Format : Octavo
SKU: BA.BA04052
ISBN 9790006495702. 33.1 x 26 cm inches. Nicola Francesco Haym.
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 in the 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.
About Barenreiter Urtext
What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?
MUSICOLOGICALLY SOUND - A reliable musical text based on all available sources - A description of the sources - Information on the genesis and history of the work - Valuable notes on performance practice - Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions ... AND PRACTICAL - Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them - A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format - Excellent print quality - Superior paper and binding
SKU: BA.BA04081
ISBN 9790006497782. 33 x 25.8 cm inches.
In his libretto for “ Riccardo primoâ€, Paolo Rolli drew on Antonio Lotti’s opera “ Isacio tiranno †which had been performed in Venice in 1710. Handel needed a text with two great women’s roles, for the two best female singers of the day were members of his troupe – Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni . He had already written the operas “Alessandro†and “ Admeto †for them. He began composing “ Riccardo †in spring 1727, completing the first version on 16 May. However, following the death of King George I on 11 June 1727, the theatres remained closed. For Handel, who had become a British citizen in February 1727, the accession of George II to the throne offered new possibilities, and he embarked on a revision of the opera. With this, he was able to offer a new opera for the coronation festivities, the hero of which was one of King George’s charismatic forebears. From May onwards, Handel thoroughly revised the present score, wrote some parts anew and expanded it with particularly splendid music. Handel and Rolli also improved the plot and introduced patriotic elements to honour the British monarchy. The historic background is the third crusade against Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria , who had recaptured Jerusalem in 1187. Although King Richard I captured Cyprus and together with French crusaders stormed the fortress of Akko in the Holy Land, the crusade ended with a ceasefire and Jerusalem remained in Saladin’s hands. Richard was given the title ‘Coeur-de-lion‹’ by the English for his great military ability and bravery, although the Sicilians had first given him this name because of his relentless cruelty in clashes around Messina . The vocal score is based on the Halle Handel Edition volume published in 2005, edited by Terence Best, and contains the second version of the opera which was premiered in November 1727.
SKU: BA.BA04045
ISBN 9790006443536. 33 x 26.1 cm inches. Text Language: Italian. Anonymus.
In 1734 Handel provided the pasticcio “ Oreste †for his third operatic enterprise which, following the bankruptcy of the Royal Academy and its successor academy, felt threatened by competition from the newly-founded Opera of the Nobility. Hence, the composer did not compile the work from favourite movements from his own and other composer's pieces as was usual at that time; rather in “ Oreste †he presented a selection of the most beautiful arias and ensembles exclusively from his own operas. In addition, he expanded the ballet and choral scenes which he thought would make a great impact after the move into the newly built Covent Garden Theatre. As most of the singers in his Italian company had been enticed away by the competition, Handel increasingly began to engage English virtuosi. He probably even worked on the new version of the libretto himself in order to place the new stars in the limelight to the best effect. The new vocal score is based on Volume 1 of the Supplement to Series II of the “Halle Handel†Edition edited by Bernd Baselt .
SKU: BA.BA04050
ISBN 9790006443598. 33 x 26 cm inches. Language: German. Text: Feustking, Friedrich Christian.
“Almiraâ€, Handel’s first opera, was well received when premiered in 1705 at the Theater am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg. The director was Reinhard Keiser, who, remarkably, had himself already set Friedrich Christian Feustking’s text to music. The role of Fernando was sung by Johann Mattheson. The translation used by Handel leaves several Italian arias in their original language, resulting in a delightful mixture of German and Italian.The opera which, after sundry entangled romances, ends in the wedding of three couples, is characterised by exuberant scenes: the procession at Almira’s crowning ceremony, a duel, a prison scene and a masked-ball involving the three continents Europe, Africa and Asia. The vocal score to “Almira†by George Frideric Handel brings about a small sensation: Whilst conducting a reenactment of this work in 1732, Georg Philipp Telemann removed the Aria no. 28 “Ingrato, spietato†from his conducting score. Since then this aria has been deemed lost. Due to necessity only the edited vocal text devoid of any music was presented in the 1994 volume of the “Halle Handel Editionâ€. Thanks to a recently discovered contemporary manuscript copy from the beginning of the 18th century which was found in the music library of the Mariengymnasium in Jever, this aria has now been made available to performers for the first time in this new vocal score edition. Previous to this the corresponding pages could only be seen as a facsimile in an article of the “Göttinger Händel-Beiträgeâ€.Now the aria can be performed again. Furthermore, with the help of this new source, missing measures in the basso continuo which had initially been completed by the editor of the “Halle Handel Edition†volume, could be reconstructed from the basso continuo part of the Bellante aria “Ich brenne zwar†(no. 71).
SKU: BA.BA04058
ISBN 9790006495672. 33.1 x 25.6 cm inches. Text Language: Italian. Nicola Francesco Haym.
“ Tolomeo †was Handel’s last opera for the Royal Academy of Music in London . Composed between March and 19 April 1728, it was premiered on 30 April. Handel revived the opera several times further: in 1730 in an extensive revision, with seven performances, and in 1733 with four performances. The historical background is the dispute between Cleopatra III and her younger son Ptolemaio X Alexander I ( Tolomeo ). In 110 BC Cleopatra drove Tolomeo out of Egypt . She died, irreconciled to him, in 101 BC. The new vocal score is based on the “Halle Handel Edition†(vol. II/20), published in 2000. The main part contains the version from the premiere. The extensive appendix also enables later versions to be performed.
SKU: BR.OB-4371-30
ISBN 9790004306383. 10 x 12.5 inches.
According to the Daily Courant, the premiere took place as follows: On Wednesday Evening, at about 8, the King took to Water at Whitehall in an open Barge, wherein were Dutchess of Bolton, The Dutchess of New Castle, the Countess of Godolphin, Madam Kilmaseck, and the Earl of Orkney. And went up the River towards Chelsea. Many other of Barges with Person of Quality attended, and so the great Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was couver'd; a City Company's Barge was employ'd for the Musick, wherein were 50 Instruments of all sorts, Who play'd all the way from Lambeth (while the Barges drove with the Tide without Rowing, as far as Chelsea) the finest Symphonies, compos'd express for this Occasion, by Mr Hendel: which his Majesty liked so well, that he caus'd it to be play'd over three times in going and returning. At Eleven his Majesty came again into Barge, and return'd the same Way, the Musick continuing to play till he landed.Handel composed his Water Music for none other than King George I who requested a concert for guests invited to his pleasure cruise on the Thames.
SKU: BA.BA04083
ISBN 9790006497768. 33 x 25.5 cm inches.
“Rodrigo†was premiered in autumn 1707 in Florence and is therefore one of Handel’s early stage works. The composer, only 22 years old, wrote a densely-woven musical scenario for his first opera composed in Italy . It masterfully portrays the dramatic states of mind of the protagonists surrounding the Iberian tyrant Rodrigo and the plot full of deception, betrayal , adultery, war as well as the transformation wrought by Rodrigo’s abdication. The work was not, as was long thought, a commission from the Prince of Medici. Despite this, “ Rodrigo†seems to have been so popular that Handel extended his stay in Italy and was able to compose several operas during the following period. In “ Rodrigo†, the mastery which made Handel’s succeeding opera “ Agrippina†such a success, is already clearly evident . “ Agrippina†consequently made Handel’s name famous throughout Europe and soon led to his first journey to London . The new vocal score is based on Volume II/2 of the “Halle Handel Edition†(BA 4083). The appendix contains the surviving variants in the versions of the first performances from Handel’s lifetime.
SKU: BA.BA10720-01
ISBN 9790006550302. 33 x 26.5 cm inches. Text Language: Italian. Preface: Hans Dieter Clausen. Text: Haym, Nicola Francesco (nach Giacomo Francesco Bussani).
Giulio Cesare in Egittois by far Handel's most frequently performed opera owing its success not least to its subject matter, one of the best known love stories in world history. Already during Handel's lifetime the popular work was often staged and therefore adapted by Handel for each of the performance conditions. The editor Hans Dieter Clausen has succeeded in editorially defining and practically presenting these adaptations - essentially four versions - on the basis of a meticulous study of the sources within the framework of theHalle Handel Edition. The new edition allows for a performance of each of the four versions. The version of 1725 is particularly noteworthy because Handel newly devised the role of Sesto for the famous tenor Francesco Borosini.The libretto shows the Roman dictator Cesar in a friendly light. He instructs his enemy, the Egyptian tyrant Tolomeo, how to treat adversaries; he reconciles the widow and son of his enemy Pompeo who was murdered by Tolomeo; he is generous and just, hands on, but also diplomatic, thoughtful, aware of the limits of his power, and susceptible for art and nature. However, the actual protagonist of the opera is Cleopatra. In a masterly way Handel develops her character musically.In his extensive Foreword Hans Dieter Clausen not only decribes the genesis, historical background, reception and the edition of the opera, he also examines the musical and dramaturgical reworking of individual numbers inGiulio Cesare. Handel was such an expert in adapting arias for new purposes and other characters that he did not only meet the needs at hand but often the new version surpassed the original. In this way, the reader gains, in passing, a well-founded insight into Handel's work methods when designing and redevising his characters. The detailed Critical Commentary includes information on the comprehensive and highly complex source situation as well as on individual editorial decisions.
SKU: BR.OB-4371-12
Handel composed his Water Music for none other than King George I who requested a concert for guests invited to his pleasure cruise on the Thames.
ISBN 9790004306338. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: BR.OB-4371-16
ISBN 9790004306352. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: BR.OB-4371-15
ISBN 9790004306345. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: BR.PB-4371
ISBN 9790004202920. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: BR.OB-4371-19
ISBN 9790004306369. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: BA.BA04070
ISBN 9790006495870. 33 x 26 cm inches. Text Language: Italian. Text: Paolo Antonio Rolli.
Handel’s “Deidamia†was premièred on 10 January 1741 only a few weeks after “Imeneoâ€.The librettist Paoli Rolli , a previously unsucessful librettist for Handel, delivered with his finest work “Deidamiaâ€. On 10 February 1741 the third and final opera performances of this work took place under Handel’s direction. Oddly enough “Deidamia†would not be performed again until the beginning of the 20th century. This opera is based on the themes of humour and seriousness. The personal harmonising of Heroism (Achilles) and Love ( Deidamia ) build on the essential dramatic features of this work. “Deidamia†is the last great opera in a series of masterpieces: “Orlandoâ€, “Poroâ€, “Ezioâ€, “Ariodanteâ€, “Alcinaâ€, “Serse†and “Imeneoâ€. The vocal score is based on the Urtext of the Halle Handel Editon.
SKU: BA.BA04092-01
ISBN 9790006550050. 33 x 26 cm inches. Text Language: Italian. Preface: John E. Sawyer. Text: Vincenzo Grimani.
Handel'sAgrippinaHWV 6 was performed with great success at the 2015 International Handel Festival in Gottingen (Germany) using the new Barenreiter edition including the performance material and this vocal score. Agrippinais the last opera that Handel completed and premiered in Italy. The excellent libretto is one of the few original opera libretti that he set to music. The plot is tightly constructed, the characters sharply etched and equipped with a wide range of human emotions.Agrippina is married to her third husband, the Roman emperor Claudius. After he is presumed dead, she attempts with deception and intrigue to place her son Nero on the throne.The vocal score includes all the numbers from the appendix of the full score. These were used either during the successful Venetian series of performances in 1709/10 or were deleted or replaced by other numbers, versions and variants.
