Acte de Ballet. Par RAMEAU JEAN-PHILIPPE. Rameau Io RCT 45 (Vocal Score) In Rameau's operatic oeuvre, 'Io' is certainly the work shrouded in the most mystery: the acte de ballet has survived only in the form of a copy of the score and parts which was made by a collector from the generation after Rameau from the autograph that now is lost. Although the copy seems to have been used, presumably for a trial read-through, the work was apparently never regularly performed during Rameau's lifetime. And for good reason: the work breaks off abruptly at the beginning of the divertissement; neither the librettist nor a plan for a theatre location are known. Because of its incompleteness, 'Io' was long regarded as Rameau's last work, but there is much to suggest that the composition must have been written between 1740 and 1745. The introduction to this edition examines the references regarding the dating as well as various hypotheses about performance possibilities and librettists. The plot revolves around one of those typical mythological flirtations that are inevitably to be expected when Jupiter and a nymph, here Io, are involved. With the appearance of madness, La Folia, the work reaches a dramaturgical climax. However after this, the opera breaks off. In order to make the piece performable, the editors of ?Opera Omnia Rameau? propose an addition to the divertissement as well as an ending borrowed from the ballet bouffon 'Platée' in its 1745 version, which shows numerous parallels to 'Io'. Thus, these additions come as close as possible to Rameau's style of the 1740s while bringing the plot to a conclusion. - Fragmentary work completed with original music by Rameau - Based on the score of ?Opera Omnia Rameau?, Volume V/1 - Particularly suitable for academies and conservatories as few soloists are required and the few choral movements can be sung by soloists / Date parution : 2023-06-01/ Répertoire / Opéra

Wagner completed the first version of the opera in 1845 during his tenure as Kapellmeister at the royal court of Dresden but he continued to redraft and revise it for the rest of his life. The setting is medieval Germany: the minstrel Tannhauser has fallen into sin with the goddess Venus but after a year in a moment of realisation he demands to leave. He finds himself near his home and is reunited with Elisabeth a girl he once loved. Elisabeth's uncle the landgrave organises a singing competition between Tannhauser and Wolfram who also loves her. Wolfram's song is simple and moving while Tannhauser confused by Venus outrages the audience by singing of profane love.He is banished to Rome on a pilgrimage to seek redemption and Elisabeth follows him with Wolfram. After much searching she gives up and dies just missing Tannhauser who Wolfram discovers creeping back to Venus the Pope having said that it was as impossible for him to be forgiven as for his staff to sprout flowers. Tannhauser sees Elisabeth and casts himself to die by her coffin and the Pope's staff bursts into bloom. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score edited and translated into English by Natalia MacFarren.

Dramma per musica in thre acts-Tamerlano HWV 18; Dramma per musica in 3 acts Handel began the composition of Tamerlano one of the supreme masterpieces of Baroque opera seria on 3rd July 1724. The libretto was an adaptation by Nicola Haym of Agostino Piovene's Tamerlano Tragedia per musica which had been set to music by Francesco Gasparini and performed in Venice in 1711. When Handel dated the last page of the autograph on 4rd July the work appeared to be complete; but during the three months which passed before the premiere at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket on 31 October so many alterations and revisions were made that a fresh performing-score had to be writtern very late inthe proceedings to replace an earlier one which is now 1ost.There were twelve performances between 31 October 1724 and 8 May 1725. Handel revived the opera only once in 1731 for three performances. For this revival he marked in the performing score a number of cuts in the recitatives which are reproduced in the present edition; there is more recitative in Tamerlano than in any other Handel opera.Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition.Full score (BA4052) and vocal score (BA4052-90) available for sale Performance material (BA4052-72) available for hire