Par BENJAMIN GEORGE. Premiered in 2018, the 90-minute opera Lessons in Love and Violence delves into the dark and turbulent events of Edward II's life and death. George Benjamin and Martin Crimp's third collaboration, it unfolds as a taut slow burning arch of seven tableaux. This work boasts particularly rich string textures, and is coloured by basset horn and cimbalom together with a pair of harps, celesta, and percussion (including talking drums and tombak). Several of the opera's powerful interludes are dominated by braying, sardonic brass - with tuba substituted by the more menacing contrabass trombone. There is also much spectacular ensemble writing: in Scene Three's play within a play, several strands of independent music collide, and the result is perhaps one of the most complex musical structures Benjamin has ever tackled. The music's relationship to the drama is often unstable and seemingly very spontaneous, but beneath it all one senses a rigorous architecture, unflinchingly guiding the listener deeper and deeper into the opera's disquieting emotional world. This full score is a perfect accompaniment to the previously published vocal score and text. / Musique contemporaine / Répertoire / Opéra

Monteverdi's opera 'L'Orfeo', based on the legend of Thracian singer Orpheus and his love of Eurydice, is a masterpiece of musical declamation and ornamentation. It was first performed during the 1607 carnevale in the 'Palazzo Ducale' in Mantua.When an edition remains true to its sources, this certainly does not mean that it is not also practical to use, as is demonstrated in this Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo'. Edited by Rinaldo Alessandrini, the new publication follows the Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi's 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'.Two contemporary prints of 'L'Orfeo' from the years 1609 and 1615 have been passed down to us. Four copies of each of these prints still survive today in public libraries. The later print includes many corrections to the earlier edition and was accordingly used as the primary source for this Bärenreiter edition. However, when solving musical problems the editor frequently follows the more coherent style of the earlier print. The numerous interesting variants, not only between the two editions but also amongst the eight surviving copies, are listed in the critical commentary.This edition of 'L'Orfeo' offers in addition to Monteverdi's somewhat sparse original figures also figures added to the bass line by the editor. The continuo player should, however, feel free to follow his own judgment. The notation has been, when necessary, adapted to suit modern practice, for example with regard to the clefs. The sections that were originally written in 'chiavetta' have been transposed a fifth lower. In the appendix these sections also appear in their original notation in facsimile as well as transposed a fourth lower.- Detailed introduction by the editor (Ital/Eng/Ger) on the work's genesis and performance practice- Comprehensive critical commentary (Eng) in the score- Idiomatic piano reductionEdition no.: BA 8793-90ISMN: 9790006533121Composer / Author: Monteverdi, ClaudioTitle: L'Orfeo Favola in musica in one prologue and five actsDetailed instrumentation: Soprano solo (7), Tenor solo (4), Bass solo (3), Mixed choir: SSATTB, Male choir: TTBBB, OrchestraLibrettist: Striggio, Alessandro (junior)Editor: Alessandrini, RinaldoForeword / Introduction: Alessandrini, RinaldoProduct format: Piano reduction, Urtext editionLanguage(s) of work: ItalianLanguage(s) of text: German, Italian, EnglishPublisher: BärenreiterBinding: PaperbackPrint run: 1st printing 2012Pages / Format: XIV, 143 S. - 27,0 x 19,0 cmWeight: 428 g