SKU: CA.4068719

ISBN 9790007311384. Key: C minor. Latin.

A mass setting by Robert Schumann? This is still likely to cause surprise among audiences – after all, Schumann is not generally viewed as a sacred composer. Indeed, his little-known late work, the Missa sacra, Op. 147, is a discovery not just for listeners but often for the performers themselves. The mass combines an acute fascination with sacred liturgy typical of Schumann’s time with the pragmatism of its intended use by a local choral society. The composer employs his considerable skills to create a captivating and varied score that is almost ethereal in the Kyrie, leading to passages of an intimate and lyrical piano that alternate with fortissimo for words of praise, while always displaying the utmost sensitivity and a delight in dissonance. The composer declared his setting to be “fashioned with great love”.
The demanding orchestral mass can be realized with limited means. The solo parts can be filled from the choir. The work, which the composer himself did not have published, is here reissued on the basis of Schumann’s partial autograph score.
Carus has also produced an arrangement of the work for choir and organ, enabling performances without orchestra in smaller venues (Carus 40.687/45).

. Score and parts available separately - see item CA.4068700.

SKU: CA.4068706

ISBN 9790007239725. Key: C minor. Latin.

A mass setting by Robert Schumann? This is still likely to cause surprise among audiences – after all, Schumann is not generally viewed as a sacred composer. Indeed, his little-known late work, the Missa sacra, Op. 147, is a discovery not just for listeners but often for the performers themselves. The mass combines an acute fascination with sacred liturgy typical of Schumann’s time with the pragmatism of its intended use by a local choral society. The composer employs his considerable skills to create a captivating and varied score that is almost ethereal in the Kyrie, leading to passages of an intimate and lyrical piano that alternate with fortissimo for words of praise, while always displaying the utmost sensitivity and a delight in dissonance. The composer declared his setting to be “fashioned with great love”.
The demanding orchestral mass can be realized with limited means. The solo parts can be filled from the choir. The work, which the composer himself did not have published, is here reissued on the basis of Schumann’s partial autograph score.
Carus has also produced an arrangement of the work for choir and organ, enabling performances without orchestra in smaller venues (Carus 40.687/45).

. Score available separately - see item CA.4068700.

SKU: CA.4068703

ISBN 9790007239718. Key: C minor. Latin.

A mass setting by Robert Schumann? This is still likely to cause surprise among audiences – after all, Schumann is not generally viewed as a sacred composer. Indeed, his little-known late work, the Missa sacra, Op. 147, is a discovery not just for listeners but often for the performers themselves. The mass combines an acute fascination with sacred liturgy typical of Schumann’s time with the pragmatism of its intended use by a local choral society. The composer employs his considerable skills to create a captivating and varied score that is almost ethereal in the Kyrie, leading to passages of an intimate and lyrical piano that alternate with fortissimo for words of praise, while always displaying the utmost sensitivity and a delight in dissonance. The composer declared his setting to be “fashioned with great love”. The demanding orchestral mass can be realized with limited means. The solo parts can be filled from the choir. The work, which the composer himself did not have published, is here reissued on the basis of Schumann’s partial autograph score. Carus has also produced an arrangement of the work for choir and organ, enabling performances without orchestra in smaller venues (Carus 40.687/45).

SKU: MN.56-0109

UPC: 688670221262. English, Latin. John 20:1.

Invictus: A Passion addresses one of the world’s most powerful stories through the lens of the modern world. The texts, written or inspired by women, describe not only human suffering and persecution but also the human capacity for love and humility in the face of tyranny. Composer Howard Goodall is uniquely suited to bring these texts to life with music of emotional clarity and sweeping force. This excerpt is scored for soprano solo, tenor solo, SATB choir and piano. The text is by Christina Georgina Rossetti, Isaac Watts (“When I survey the wondrous cross,”) and drawn from John 20:1 (this text in Latin). The music is serene, acknowledging the grief of those who are left to mourn. Duration 6:57.

SKU: BA.BA04025-01

ISBN 9790006443222. 33 x 26 cm inches. Text Language: English.

Handelâ??s â??Semeleâ?, which premiered in February 1744, is based on an adapted version of William Congreveâ??s opera libretto titled â??The Story of Semeleâ?, originally published in 1706. However, neither Handel nor his librettist referred to â??Semeleâ? as an opera or an oratorio, which, according to the understanding at the time, would have required a biblical and/or Christian subject matter. Contemporary audiences also disagreed on the genre. The problematic classification as an oratorio has persisted into the present day, likely due to the edition labeled as such by Chrysander. The â??Halle Handel Editionâ? (HHA) distances itself from this classification and, considering the available sources, refrains from assigning a genre label.

Congreve deviates from the mythological source multiple times in order to create tensions among the characters. The desired marriage between Semele and Athamas, whom she does not love, is an addition by Congreve to provoke the envy of her sister Ino, who desires Athamas herself. Therefore, Ino sees her own advantage in Semeleâ??s abduction by Jupiter. While Jupiterâ??s wife Juno decides to destroy Semele out of jealousy for his relationship with her, Jupiter brings Ino to his palace to console Semele. The vengeful Juno takes advantage of Inoâ??s presence and transforms into her likeness, persuading Semele to carry out a plan that later proves fatal. In the end, Ino emerges as the winner, as she is able to convince their father, Cadmus, to marry her to Athamas. The appearance of Apollo in the final scene to announce that Semeleâ??s immortal son Bacchus was saved from her ashes provides little consolation. However, this twist allows the drama to conclude with exuberant joy and a magnificent final chorus after the tragic scenes in the third act, culminating in the death of the protagonist.

Handelâ??s autograph score shows significant deviations from and numerous revisions of the original version premiered. All surviving early versions, the musical movements deleted before the premiere, and the version of the December 1744, are given in the appendix to the HHA.

SKU: CA.3116412

ISBN 9790007209032. Text language: German/English.

This six-movement cantata was performed for the first time on 26 August 1725 in Leipzig. The text was written by Bach's Weimar cantata poet Salomon Franck and had been published earlier in 1715 in his collection Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer. Here, Bach bases his work around the form of the Weimar cantatas which take their texts from Franck's printed collection (BWV 132, 152, 161-163, 165): movements 1-5 are performed by vocal soloists, whilst only the final chorus is given to the chorus. The key concepts of the text are Barmherzigkeit [compassion], Erbarmen [mercy] and wahre Christenliebe [true Christian love]; the chamber music arrangement of the cantata corresponds with this. The two arias for tenor and alto, and the duet for soprano and bass do not contain da capo sections, but repeat the entire text in a condensed form. The instruments do not contrast as a rule, but are treated as a string group (movements 1, 4), duetting (movement 3), and as full unison (movement 5). What is remarkable in all three movements is the thematic linking of the instrumental ritornello parts with the vocal parts through which Bach achieves a kind of unity of form. Score and part available separately - see item CA.3116400.

SKU: CA.3116411

ISBN 9790007209025. Text language: German/English.

This six-movement cantata was performed for the first time on 26 August 1725 in Leipzig. The text was written by Bach's Weimar cantata poet Salomon Franck and had been published earlier in 1715 in his collection Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer. Here, Bach bases his work around the form of the Weimar cantatas which take their texts from Franck's printed collection (BWV 132, 152, 161-163, 165): movements 1-5 are performed by vocal soloists, whilst only the final chorus is given to the chorus. The key concepts of the text are Barmherzigkeit [compassion], Erbarmen [mercy] and wahre Christenliebe [true Christian love]; the chamber music arrangement of the cantata corresponds with this. The two arias for tenor and alto, and the duet for soprano and bass do not contain da capo sections, but repeat the entire text in a condensed form. The instruments do not contrast as a rule, but are treated as a string group (movements 1, 4), duetting (movement 3), and as full unison (movement 5). What is remarkable in all three movements is the thematic linking of the instrumental ritornello parts with the vocal parts through which Bach achieves a kind of unity of form. Score and part available separately - see item CA.3116400.