Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. ?Giulio Cesare in Egitto? is by far Handel?s most frequently performed opera owing its success not least to its subject matter, one of the best known love stories in world history. Already during Handel?s lifetime the popular work was often staged and therefore adapted by Handel for each of the performance conditions. The editor Hans Dieter Clausen has succeeded in editorially defining and practically presenting these adaptations ? essentially four versions ? on the basis of a meticulous study of the sources within the framework of the ?Halle Handel Edition?. The new edition allows for a performance of each of the four versions. The version of 1725 is particularly noteworthy because Handel newly devised the role of Sesto for the famous tenor Francesco Borosini. The libretto shows the Roman dictator Cesar in a friendly light. He instructs his enemy, the Egyptian tyrant Tolomeo, how to treat adversaries: he reconciles the widow and son of his enemy Pompeo who was murdered by Tolomeo: he is generous and just, hands on, but also diplomatic, thoughtful, aware of the limits of his power, and susceptible for art and nature. However, the actual protagonist of the opera is Cleopatra. In a masterly way Handel develops her character musically. In his extensive Foreword Hans Dieter Clausen not only decribes the genesis, historical background, reception and the edition of the opera, he also examines the musical and dramaturgical reworking of individual numbers in ?Giulio Cesare?. Handel was such an expert in adapting arias for new purposes and other characters that he did not only meet the needs at hand but often the new version surpassed the original. In this way, the reader gains, in passing, a well-founded insight into Handel?s work methods when designing and redevising his characters. The detailed Critical Commentary includes information on the comprehensive and highly complex source situation as well as on individual editorial decisions./ Répertoire / Chant et Orchestre

Par SARASATE PABLO DE. George Bernard Shaw once remarked that although there are many composers of music for the Violin, there are only a few composers of Violin music. But where Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) is concerned, Shaw declared that the Spanish musician's talents as both a performer and composer 'left criticism gasping miles behind him. ' Famous for his fiery, forceful, and passionate playing, Sarasate was equally renowned for the sweetness and purity of his tone and his impeccable technique. As a composer steeped in the colorful music of his native land, he was well known for his many Violin works inspired by Spanish airs and dances, written to display the instrument'scapabilitie. Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25, is Sarasate 's much-loved Violin fantasy based on Bizet's Carmen. It includes excerpts of different movements from the Carmen suite, including the familiar Habanera and opening movement. Sarasate 's popular arrangement and variations on the opera's themes are staples of the Violin repertoire. This full-score version stands as the most affordable available, and it offers both performers and listeners extra insights into a celebrated work. Reprint of an early authoritative edition./ Répertoire / Orchestre

Music Of Our Time. Par HENZE HANS WERNER. ‘My Sinfonia No. 8 is not at all tragic or moody like the Seventh. It is a summer piece and is based on three moments from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream‘, writes Hans Werner Henze. This, however, is all we get to know from the composer regarding the work’s reference to Shakespeare’s comedy. On closer examination of the three-movement symphony it turns out that the first movement is a fantasia on Oberon’s order to Puck to search for the magic flower. In the second movement, Henze apparently set the love scenes between Titania and Bottom to music. Ultimately, the final movement shines gracefully and peacefully as if everything that had happened before had only been a dream. - Hans Werner Henze/ Répertoire / Orchestre

Since the 1980s scholarly research into Reger has built up a picture of the diversity, complexity and variety of Reger's work and shown that the composer was the first to depart from the supposed logical evolution of music history. In the musical scene, on the other hand, ideas prevail that are clichéd and based on a small canon of works. This is now about to change.Since the beginning of the twenty-first century a thematic catalogue of the works of Max Reger and their sources has been put together in the Max-Reger-Institut Karlsruhe funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. This will be a fitting addition to our series of thematic catalogues of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin and Schumann. It contains in-depth information in a readable form on the complete original works and arrangements, both published and unpublished, completed or fragmentary. Information concerning the genesis, place and state of the handwritten and printed sources are presented comprehensively and reflect the current state of research. Thus not only scholars but also performers, music lovers and concert organizers will be able to get to know Reger's neglected but in many ways surprising works.Numerous indexes will make the Reger Thematic Catalogue easy and clear to use and it has all of the prerequisites to soon become the definitive reference work for Max Reger. / Orchestre