'Das Rheingold' is the first part of Wagner's 'Ring Cycle'.Alberich a gnome of the Nibelung discovers the all-powerful Rhine Gold and fashions a ring out of it knowing that whoever wears it will rule the world but must renounce love. The gods Wotan and his wife Fricka have build a new castle and paid the giants by promising them Fricka's sister Freia who grows the golden apples that give the gods their power. After a struggle she is kidnapped and all the gods begin to age and weaken. To get her back they decide to steal the Ring and bargain with the giants. Meanwhile Alberich has been forcing other to mine gold and Mime makes a helmet the 'Tarnhelm' out ofit thinking this will help him seize the Ring. Alberich steals the Tarnhelm but the gods arrive and trick both it the Ring and his gold out of him taking him prisoner. In a fury he curses the Ring to bring death and envy to all who posess it. The gods use the Ring and helmet to bargain with the giants. They win Freia back and go home to their new castle but as they leave the giant Fafner murders his brother Fasolt to claim the ring continuing its bloody history... This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with an English translation by Frederick Jameson.

Libretto by Michel Carne and Jules Barbier after the poem by Goethe. English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin.

With its famous arias and ensembles Aida has become one of the most popular operas ever written and familiarity only brings new details to the listener's attention. The drama takes place over four acts and the libretto was prepared by Antonio Ghislanzoni based on a text by French author Camille du Locle. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with Piano reduction. Italian and English text - English translation by Walter Ducloux.

Although slow to be accepted in England where the public thought it was blasphemous the Messiah is now Handel's best-known oratorio and well-loved worldwide. It is for four soloists SATB chorus and orchestral which is here replaced by a piano accompaniment. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score revised according to the original score by Max Spicker and edited by T. Tertius Noble.