Lyric opera in two acts. Libretto by David Pountney.Commissioned?jointly by the Royal Academy of Music London UK and The Juilliard School New York USA.UK premiere: 18th March 2011 - Royal Academy of MusicOpera and Sinfonia at the Royal Academy of Music London conducted by Jane Glover.US premiere: 16th November 2011 - Students of The Julliard School at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre New York conducted by AnneManson.Overview.The piece consists of three interlocking stories of students involved in political action in three different situations.?Die Weiße Rose? was the name taken by a group of students atthe University of Munich led by Sophie and Hans Scholl. They produced leaflets protesting against the National Socialist government of Germany in 1942-3 until they were arrested and guillotined.?Soar to Heaven? follows twocharacters Wu and Zhou involved on opposite sides of the Cultural Revolution in China.?The Oxford Revolution? tells the story of James Meredith who fought a lonely battle against segregation and racial prejudice to becomethe first black student to enrol at ?Ole Miss? the University of Mississippi in the USA.Librettist's Note.There are inevitably and properly some differences between the original libretto and whatMax ultimately set to music. Most of these are insignificant but all the Latin texts in the opera were added by Max and texts for the alternating black / white choruses (Scene 19) and final chorus (Scene 28) were written by him.

Per Gli Sponsali Di Teti e Peleo - HWV 73-The main text of this edition of Handel?s wedding serenata ?Parnasso in festa per gli sponsali di Teti e Peleo? (HWV 73) is based on the version used for the work?s first performances in March of 1734. Three appendices retrace the complex history of the work significantly different versions of which were used for revival performances in 1737 1740 and 1741. Included are abandoned and modified parts of the score as well as a documentation of changes made to the characters.Handel composed ?Parnasso in festa? for the wedding of Anne Princess Royal and Prince William of Orange which took place on March 14 1734 in London. As Handel?s contribution to the publicfestivities the serenata was performed the evening before the nuptials at King?s Theatre in the Haymarket. The bridal couple attended the performance.While the Italian text of the serenata was newly set most likely by Giacomo Rossi most of the music was drawn from pieces of Handel?s earlier works among them ?Athalia? from ?Radamisto? (HWV 12a) ?Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno? (HWV 46a) and ?Delirio amoroso? (HWV 99). Newly composed parts are limited to eight vocal pieces the sinfonia at the beginning of part 3 and the beginning of the overture. The available source material reflects the history of the work: There is no autograph composition score while the conducting score reflects a collaboration between Handel and his main copyist John Christopher Smith senior. However composition scores of individual newly composed pieces have been preserved.New edition based on the latest research after thorough examination of all relevant primary and secondary sourcesExtensive editorial Foreword about the work?s conception mythological background transmission reception and a survey of sources (Ger/Eng) with extensive critical report (Eng)Selected musical facsimiles as well as complete facsimile of the printed libretto of 1734Urtext of the Halle Handel EditionFull score (BA10718-01) and vocal score (BA10718-90) available for salePerformance material (BA10718-72) available for hire