Edition no.: BVK 2270 ISBN: 9783761822708 Volume / Series: Documenta musicologica II/45 / Bärenreiter Facsimile Editor: Konrad, Ulrich Language(s) of work: English, German Product format: Facsimile Binding: Half-leather binding Pages / Format: 405 S. - 41,7 x 30,0 cm “This Tristan will be something formidable! This last act!” “I fear the opera will be banned – if the whole work is not parodied through bad performance: only mediocre performances can save me! Thoroughly good ones will surely drive people crazy.” Richard Wagner While working on the score to “Tristan und Isolde”, Richard Wagner expressed his excitement and elation about his new musical drama. Indeed, the radical originality of the work proved to be both unique and forward-looking: Over 150 years ago it signified the “dawn” of the modern era and to this day it has not lost any of its fascination. Throughout his life, Richard Wagner was proud of his even handwriting. He constantly strove to produce manuscripts of a high calligraphic standard. The Tristan manuscript is also clearly written. More so than in his other scores however, traces of his working process are evident. It is precisely this aspect of the autograph that makes it fascinating. Reading it, one is witness to Wagner’s highlyconcentrated, powerful and relentless writing. This manuscript is in every possible way unparalleled reflecting individuality and uniqueness. In time for the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth in 2013, this great work will be published as a BÄRENREITER FACSIMILE in cooperation with the National Archive of the Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Bayreuth. In addition to the complete score, the edition includes the autograph concert ending of the Vorspiel as well as three pages that Wagner rejected while composing and later used for sketches. Ulrich Konrad, the renowned musicologist describes the genesis and performance history of the work in his comprehensive commentary. He also details the physical appearance and condition of the autograph as well as giving an insight into the musical language of Wagner.

Opera with a Prologue and four Acts (First version) / Opera in five Acts (Second version) Dialogue versions. Par GOUNOD CHARLES. Charles Gounod’s “Faust” secured its international recognition in the version as an entirely sung opera, which from thenceforth has largely obscured the fact that the work was originally composed with spoken dialogues. The early versions staged prior to the 1869 performance at the Paris Opéra containing substantial unknown material and with dialogues and melodramas are the subject of this new edition. (The third version “version opera” was published in a separate edition BA 8713 in 2016.) Even as the rehearsals were taking place at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1858, during the first series of performances at the theatre in 1859, furthermore as the 1862 revival was approaching and during the performances on the smaller stage at the Place du Châtelet, there were constant changes and revisions. It is, thus, impossible to identify manifestly definitive versions. Nevertheless, by drawing on the entire source material now at hand (including fascinating material only recently discovered) and on the whole gamut of aspects communicated by the reception, Paul Prévost systematically presents us with a score laid out in two main versions in whose chronology constancy and change become transparent. With all the musical changes having been documented, the result is a practicable score for performances which reveals a still far too unknown “Faust” – a “Faust” that is rooted in the tradition of the opéra comique. Quite a few musical numbers are published as a score for the first time in this edition: the trio for Faust, Wagner and Siebel “À l’étude ô mon maître”, the duet of Valentin and Marguerite “Adieu, mon bon frère!”, Méphistophélès’ air “Maître Scarabée”, Siebel’s romance “Versez vos chagrins dans mon âme!”, Valentin’s air with chorus “Chaque jour, nouvelle affaire”, the chorus of witches “Un deux et trois”, and also seven melodramas whose missing or incomplete orchestration has been written for our edition. It was only recently that the long-lost second part of Faust’s original cavatina “Salut! demeure chaste et pure” was unearthed. Only in details of orchestration do other numbers differ from the well-known pieces./ Répertoire / Opéra