This landmark series collects compelling useful singer-friendly arias from a distinctly American opera tradition. Each volume includes information about every opera and an aria plot note. A majority of the music in the fourvolumes has never before been available outside of the opera vocal scores and some arias in the series have never been in print at all before now. Most arias are appropriate for college-level singers. Composers such as SamuelBarber William Bolcom Douglas Moore Virgil Thomson and Gian Carlo Menotti are well represented. Additionally arias are included from important works such as Regina A Streetcar Named Desire The Ghosts of Versailles TheGreat Gatsby Little Women and many others. Stephen Sondheim graciously agreed to adapt new aria editions of two pieces from Sweeney Todd for the series: ?The Contest? in the Tenor volume and?Epiphany? in the Baritone/Bass edition.A diverse selection of Arias from Operas by American composers for Soprano and Piano. Includes works by Gian Carlo Menotti Samuel Barber Kirke Mecham and Thomas Pastieri.

A work for Soprano Woodwind 2 Horns and Strings.Duration: circa 15 minutesProgramme Note: 'This work was commissioned as a possible companion piece to Mozart?s Exsultate Jubilate and the decision was quickly made to write something as a complete contrast. The poems chosen one anonymous from the early 16th century the other two by the famous Scottish poet William Dunbar [1460? 1513?] describe the promise of salvation after life?s dark passage. Each of the three poems echo this thought: ?In celum ther is joy with Thee? ?A short torment for infinite gladness? and ?Since erdly joy abides never Work for the joy thatlastès ever?. Thus in each poem the poet can overcome the fear of his inevitable death with the certainty of salvation: this work also has its ?dark? moments but the overall mood is one of calmness and peace. As with the words there are several musical motives that link the three songs. The musical motive for the refrain ?Terribilis mors conturbat me? in the first macaronic poem [also a salute to Mozart since the Exsultate is in Latin] returns a little higher and more despairingly in each verse until the last verse where it is played a whole octave higher. This motive reappears [played mostly by the oboes] in the last song but now the pitch of each repeat goes in reverse that is from high to low. The famous motive of the Gregorian chant Dies Irae [representing death] is used to accompany the prayer of the second song. A musical motive for the joy of Paradise appears in the second song ?A free choice given to Paradise or Hell?. There is also a ubiquitous 3-note chordal cluster which is used to illustrate the words: sometimes as a colour and