Monteverdi’s opera “L’Orfeo”, based on the legend of Thracian singer Orpheus and his love of Eurydice, is a masterpiece of musical declamation and ornamentation. It was first performed during the 1607 carnevale in the “Palazzo Ducale” in Mantua. When an edition remains true to its sources, this certainly does not mean that it is not also practical to use, as is demonstrated in this Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo”. Edited by Rinaldo Alessandrini, the new publication follows the Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria”. Two contemporary prints of “L’Orfeo” from the years 1609 and 1615 have been passed down to us. Four copies of each of these prints still survive today in public libraries. The later print includes many corrections to the earlier edition and was accordingly used as the primary source for this Bärenreiter edition. However, when solving musical problems the editor frequently follows the more coherent style of the earlier print. The numerous interesting variants, not only between the two editions but also amongst the eight surviving copies, are listed in the critical commentary. This edition of “L’Orfeo” offers in addition to Monteverdi’s somewhat sparse original figures also figures added to the bass line by the editor. The continuo player should, however, feel free to follow his own judgment. The notation has been, when necessary, adapted to suit modern practice, for example with regard to the clefs. The sections that were originally written in “chiavetta” have been transposed a fifth lower. In the appendix these sections also appear in their original notation in facsimile as well as transposed a fourth lower. - Detailed introduction by the editor (Ital/Eng/Ger) on the work’s genesis and performance practice - Comprehensive critical commentary (Eng) in the score - Idiomatic piano reduction Edition no.: BA 8793-90 ISMN: 9790006533121 Composer / Author: Monteverdi, Claudio Title: L'Orfeo Favola in musica in one prologue and five acts Detailed instrumentation: Soprano solo (7), Tenor solo (4), Bass solo (3), Mixed choir: SSATTB, Male choir: TTBBB, Orchestra Librettist: Striggio, Alessandro (junior) Editor: Alessandrini, Rinaldo Foreword / Introduction: Alessandrini, Rinaldo Product format: Piano reduction, Urtext edition Language(s) of work: Italian Language(s) of text: German, Italian, English Publisher: Bärenreiter Binding: Paperback Print run: 1st printing 2012 Pages / Format: XIV, 143 S. - 27,0 x 19,0 cm Weight: 428 g

'Fidelio' Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera takes as its subject a theme close to the composer's heart: the defeat of tyranny through man's innate desire for liberty. The libretto was fashioned by Joseph Sonnleithner after Jean Bouilly's Leonore (1798) and revised by Leipzig-born playwright and poet Georg Friedrich Treitschke with Beethoven in 1814. It concerns Leonore's attempts to free her political-prisoner husband Florestan from the prison of the evil Pizarro by disguising herself as a man Fidelio and working in the prison. The music in 'Fidelio' is unassailably great and blazes with Beethoven's steadfast commitment to liberty and humanity.This is the Schirmeredition of the Vocal Score and contains an English translation by Theodore Baker and an essay by H.E. Krehbiel.

Opera with a Prologue and four Acts (First version) / Opera in five Acts (Second version) Dialogue versions. Par GOUNOD CHARLES. Charles Gounod’s “Faust” secured its international recognition in the version as an entirely sung opera, which from thenceforth has largely obscured the fact that the work was originally composed with spoken dialogues. The early versions staged prior to the 1869 performance at the Paris Opéra containing substantial unknown material and with dialogues and melodramas are the subject of this new edition. (The third version “version opera” was published in a separate edition BA 8713 in 2016.) Even as the rehearsals were taking place at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1858, during the first series of performances at the theatre in 1859, furthermore as the 1862 revival was approaching and during the performances on the smaller stage at the Place du Châtelet, there were constant changes and revisions. It is, thus, impossible to identify manifestly definitive versions. Nevertheless, by drawing on the entire source material now at hand (including fascinating material only recently discovered) and on the whole gamut of aspects communicated by the reception, Paul Prévost systematically presents us with a score laid out in two main versions in whose chronology constancy and change become transparent. With all the musical changes having been documented, the result is a practicable score for performances which reveals a still far too unknown “Faust” – a “Faust” that is rooted in the tradition of the opéra comique. Quite a few musical numbers are published as a score for the first time in this edition: the trio for Faust, Wagner and Siebel “À l’étude ô mon maître”, the duet of Valentin and Marguerite “Adieu, mon bon frère!”, Méphistophélès’ air “Maître Scarabée”, Siebel’s romance “Versez vos chagrins dans mon âme!”, Valentin’s air with chorus “Chaque jour, nouvelle affaire”, the chorus of witches “Un deux et trois”, and also seven melodramas whose missing or incomplete orchestration has been written for our edition. It was only recently that the long-lost second part of Faust’s original cavatina “Salut! demeure chaste et pure” was unearthed. Only in details of orchestration do other numbers differ from the well-known pieces./ Répertoire / Opéra

Inspired by models from the Commedia dell?Arte the plot is set in Seville and presents the old ?Greybeard? Don Belflor (a retired bullfighter and womanizer) his young wife Coraline and her lover Tracolin. In a highly contemporary way this leads to a three-way relationship of which everyone approves. The ?accord parfait? is a perfect triad consisting of exactly three notes. It is noticeable that the libretti of the Second Republic were no longer subject to censor.Two arias were planned for each role. As a flautist Tracolin also knows how to evoke famous melodies from the French opera repertoire in his advances. The centrepieces are the two trios.Oneof these the variation number ?Ah! vous dirai-je maman ? is the jewel of the opera: here vocal virtuosity and the comedy of the situation are combined with brilliant ease.The Vocal score is based on the first scholarly-critical edition of the opera. This appears in the series ? L'Opéra français ? edited by Paul Prévost. Here the spoken dialogue text is integrated with the music for the first time.Based on the Urtext of the new series ? L?Opéra français ?.Original French text with singing German translation.Extensive foreword (Fr/Ger/Eng).Full score (BA8701) and Vocal score (BA8701-90) available for sale and performance material available for hire.

Dramma per musica in thre acts-Tamerlano HWV 18; Dramma per musica in 3 acts Handel began the composition of Tamerlano one of the supreme masterpieces of Baroque opera seria on 3rd July 1724. The libretto was an adaptation by Nicola Haym of Agostino Piovene's Tamerlano Tragedia per musica which had been set to music by Francesco Gasparini and performed in Venice in 1711. When Handel dated the last page of the autograph on 4rd July the work appeared to be complete; but during the three months which passed before the premiere at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket on 31 October so many alterations and revisions were made that a fresh performing-score had to be writtern very late inthe proceedings to replace an earlier one which is now 1ost.There were twelve performances between 31 October 1724 and 8 May 1725. Handel revived the opera only once in 1731 for three performances. For this revival he marked in the performing score a number of cuts in the recitatives which are reproduced in the present edition; there is more recitative in Tamerlano than in any other Handel opera.Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition.Full score (BA4052) and vocal score (BA4052-90) available for sale Performance material (BA4052-72) available for hire

Wagner completed the first version of the opera in 1845 during his tenure as Kapellmeister at the royal court of Dresden but he continued to redraft and revise it for the rest of his life. The setting is medieval Germany: the minstrel Tannhauser has fallen into sin with the goddess Venus but after a year in a moment of realisation he demands to leave. He finds himself near his home and is reunited with Elisabeth a girl he once loved. Elisabeth's uncle the landgrave organises a singing competition between Tannhauser and Wolfram who also loves her. Wolfram's song is simple and moving while Tannhauser confused by Venus outrages the audience by singing of profane love.He is banished to Rome on a pilgrimage to seek redemption and Elisabeth follows him with Wolfram. After much searching she gives up and dies just missing Tannhauser who Wolfram discovers creeping back to Venus the Pope having said that it was as impossible for him to be forgiven as for his staff to sprout flowers. Tannhauser sees Elisabeth and casts himself to die by her coffin and the Pope's staff bursts into bloom. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score edited and translated into English by Natalia MacFarren.

Pastorale Héroïque In One Act-The heroic pastoral Daphnis et Eglé was performed only once on 29 October 1753 for the entertainment of King Louis XV at Fontainebleau and remained unpublished until today.This edition is based on Rameau's autograph manuscript a copy of the separate parts and the libretto published by Ballard in 1753. A comparison of the sources reveals two versions of the work: the original version and the one revised for Fontainebleau whereby the differences lie mainly in the final divertissement. This edition recommends the Fontainebleau version?which is actually more complete in its musical form in particular with its overture and two ariettas?but also reconstructs theoriginal state of the final divertissement (presented in the appendix) before it was revised.Urtext edition from the Rameau edition 'Opera omnia'.Full score (BA8862) and vocal score (BA8862-90) available for sale.Performance material (BA8862-72) available for hire.

Handel?s masterpiece Messiah the most frequently performed of his choral works composed in 1741. An inspiring sacred oratorio with spontaneous melodies and bright orchestration from the first aria Every Valley Shall Be Exalted to the thunderous final Amen chorus. Complete full score edited by Alfred Mann.

Although slow to be accepted in England where the public thought it was blasphemous the Messiah is now Handel's best-known oratorio and well-loved worldwide. It is for four soloists SATB chorus and orchestral which is here replaced by a piano accompaniment. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score revised according to the original score by Max Spicker and edited by T. Tertius Noble.

Music by Jerome Kern words by Oscar Hammerstein II. Complete vocal score of the stage musical.