after the reading, saw the same people at the theatre sneaking away like accomplices, heard them talking in the corners. ""They had naturally not paid attention, and one liked the part of another better, but did not like his own."" And the diary continues with observations about the stages of the play, about the scene decorations, the music, etc, and about various readings of it, with the both positive and negative responses. Positive responses are penciled out in great detail, and negative responses vex him greatly – e.g. on March 20th: ""Depressed all evening"". And the following day ""no more joy in thinking about the Spanish, from which I now expect disappointment"". On March 26th we hear how the trial play completely failed and ""fell apart"", on the 27th, how it's been postponed. On the 30th, we hear that Andersen himself has been ordered not to be present for the next trial play, and on the following day. 31st, he sees in the paper that play is scheduled for neither Saturday nor Sunday, which means that it will not be on his birthday, which he had so hoped for. Spirits are very low. Finally, on April 6th, the play is performed for the first time, and it is sold out. But Andersen writes that he was not well. And people were only susceptible to the comic parts of the play. And no applause for the second act. But Andersen is not too depressed. Both the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, and Dagmar were in the theatre to watch the play. And the diary continues to recount the critique in the press. We see from the above, how much this play meant to Andersen, how anxious he was about it, and how important it was for him for it to become a success, also on the stage. This explains the inscription for the theatre director, which is quite imploring, in a way we rarely see in inscriptions from Andersen. On April 24 1865, the play appears in print for the first time, and naturally Kranold receives an inscribed copy – imploring him to keep the play it on the stage.‎