SKU: BA.BA08891

ISBN 9790006564149. 33 x 24 cm inches. Preface: Sylvie Bouissou.

Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera in four acts about the Curse of the House of Atreus is based on a tragedy by the classical Greek dramatist Euripides. The mythological plot about the siblings Iphigenia and Orestes is characterized by hatred, ritual sacrifice, and murder and was especially popular during the 18th century. The premiere of Gluck's opera in 1779 was immensely successful.

Barenreiter now presents a carefully edited and corrected piano reduction that was newly set to meet Barenreiter's current quality standards. An informative preface (Ger/En/Fr) supplements the edition, which also includes all appendices of the score volume the edition is based on, as contained in the Gluck Complete Edition (GGA).

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SKU: BA.BA04086

ISBN 9790006550036. 33 x 25.8 cm inches. Pietro Metastasio.

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 time on 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”.

The new vocal score is based on Vol. II/26 of the Halle Handel Edition (BA 4086).

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SKU: BA.BA05810-01

ISBN 9790006495511. 33 x 26 cm inches. Text Language: French. Preface: Philippi, Daniela. Text: Favart, Charles Simon.

For his ParisCythere assiegee, Gluck drew on his eponymous opera comique from 1759, transforming it into an opera-ballet. The libretto which was expanded by Charles Simon Favart was adapted: Gluck added recitative passages, reworked individual sections and also added his own compositions, modifying them in parts. By March 1775, the compositional work had progressed sufficiently for Gluck to leave behind a copy of the score as he departed from Paris. However, he was unable to supervise rehearsals or be present at the premiere (1 August 1775) or any of the subsequent 21 performances. Due to these particular circumstances, three versions of the work are to be distinguished: the original version, the performed version and the printed version.

This edition ofCythere assiegeecontains the original version of the main part and is printed here for the first time. The reconstruction which was necessary in order to determine the original form of this opera draws on all orchestral parts, the printed score and with regard to a large gap in Act III, pages were taken from the score copy. The four-part appendix includes the changes made to this score copy, sections that deviate from the printed score as well as the final version of Act III, also from the printed score. The last part of the appendix also presents a Divertissement in six movements by Berton, which is only available as a rare contemporary set of printed parts.

The Foreword offers detailed information regarding the work's genesis, subject matter, preparations for performance and print, premiere, reception, and this edition. Selected pages from significant musical sources, the libretto of the premiere performance, and images illuminating the performance context, have been added as facsimiles.

About Barenreiter Urtext