SKU: GH.N01249

ISBN 9790070025201. A4 inches.

Oratorio for soli, mixed chorus, strings and basso continuo.

SKU: BA.BA04562-41

ISBN 9790006546633. 24 x 17.5 cm inches. Language: Italian. Giambattista Varesco.

This separately published Critical Commentary offers extensive information on the genesis, reception, sources, and readings of the works included in the music volume.

SKU: HH.HH497-FSP

ISBN 9790708185079.

Diogenio Bigaglia’s dramatic cantata Plutone e Proserpina for soprano, contralto, strings and continuo, composed around 1710 by this Venetian Benedictine monk highly esteemed as a composer by his contemporaries, represents his vocal chamber music at its most ambitious and attractive. Its twelve short movements comprise five solo arias, one aria for both voices singing in turn, one duet and five recitatives. The subject of the cantata, Proserpine’s gradual reconciliation to her kidnap by Pluto, who wants her as his bride, is treated in masterly fashion by the author of the text, Antonio Ottoboni, who was a leading poet in Venice at the time. There is no better work through which to make acquaintance with the fascinating, but still little known, figure of Bigaglia.

SKU: HH.HH567-FSP

ISBN 9790708185826.

Galuppi’s cantata La gelosia for alto/contralto and strings – based on a poetry by Pietro Metastasio – has come down to us in the form of a non-autograph score, dated 1782, preserved in Paris at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The cantata comprises two recitatives and two arias: the recitatives are noteworthy for their frequent use of accompanied rather than simple (secco) recitative, evidently for the purpose of reinforcing the dramatic dimension of the action. The arias, both very beautiful and highly typical of Galuppi’s style, are distinguished by the quality of their melodic design and the resourcefulness of their orchestral accompaniment. In this edition – which includes score and separate parts – the errors present in the source are corrected and the historical-musical context relating to the text of the cantata is reconstructed, as far as possible, with particular reference to the Galuppi’s setting. A sample realization of the basso continuo is also provided.

SKU: HH.HH568-FSP

ISBN 9790708185833.

Galuppi’s cantata La scusa for alto/contralto and strings – based on a poetry by Pietro Metastasio – has come down to us through an autograph manuscript, dated 1780, preserved in Venice, in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. There are also two other, non-autograph eighteenth-century manuscripts of this cantata, preserved in Münster (Santini-Bibliothek) and in Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), respectively. The cantata comprises an introductory instrumental movement, two recitatives and two arias. While the first recitative is entirely unaccompanied (secco), the second one also provides for the use of the accompaniment. The arias, both very beautiful and highly representative of Galuppi’s compositional style, stand out for the beauty of their melodic line and the inventiveness of their orchestral accompaniment. In this edition – which includes score and separate parts – some passages where the composer forgot to write in the viola part have been reconstructed by the editors. A sample realization of the basso continuo is also provided.

SKU: CA.3117709

ISBN 9790007209803. Text language: German/English.

The cantata Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ begins with an expansive chorale arrangement, for which Bach reverted to a proven model: The four voices of the solo ensemble take over the chorale, in which the melody lies in the soprano. For stanzas 2-4 Bach chooses the aria form with a highly differentiated scoring from movement to movement, ranging from a continuo Aria (1st movement), up to an aria accompanied by the violin, with obbligato bassoon and continuo. A straightforward four-part chorale movement concludes the cantata. Score and parts available separately - see item CA.3117700.