Operas in three acts Version of the premiere, London 1737. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. “Charming Berenice” – the Earl of Shaftesbury attended a rehearsal of the opera on 12 May 1737 and went into raptures about this “inexpressible delight”. “Berenice” was premiered at Covent Garden Theatre in London just a few days later on 18 May 1737. “Berenice” is one of the “light” operas and offers a wealth of musical gems, the second movement of the overture having become famous as “The Minuet from Berenice”, for instance, as has Berenice’s extended aria in the third act, in which she reflects on the inconstancy of the god Amor in duet with the solo oboist. The musical imagery which Handel worked into the opera is likewise enchanting, such as the imitation of bees humming in Fabio’s “Vedi l’ape” and the sorrowful cooing of a dove in Selene’s “Tortorella che rimira”. The scholarly-critical new edition contains the musical text of the first performance together with pieces in the appendix which Handel excised or shortened in preparation for the premiere. As is customary with our editions, a preface provides a detailed introduction to the genesis of the work, the story’s historical context, the source material and reception. Furthermore, the edition includes a translation of the libretto and an exhaustive Critical Report./ Répertoire / Opéra

In Georges Bizet's Carmen--the latest volume in the Oxford Keynotes series--author Nelly Furman explores the evolution of Carmen's story and its meaning illuminating how the titular heroine has maintained her status as a universally recognizable cultural icon.

Romantische Opera in three acts-Alfonso und Estrella D 732Romatic Opera in 3 ActsIn late September or early October 1821 Schubert and his close friend Franz von Schober vacationed in the countryside of Lower Austria. Their first stopover was at Ochsenburg Castle which belonged to the Bishop of St. Pölten (a close relative of Schober?s) after which they moved on to St. Pölten itself. Roughly a year earlier two stage works by Schubert had been performed in Vienna: the one-act singspiel Die Zwillingsbrüder and the melodrama Die Zauberharfe. The librettos were both written by the seasoned Viennese playwright Georg von Hofmann who blamed the press for the indifferent reception the two works weregiven by the audience. Schubert and Schober now decided it would seem to write a grand romantic opera uninfluenced by the workaday world of the theatre and beholden solely to their own ideas of what an opera should be.Not until 24 June 1854 was the opera finally performed in Weimar under the baton of Franz Liszt. It only achieved success however in an arrangement by Johann Nepomuk Fuchs that was staged on many German and Austrian stages in 1881 2 allegedly with 'brilliant acclaim'.Urtext of the New Schubert EditionFull score (BA5540) and vocal score (BA5540-90) available for salePerformance material (BA5540-72) available for hire

Richard Wagner was inspired to take up the subject of the medieval 'Mastersingers' by his reading of Georg Gottfried Gervinus's 'History of the German National Poets'. By any purely artistic assessment Die Meistersinger is afinely crafted drama rich with dramatic and musical textures that showcase Wagner's creative gifts at their best. This edition of the Libretto is in the original German with an English translation by John Gutman.

Premiered in Vienna in February 1892 under the direction of Hans Richter Massenet's Werther has proven an enduring work one of the composer's most tightly constructed and dramatically urgent. The libretto was fashioned bywriters Georges Hartmann Edouard Blau and Paul Millet after Goethe's 'Sorrows of Young Werther'. Charlotte the eldest daughter of a baliff is engaged to Albert. In his absence she is escorted to the local ball by ayoung visiting poet Werther. Albert returns unexpectedly disappointed at not finding Charlotte he promises her sister he will return in the morning. At the ball Werther falls in love with Charlotte but realises that Alberthas returned and urges Charlotte not to break her promise to marry Albert. Three months later Charlotte and Albert now married walk across the town square on their way to church followed by Werther who is stilldistraught. Albert realizes that Werther must be in love with his wife and Charlotte tells him he must leave town until Christmas. Werther rushes away contemplating suicide.Alone at home on Christmas Eve as Charlotterereads the dejected love letters written to her by Werther he appears and reads to her a passage from a poem where the poet foresees his own death. Charlotte begs him to stop and he realises she loves him too. But she runs fromhis embrace and Werther leaves resolved to die. Albert enters and a message arrives from Werther asking to borrow Albert's pistol. Her reaction convinces him of her love for Werther. The pistols are dispensed and when Albert hasgone she hurries off arriving at his quarters to find him dying. She declares her love and he begs forgiveness and dies.This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto in French and English.

Opera in three acts-Handel???s Agrippina HWV 6 was performed with great success at the 2015 International Handel Festival in G?ttingen (Germany) using the new B?renreiter edition including the performance material and this vocal score.Agrippina is the last opera that Handel completed and premiered in Italy. The excellent libretto is one of the few original opera libretti that he set to music. The plot is tightly constructed the characters sharply etched and equipped with a wide range of human emotions. Agrippina is married to her third husband the Roman emperor Claudius. After he is presumed dead she attempts with deception andintrigue to place her son Nero on the throne.The vocal score includes all the numbers from the appendix of the full score. These were used either during the successful Venetian series of performances in 1709/10 or were deleted or replaced by other numbers versions and variants.Urtext edition based on the Halle Handel EditionPerformance material available for hireHardback full score (BA4092-01) and paperback vocal score (BA4092-90) available for saleVocal scores includes:- A singing translation in German- Extensive bilingual Foreword (Ger/Eng)- Idiomatic uncluttered Piano reduction

Dramma per musica in thre acts-Tamerlano HWV 18; Dramma per musica in 3 acts Handel began the composition of Tamerlano one of the supreme masterpieces of Baroque opera seria on 3rd July 1724. The libretto was an adaptation by Nicola Haym of Agostino Piovene's Tamerlano Tragedia per musica which had been set to music by Francesco Gasparini and performed in Venice in 1711. When Handel dated the last page of the autograph on 4rd July the work appeared to be complete; but during the three months which passed before the premiere at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket on 31 October so many alterations and revisions were made that a fresh performing-score had to be writtern very late inthe proceedings to replace an earlier one which is now 1ost.There were twelve performances between 31 October 1724 and 8 May 1725. Handel revived the opera only once in 1731 for three performances. For this revival he marked in the performing score a number of cuts in the recitatives which are reproduced in the present edition; there is more recitative in Tamerlano than in any other Handel opera.Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition.Full score (BA4052) and vocal score (BA4052-90) available for sale Performance material (BA4052-72) available for hire

Opera in tre atti-Antonio Salvi’s “Arminio” is one of the best-loved operatic librettos of the Baroque period.Against the historical background of the so-called “Battle of the Teutoburg Forest” in 9 AD in which the Cherusci leader Arminius as “Liberator of Germany” (Tacitus) inflicted a devastating defeat on the Romans Handel’s opera first performed in 1737 is about the disputes between the Chatti and the Cherusci. Arminius has married the daughter of his arch-enemy Segestes. When he is imprisoned Segestes who has conspired with the Romans sees his opportunity for revenge.- Urtextedition based on the “Halle Handel Edition”- Libretto in Italian with singable German translation- Comprehensive foreword (Ger/Eng) with important information on the history of the libretto as well as on the genesis and the performance history of the work. A detailed resume of the plot is also contained.- Extensive appendix with richly ornamented versions of two arias- Idiomatic piano reduction in the vocal score- Full score (BA4100) and vocal score (BA4100-90) available for sale- Performance material (BA4100-72) for hire

As with many other libretti by Pietro Metastasio ?Ezio? was also set to music several times besides Handel by Nicola Porpora in 1728 and Christoph Willibald Gluck in 1750. As the historical events from late antiquity surrounding the Western Roman General Aëtius who had defeated the Huns under Attila on the Catalaunian Fields had largely fallen into oblivion by the 18th century they merely form a backdrop to the highly-dramatic ?Sex and Crime? on the operatic stage. In contrast with the original Roman story ?Ezio? remains alive at the ?happy ending? and the enthusiastic public experienced this version for the first timeon 15 January 1732 in London.However despite this the opera only received five performances during Handel?s lifetime. Handel took the overture from his incomplete opera ?Titus l?Empereur?.Performance material available for hire.Vocal score based on the Halle Handel Edition.Original Italian text with German singing translation underlaid.Figured bass realisation and editorial additions in cue-sized notes.Detailed foreword (Ger/Eng)

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.

Description Superbly produced full score edition of one of the most commonly produced works on the operatic stage today. Peters edition.