Of the four episodes of the 'Ring Cycle' 'Die Walkure' is most often performed separately and may be Wagner?s best-loved work. The source of this affection is certainly the sensitive depictions of Siegmund and Sieglinde's loveand the father-daughter relationship of Wotan and Brünnhilde.Siegmund stumbles into an unfamiliar house Sieglinde?s for shelter and the two fall for each other quickly. However Sieglinde's husband (from a forcedmarriage) Hunding is a kinsman of Siegmund?s foes and challenges Siegmund to a duel. Sieglinde gives Hunding a sleeping potion and the two realise they are brother and sister. Siegmund claims Sieglinde as his bride. Watching Wotan and Fricka tell Brünnhilde that she must defend Hunding's marriage rights. Brünnhilde sets out to observe the lovers. When Sieglinde falls asleep Brünnhilde berates Siegmund but when he argues she decides to help him.Hunding and Siegmund battle when Siegmund is about to win however Wotan appears and shatters his sword; he is killed. Brünnhilde escapes with Sieglinde and the broken sword. Wotan fells Hunding with a wave of his handand leaves to punish Brünnhilde. Sieglinde realises she bears Siegmund's child so takes the pieces of the sword and rushes off into the forest to hide. Brünnhilde herself flees to the Valkyries' Rock to hide but Wotan fins herand sentences her to become a mortal woman: she must lie in sleep to be claimed by any man who finds her but behind a wall of fire that only the bravest hero can pierce. This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto inthe original German with an nglish translation by Stewart Robb.

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.

Premiered in Vienna in February 1892 under the direction of Hans Richter Massenet's Werther has proven an enduring work one of the composer's most tightly constructed and dramatically urgent. The libretto was fashioned bywriters Georges Hartmann Edouard Blau and Paul Millet after Goethe's 'Sorrows of Young Werther'. Charlotte the eldest daughter of a baliff is engaged to Albert. In his absence she is escorted to the local ball by ayoung visiting poet Werther. Albert returns unexpectedly disappointed at not finding Charlotte he promises her sister he will return in the morning. At the ball Werther falls in love with Charlotte but realises that Alberthas returned and urges Charlotte not to break her promise to marry Albert. Three months later Charlotte and Albert now married walk across the town square on their way to church followed by Werther who is stilldistraught. Albert realizes that Werther must be in love with his wife and Charlotte tells him he must leave town until Christmas. Werther rushes away contemplating suicide.Alone at home on Christmas Eve as Charlotterereads the dejected love letters written to her by Werther he appears and reads to her a passage from a poem where the poet foresees his own death. Charlotte begs him to stop and he realises she loves him too. But she runs fromhis embrace and Werther leaves resolved to die. Albert enters and a message arrives from Werther asking to borrow Albert's pistol. Her reaction convinces him of her love for Werther. The pistols are dispensed and when Albert hasgone she hurries off arriving at his quarters to find him dying. She declares her love and he begs forgiveness and dies.This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto in French and English.

Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) is one of the primary examples of Italian realism. It was both the best and worst thing that happened to Mascagni for its success - never to be repeated - weighed upon the composer all hislife. Based on Vergaâ??s play of the same name the libretto by Targioni-Tozzetti runs as follows: Lola and Turiddu had been lovers but when Turiddu went away to battle Lola married Alfio. When Turiddu returned he and Lolacontinued their affair secretly while he tried to make Lola jealous by starting a casual affair with Santuzza who fell genuinely in love with him. On Easter Sunday Santuzza realising the affair goes to see Turiddu'smother Lucia who keeps a tavern in the village. She is horrified to learn of her sonâ??s infidelity and leaves for the church just missing Turiddu who saunters in thinking of his night with Lola. He is surprised and annoyed tofind Santuzza there and the two begin to quarrel. Lola makes things worse by appearing and taunting Santuzza. Turiddu finally hits Santuzza and escapes.Santuzza tells Alfio of the illicit affair whereupon Alfio flies intoa rage and swears that he will avenge himself the code of honour requires Turiddu's blood to be shed. According to tradition he refuses a glass of wine from Turiddu indicating the dispute and the two make plans to fight.Rushing into the tavern Turiddu bids his mother her to take care of Santuzza. Mamma Lucia is alarmed and as he rushes off Santuzza enters and throws her arms around Lucia's neck just as a woman screams that Turiddu has beenkilled.This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto in the original Italian with an English translation by Joseph Machlis.

The Complete Libretto-The enticing music of Puccini's La Bohème perfectly conveys the enchantment of new young love and the anguish that comes with loss and death. This gorgeous souvenir libretto includes extensive background notes and photos from productions staged through the years by the Metropolitan Opera.There's a reason La Bohème has been staged at the Met more often than any other Opera. The passionate and timeless story of love among impoverished young artists in Paris has a marvelous ability to make a powerful first impression (even on those new to Opera) and to reveal unexpected treasures after dozens of hearings.At firstglance La Bohème is the definitive depiction of the joys and sorrows of love and loss; on closer inspection it reveals the deep emotional significance hidden in the trivial things (a bonnet an old overcoat a chance meeting with a neighbor) that make up our everyday lives. This touching story of tenderness and tragedy never fails to move audiences and melt hearts.

Gaetono Donizetti's 'The Elixir Of Love' (L'Elisir D'Amore) remains an important work in the repertory of major opera houses of the twenty-first century. It is a good-natured story in which the peasant Nemorino attempts to winthe heart of his love Adina through the ingestion of a farcical magic elixir (which is in fact merely Bordeaux!). Nemorino's aria 'Una furtiva lagrima ' is the most famous excerpt from the opera.

A pair of men take an oath of eternal friendship but their vow is threatened by their attraction to the same woman. The object of their rivalry faces her own dilemma torn between worldly passion and her calling as a priestess.Their romantic triangle forms the heart of this 1863 opera Les Pêcheurs De Perles (The Pearl Fishers) in which the composer of Carmen the world's most popular opera made his first mark.Set in ancientCeylon this enchanting tale of friendship love and betrayal has been performed in Opera houses around the world. The famous Baritone/Tenor duet in the second act is among the most recorded of Opera highlights and a copy of thefull score is essential for conductors as well as for students of composition and orchestration. This large-format version of Bizet's three-act Opera offers musicians an affordable alternative to high-priced hard-to-findeditions.

Opera Full Score-The first opera written for television 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' has become the most frequently performed opera of all time with over five hundred performances annually across the world. Menotti's take on theChristmas story focuses on Amahl a young handicapped boy and his mother who are visited by three Kings -- Balthazar Melchior and Kaspar -- who are on their way to find Jesus. The Kings stay the night during which Amahl'smother tries to steal some of the Kings' gold and is caught in the act. Melchior suggests that she keep the gold because the child they are visiting will rule his kingdom with love not riches. Amahl's mother gives back the gold wishing she had something to give of her own. Amahl offers his crutch as a gift and suddenly is able to walk. He decides to follow the Kings so that he himself may give his crutch to the Christ child.The work is ideal foran amateur performance (for example a secondary school or a local dramatic society) since all the action takes place in one act and one place and the work calls for limited adaptable musical forces. It also gives each principala chance to shine either in a solo or an ensemble.This is the Schirmer hardback edition of the full score.

A Fairytale Opera In Two Acts-The Thirteenth Child - A Fairytale Opera In Two Acts by Poul Ruders (2014-15). Libretto by Becky Starobin and David Starobin. Scenario by Becky Starobin. Suggested by 'The Twelve Brothers' by the Brothers Grimm. SYNOPSIS Act 1 Scene 1 The neighboring Kingdoms of Frohagord and Hauven are in crisis. Following a warning by his embittered cousin Drokan Regent of Hauven King Hjarne of Frohagord is convinced that his twelve sons are plotting to overthrow him. The twelve princes oblivious to their father's paranoia play in the courtyard. The enraged King threatensthe safety of his sons telling his pregnant wife Queen Gertrude that she must provide him with a female heir  as 'only she shall wear the crown'.  Gertrude calms Hjarne and they sing of the Lilies of Frohagord magical flowers that protect the kingdom.  When Benjamin the youngest prince innocently plucks a lily from the garden Hjarne flies into a mad rage and strikes Gertrude.  Drokan observing the encounter  admits his love for Gertrude and feels 'the trembling of the earth'. Act 1 Scene 2 Eighteen years have passed and King Hjarne has just died. At Hjarne's funeral Frederic Drokan and the mourners tell of the mysterious disappearance of the King's thirteen children and the shadows that haunt the kingdom. Queen Gertrude now mortally ill and her daughter Princess Lyra enter the Royal Chapel. Gertrude is repelled by the sight of Drokan  while Frederic is drawn to Lyra. Drokan plots to usurp the Kingdom of Frohagord and Frederic dreams of the day when Lyra will be his. Act 1 Scene 3 Queen Gertrude is on her deathbed attended by Princess Lyra.  Lyra asks her mother why she was sent away.  Gertrude has Lyra open a secret drawer where Lyra finds twelve shirts

Description The tragic tale of brothers who are in love with the same mysterious woman, Debussy's only opera is a perfect marriage of music and verse. The culmination of an eight-year effort on the part of the composer, the five-act lyric drama premiered in 1902. This volume, reprinted from the E. Fromont 1904 edition, reproduces the full orchestral-vocal score in a clear, modern engraving.

in Full Score-Unabridged score of composer's last opera renowned for splendid music and glowing orchestration. Deeply personal treatment of the legend of the Holy Grail themes of sacred and profane love innocence and purity remorse and sexual renunciation. Reprint of authoritative C. F. Peters edition including list of characters and contents in both German and English.

This study score is based on the new Richard Wagner Complete Edition and incorporates recent research findings. An absolute must for every serious Wagner fan as well as for opera lovers and libraries.