Easter Cantata-Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in grim death's prison)Easter CantataIn recent years the demand for making available a larger number of choral works by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) has made itself felt more strongly than ever before. Within the past few years the search for unpublished manuscripts of choral compositions written by Johann Pachelbel has been taken up again and not in vain. Approximately twenty instrumentally accompanied arias and thirty elaborate choral works intended for services of worship have recently been found. These date from the days when Pachelbel was an active church musician in Erfurt and Nuremberg and include compositionsof various categories e.g. motets cantatas magnificats and masses.The excellency of Pachelbel's choral works may be attributed in large part to the magnificence and splendour of their tonal character. They are unusually vocal choral and singable. In the very best sense of the term they are what the Germans call 'Gebrauchsmusik' that is to say they are functional music written for specific use in the church service. They are not music written for its own sake.Full score performance material (BA2875) choral score (BA2875-91) available for sale

Oratorio in three parts-In quite characteristic fashion for the times Handel’s opera “Alessandro” looks at various episodes in the life and rule of Alexander the Great (356 323 BC). This legendary warrior and military commander conquered large parts of the world before meeting an untimely end at the age of 32. A central conflict in Handel’s opera is Alessandro being in love with two women Lisaura and Rossane who compete for his favour. In addition his claim to be of divine parentage is underlined occasioning him to demand the subservience of his followers which meets with vigorous disapproval.Handel composed “Alessandro” for the Royal Academyof Music to a libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli in the 1725/26 season. The work was premiered at the King’s Theatre in London on 5 May 1726. “Alessandro” was the first of five operas for the Royal Academy operas which saw Handel compose for three of the most famous singers of his time: Francesco Bernardi (called Senesino) Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni.Ortensio Mauro’s libretto “La superbia d’Alessandro ” which was performed for the first time in Hanover in 1690 in a musical setting by Agostino Steffani and staged again in the city the following year under the title “Il zelo di Leonato” but with numerous alterations served as the source text for Handel’s “Alessandro”. One of the main aspects Rolli had to consider when preparing the libretto for the London performances was to keep the roles of the famous singers of the Royal Academy well balanced yet at the same time to engineer a musical contest between the prima donnas Cuzzoni and Bordoni (Lisaura and Rossane) as well. From a business point of view it made good sense for such rivalry would surely increase public interest in the opera.It is no longer possible to ascertain which changes Handel made during the following performance series of the 1727/28 season. For the performance series of 1732/33 Handel made substantial revisions to the opera: six numbers were deleted in their entirety the finale in part as well and the recitatives were made much shorter with the parts of Cleone and Leonato omitted

Dramma per musica in three acts-La Calisto one of Cavalli?s most frequently performed operas today was premiered in Venice in 1651 but didn?t achieve its first real breakthrough until the 20th century.The foundation for this success may be the rediscovery of the dramaturgic and musically masterful construction: Faustini interwove several mythological models; the love between the Nymph Kallisto and Jupiter and between Diana and the shepherd Endymion as well as Kallisto?s transformation into a bear and his emanation as a well-known constellation. Numerous amusing minor roles are included and Cavalli succeeded in combining the various storylines and characters to produce an effective musically cohesive whole.This first volume of the new Bärenreiter series of the works of Cavalli presents a critical edition of the musical text and libretto complete with an English translation and provides a comprehensive insight into the development of the genre in Italian opera life of the 17th century.Performance material available for hire.

Among Verdi’s many compositions as a work of sacred music the Requiem remains unique. It was composed as a musical memorial for the Italian national poet Allessandro Manzoni deeply admired by Verdi and was first performed on the first anniversary of his death on 22 May 1874 in Milan Cathedral. The exploration of many extremes places Verdi’s tonal language with musical means wholly in the service of a dramatized liturgy. The edition is based on the autograph as the primary source and makes accessible one of the most important requiem settings of the 19th century in a modern scholarly edition. In addition to the musical text the score contains a detailed foreword in threelanguages a critical report with information on the source situation the edition and the various readings. The complete performance material will be available for sale.

Set of Wind Parts-We know that Mozart held his Vespers in high regard since he once asked his father in a letter dated 12 March 1783 to send the two works to him in Vienna so that he could show them to Baron Gottfried van Swieten. The Office hymns designated as Vesperae de Dominica K. 321 and Vesperae Solennes De Confessore K. 339 both call for four Vocal parts two Violins two Clarini Kettledrums Basses (Violoncello Double Bass and Bassoon) three Trombones and Organ.They contain settings of Psalms 109 (Dixit) 110 (Confitebor) 111 (Beatus vir) 112 (Laudate pueri) 116 (Laudate Dominum) and of the Magnificat canticle. Each of the Psalms forms anautonomous unit; the Doxology at the end is derived from the themes of the various Psalms.Urtext of the New Mozart EditionPerformance material (BA4894) vocal score (BA4894-90) available for sale

Lutheran Mass 2-Often overshadowed by the more famous Mass in B minor the four Lutheran Masses feature glorious choruses and sincerely moving arias. They are largely taken from various cantata movements and adapted to the Mass texts.- Urtext of the New Bach Edition- Full score performance material and vocal score for all 4 Masses (BA5182-BA5185) available for sale

B-Dur-Francesco Durante's Magnificat in B flat major is one of his most important works and also one of the most siginifcant settings of the Magnficat text here in cantata form. This work displays a mastery of the polyhonic style and though the use of certain pre-classical 'modern' elements its various forms never sound archaic rather the work presents a synthesis leading to a unique style. For a performance during the Christmas season Christmas hymns can be inserted between each of the individual movements. Six arrangements of such hymns are also available as octavos (Carus 10.270/06): - Johann Crüger: Nun komm der Heiden Heiland - Cornelius Freundt: Wie schön singt unsder Engel Schar - Johann Sebastian Bach: Uns ist ein Kindlein heut geborn - Erhard Bodenschatz: Joseph lieder Joseph mein - Johann Crüger: Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen - Gregor Joseph Werner: Der Tag der ist so freudenreich The string parts for these movements are included in the parts Carus 10.270/11-14.

Oratorio in three parts-Messiah occupies a unique position in Handel???s work. Even if it does not represent the absolute zenith several other oratorios could challenge it in this respect its strongly universal character and directness of expression which appeal to men of all creeds make it the most renowned work in the whole of the composer???s monumental output.That this oratorio is unquestionably a work of individual character is shown by all its features: its material which presents liturgical traditions alongside popular elements; its structure which combines an ever-changing variety of elements from opera cantata concerto and anthem; its musicalorganization which at once unifies and dramatically juxtaposes the various styles. All are united in an extraordinary manner with great artistry most accomplished technique and superb invention.Urtext of the Halle Handel EditionFull score and performance material (BA4012) vocal score (BA4012-73 English; BA4012-90 English-German) and study score format 22.5 x 16.5cm (TP175) available for sale.

Composed in 1978 this is a setting of a Dutch traditional carol. The work opens with an extended passage for solo Oboe molto rubato. The vocal writing includes sections for various combinations of voice-parts both with and without the Oboe. A further solo oboe passage brings the work soflty to a close. Suitable for advanced standard performers. The oboe part is available as a free download from Boosey.com.