Today the Gloria RV 589 (BA 7674) is one of Vivaldi?s best-known compositions and one of the most frequently performed sacred vocal works from the Baroque period.Vivaldi wrote the ?Gloria? as a self-contained work in the style of a concertante mass. However it was probably also performed within church services. The scoring of the solo voices (SSA) suggests that the work was written during his period at the Ospedale della Piet around 1716. In the twelve movements of the ?Gloria? Vivaldi displays the whole range of his mastery from festive sublime outer movements to tender transparently scored solopassages.The same mastery has also been applied to the ? Kyrie? RV 587 (BA 8950) scored for two choirs and two groups of stringed instruments. The date of its composition remains unclear. It is a purely a choral work without solo passages.Both works can be performed independently but can also be combined as a kind of short mass. Although the authenticity of the autograph manuscript score is beyond doubt these new editions contain some re-evaluations in phrasing and performance practice which go beyond what other editions have to offer. The Piano reductions are straightforward clearly presented and preserve the character of the works.- Attractive choral pieces which can be combined to form a short mass.- Vocal score as well as choral score available for the ?Gloria?.- Informative foreword (Ger/Eng).

The ?Petite Messe Solennelle? is the finest work of Rossini?s late years. He composed it between 1863 and 1864 at the age of 71 as a commission for Countess Louise Pillet-Will for the consecration of her private chapel where the work received its first performance in March 1864. Together with the ?Stabat mater? the mass is one of the composer?s most important sacred works.The unusual instrumentation with two Pianos and Harmonium is entirely in keeping with the Neapolitan Keyboard tradition of the 18th century which was cultivated in France in Rossini?s day. It forms a distinct contrast to the style of large-scale sacred compositionsas written by for example Liszt and Bruckner. Rossini explained that he wrote the later Orchestral version of the work dating from 1867 out of concern that if he did not do this other composers might orchestrate the mass too heavily in later arrangements.The Piano reduction by Andreas Köhs is extremely idiomatic and largely preserves the charming character of the unusual instrumentation.- Based on the Urtext of the series ?Works of Gioachino Rossini?.- Foreword in two languages (Eng/Ger).- With a separate Harmonium part and one part for Pianos I and II.

Cantata in two parts-In 1736 Handel composed ?Alexander?s Feast? or ?The Power of Musick? a two-part cantata based on John Dryden?s poem of the same name.In 1790 at the suggestion of Baron Gottfried van Swieten Mozart arranged this work using a German translation of the poem made by Karl Wilhelm Ramler in 1770. As in other arrangements of Handelian works Mozart?s re-instrumentation leads to a change in the sound character of the work placing the composition in the tradition of the Viennese Classic.Urtext of the New Mozart EditionFull score (BA4527-01) vocal score (BA4527-90) available for salePerformance material available for hire (BA4527-72)

Ballet héroïque en un prologue et quatre actes-?Za s? was Rameau?s first opera which was entirely devoted to ?la féerie? the enchanted world of myth from the Middle East with its spirits and fantastic creatures. It was first performed on 29 February 1748 at the Paris Opera and was much praised for its expressive power elegance and variety of its music as well as for the charm of its ballet. Although the libretto by Louis de Cahusac was criticised the delightful work proved very popular: it was revived in 1761 and 1769 and for more than two decades received over 100 performances. Like most of Rameau?s operas ?Za s? was extensively revised during the composer?s lifetime and afterwards. Revisions already beganduring the first rehearsals and continued until the first performance. The composer and the librettist Cahusac finally used the Easter period in 1748 to work on those revisions; as well as structural changes and musical substitutions these included some substantial additions to vocal and instrumental movements. The version which was performed after Easter is more convincing both musically and dramatically. In contrast the revivals of 1761 and 1769 the first after Cahusac?s death the second after Rameau?s contained drastic cuts including the entire prologue. For the new volume in the ?Opera Omnia Rameau? the version from Easter 1748 has been chosen as the primary source. For performances a choice can be made between this and the original version; a series of insertions links all the passages with another.