Clara Wieck?s sincerest wish was that her future husband, Robert Schumann, turn his extraordinary genius toward the larger and more challenging task of composing orchestral music. Confiding in her diary in 1839, just one year before her marriage, she explained that ?it would be best if he composed for Orchestra: his imagination cannot find sufficient scope in the Piano?? In the years that followed their marriage Robert Schumann continued to devote much of his attention to Piano music, but he also found the time to comply with his beloved Clara?s wish by creating a number of musical pieces composed specifically for Piano and Orchestra. Although Schumann?s genius is most in evidence in his masterful solo Piano compositions and superb lieder, his lively and provocative imagination manifests itself with equal aplomb in the works composed for Piano and Orchestra. The same compelling romantic and lyrical qualities that captivate lovers of Schumann?s Piano music are evident in these compositions. Three of his finest are presented here in full score, including the A Minor Piano Concerto, one of the most popular and frequently performed concertos ever written. All demonstrate his remarkably innovative approach to music, diverting substantially from the classic models of the day, and display his immense creativity as well as his warmth and sensitivity. Included in this collection of Schumann?s compositions for Piano and Orchestra are: Piano Concerto In A minor, Op. 54 (published 1846) Concertstück, Op.92 (Introduction and Allegro appassionato; published 1852) Introduction and Allegro, Op. 134 (published 1855) These three works by one of the greatest masters of romanticism will delight musicians, music lovers and students, as well as devotees of Schumann. Pianists will be especially pleased to have these appealing Schumann works in one convenient edition available at an affordable price.

Edizione critica a cura di Gabriele Dotto e Roger Parker (Vol. 1: XLIV, Vol. 2: VIII). Par DONIZETTI GAETANO. Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, written to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, was first performed at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples on 26 September 1835. It has remained in the repertory without interruption as one of Donizetti’s most popular operas throughout its nearly 200-year history. The edition proposes as the principal text a version of the opera that, for the most part, is as near as possible to that given at the premiere in Naples. However, one of the important new features of the edition is that it includes several fully orchestrated passages that, for unknown reasons, were cancelled very close to the time of the first performance. It also features in the third-act mad scene an obbligato part for the glass harmonica, an instrument that Donizetti had chosen for this extraordinary scene, and drafted in his autograph score, but was then constrained to substitute with a solo flute when the glass harmonica player got into contractual difficulties with the theatre. While the glass harmonica part was considered a mere “musicological curiosity” some decades ago, the critical edition now convincingly argues for its legitimate restoration as part of the composer’s preferred concept. The Sources section of the edition includes a detailed examination of all contemporary sources for the opera. The composer’s autograph score is of course the most important of these, but also of great value is the first printed vocal score of the opera, which in some numbers has a piano reduction prepared by the composer and contains many vocal variants (all reported in the score) that will be a great value to performers. There are also a number of early manuscript copies of the full score, several of which are valuable in outlining the first interpretations of Donizetti’s music. The critical edition restores the original keys, thus maintaining Donizetti’s overall harmonic design, but discusses transpositions that later entered the performing and editorial tradition of the opera. Three transposed pieces – which may have had Donizetti’s approval – will be made available available in the material for hire to theatres. / Date parution : 2022-03-05/ Répertoire / Orchestre