This Viardot Edition is the first critical edition of Pauline Viardot’s songs. It is based on fair copies of the woman composer, who was one of the most versatile singers and important representatives of the bel canto performance tradition in the 19th century. The present volume includes settings of Russian texts by Pushkin, Feth and Turgenev as well as Italian-language songs based on Tuscan folk lyrics. All songs are accompanied by German translations, which were specifically prepared for the German first edition in the 19th century.
The solo Lied with piano accompaniment was Pauline Viardot’s main genre, which she made bloom in the most diverse colors, depending on text and style. In addition to her own use, the sought-after vocal pedagogue also wrote her songs for her students. Accordingly, the songs included in this volume are suitable for different vocal genres in terms of their ranges and expressive content: for example, songs such as “Zwei Rosen”, “L'innamorata” or “Das Vöglein” are suitable for light, high voices, while lyrical, lower voices can find suitable songs with “Ruhige, heilige Nacht”, “Flüstern, atemscheues Lauschen” or “C’era una volta”. For versatile voices with a gift for coloratura, “Non vi maravigliate” is a little showpiece, while voices with the ability for dramatic accents can sing songs like “Die Beschwörung” or “Mitternächtige Bilder”. Unlike the sometimes very long Russian songs, the consistently short Italian songs are well suited as an introduction to the easier Italian repertoire. The songs depict clearly defined scenes within which the singers are able to develop their respective characters.
01. Das Blümlein – Цветок VWV 1018 (Alexander Puschkin | 3')
02. Auf Grusiens Hügeln – На холмах Грузии VWV 1037 (Alexander Puschkin | 2')
03. Ruhige, heilige Nacht – Тихая, звёздная ночь VWV 1038 (Afanassi Fet)
04. Mitternächtige Bilder – Полуночные образы VWV 1039 (Afanassi Fet | 3')
05. Flüstern, atemscheues Lauschen – Шёпот, робкое дыханье VWV 1040 (Afanassi Fet)
06. Die Beschwörung – Заклинание VWV 1041 (Alexander Puschkin | 3')
07. Die Meise – Синица VWV 1042 (Iwan Turgenjew | 2')
08. Zwei Rosen – Две розы VWV 1055 (Afanassi Fet | 2')
09. Des Nachts – Мой голос для тебя и ласковый и томный VWV 1056 (Alexander Puschkin | 3')
10. Der Gefangene – Узник VWV 1057 (Alexander Puschkin | 3')
11. Das Vöglein – Птичка божия VWV 1058 (Alexander Puschkin | 3')
12. Die Sterne – Звёзды VWV 1059 (Afanassi Fet | 4')
13. Florentinisches Ständchen – Serenata fiorentina VWV 1048 (Giuseppe Tigri)
14. Die Verlassene – Cʼera una volta VWV 1049 (Giuseppe Tigri)
15. Die Dorfsängerin – Non vi maravigliate VWV 1047 (Giuseppe Tigri)
16. Die Unglückliche – Povera me! VWV 1050 (Giuseppe Tigri)
17. Doppel-Liebe – L'innamorata VWV 1051 (Giuseppe Tigri) / Partitions classique / Vocale - chorale / Voix solo - piano / EDITION BREITKOPF

What is being presented here is the piano vocal score of Le Villi, Giacomo Puccini’s first stage work, the full score of which was published by Casa Ricordi (NR 141755) in 2020.The premiere of Le Villi took place at the Teatro Regio in Turin on 27 December 1884, and was followed by a Milanese performance at Teatro alla Scala on 24 January 1885: both productions were quite well received by critics and public alike.The critical edition by Martin Deasy is based on the autograph score that Puccini initially prepared for the one-act version (Willis), and later modified for the two-act, revised version (Villi). Pursuing a groundbreaking philological approach, the editor has, furthermore, taken into proper consideration the contemporaneous printed editions of the piano vocal score, which constitute, in his view, the principal collateral sources, if one is to consider the particular genesis of this work. For it is certain that Puccini, upon entering the Sonzogno competition, submitted a score of Willis that lacked proper orchestration in a few pages and displayed, above all, incomplete vocal lines. However, he also provided a manuscript reduction for piano and vocal score (now lost, except for the final Number of Willis) that was undoubtedly more detailed, as far as the vocal lines were concerned. The editor demonstrates that the vocal material realized for the first performance of Willis was not derived from the autograph score, but from the lost score reduction. The latter also served as the basis for the preparation of Ricordi’s printed edition of the piano vocal score. / Partitions classique / Vocale - chorale / Voix solo - piano / RICORDI