Georges Bizet: A La Voix: Opera: Vocal Work

Vocal Score-Bizet died on 3rd June 1875 exactly three months after the first performance of his Carmen which had met with a cool reception. This caused the already undermined composer to fall into a depression which most probably led him to take his own life. The following October Carmen was a triumph in Vienna and ever since this opera has been considered an all-time classic. Inspired by the tale of the same name by Prosper Mérimée (1845) the opera tells the story of the gypsy girl Carmen: a free passionate spirit she generously gives herself in love yet fights off all attempts to tie her down. Bizet invented music to suit her character: impetuous and passionate. Andhe turns Spain (a country he never actually visited) into a land of violent passion. Speaking of this opera the philosopher Nietzsche said 'When we listen to Carmen we too become a masterpiece'.

Although almost unanimously condemned by contemporary Parisian critics for its overt sexuality and graphic final scene Carmen ultimately reached the public in a way that perhaps no other opera has. Bizet's aim (with Meilhac and Halevy who wrote the libretto) had been to transform the flaccid moralistic bourgeois genre of opéra comique into a more sophisticated type of staged work and he seems to have suceeded in Carmen. Each character has a musical significance and a unique expressive idiom the ultimate example being the dangerous exotic sensual Carmen herself depicted by an exotic and sinewy chromatic motive that also implies the insurmountable power of fate. Ina classic plot device she is contrasted with the 'good girl' of the opera Micaela whose main aria is set in the ternary form of the elevated bel canto French Grand Opera aria to imply her traditionally 'ladylike' retiring nature. Don José's musical styles reflect different levels in his descent from dutiful soldier to the underworld of obsession. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with an English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin.

This major new edition of perhaps the world’s most popular opera includes French and English text incorporates the original dialogues and is backed up by complete orchestral performance material. Unique sources: includes information derived from documentation of French productions of Bizet’s time – aspects not preserved in the scores or librettos at the time nor represented in other current editions. Informative and practical: a comprehensive preface (in English French and German) provides fascinating background information to the edition and practical guidance to the performance of Carmen

Description G. Schirmer Opera Anthology - Arias For Mezzo-Soprano Carefully chosen arias to anticipate the needs of singers, teachers and coaches for years to come. Includes historical notes, plot synopses and translations for study. Edited by Robert L. Larsen. Songlist Acerba Volutta (Adriana Lecouvreur) [Cilea, Francesco] Ah, Michele, Don't You Know (The Saint Of Bleecker Street) [Menotti, Gian Carlo] Amour Viens Aider Ma Faiblesse (Samson Et Dalila) [Saint-Saens, Camille] Augusta How Can You Turn Away? (The Ballad Of Baby Doe) [Moore, Douglas] Chacun A Son Gout (Die Fledermaus) [Strauss Ii, Johann] Che Faro Senza Euridice (Orfeo) [Gluck, Christoph Willibald] Cruda Sorte..Gia So Per Pratica (L'italiana In Algeri) [Rossini, Gioacchino] En Vain Pour Eviter (Carmen) [Bizet, Georges] Faites-lui Mes Aveux (Faust) [Gounod, Charles] Il Segreto Per Esser Felici (Lucrezia Borgia) [Donizetti, Gaetano] L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Carmen) [Bizet, Georges] Lullaby (The Consul) [Menotti, Gian Carlo] Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix (Samson Et Dalila) [Saint-Saens, Camille] Must The Winter Come So Soon? (Vanessa) [Barber, Samuel] Nobles Seigneurs, Salut (Les Hugenots) [Meyerbeer, Giacomo] Non Piu Mesta (La Cenerentola) [Rossini, Gioacchino] Non So Più Cosa Son (Le Nozze Di Figaro) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] O Mio Fernando (La Favorita) [Donizetti, Gaetano] Pres Des Remparts (Carmen) [Bizet, Georges] Printemps Qui Commence (Samson Et Dalila) [Saint-Saens, Camille] Que Fais-tu, Blanche Tourterelle (Romeo Et Juliette) [Gounod, Charles] Smanie Implacabili (Cosi Fan Tutte) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Stride La Vampa (Il Trovatore) [Verdi, Giuseppe] Una Voce Poco Fa (Il Barbiere Di Siviglia) [Rossini, Gioacchino[ Va Laisse Couler Mes Larmes (Werther) [Massenet, Jules] Voce Di Donna (La Gioconda) [Ponchielli, Amilcare] Voi Che Sapete (Le Nozze Di Figaro) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Voi Lo Sapete (Cavelleria Rusticana) [Mascagni, Pietro] We Cannot Retrace Our Steps (The Mother Of Us All) [Thomson, Virgil] When I Am Laid In Earth (Dido And Aeneas) [Purcell, Henry]

Description G. Schirmer Opera Anthology - Arias For Soprano Carefully chosen arias to anticipate the needs of singers, teachers and coaches for years to come. Songlist Ach, Ich Fühl's (Die Zauberflöte) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Adieu, Notre Petite Table (Manon) [Massenet, Jules] Ah Je Rise De Me Voir (Faust) [Gounod, Charles] Ah Je Veux Vivre (Romeo Et Juliette) [Gounod, Charles] Batti, Batti, O Bel Masetto (Don Giovanni) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Bester Jungling (Der Schauspieldirektor) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Caro Nome (Rigoletto) [Verdi, Giuseppe] Deh Vieni, Non Tardar (Le Nozze Di Figaro) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Donde Lieta Usci (La Boheme) [Puccini, Giacomo] Dove Sono I Bei Momenti (Le Nozze Di Figaro) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Elle A Fui, La Tourterelle (Les Contes D'Hoffman) [Offenbach, Jacques] Fair Robin I Love (Tartuffe) [Mechem, Kirke] Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'epouvante (Carmen) [Bizet, Georges] Kommt Ein Schlanker Bursch Gegangen (Der Freischutz) [Weber, Carl Maria Von] Mi Chiamano Mimi (La Boheme) [Puccini, Giacomo] Monica's Waltz (The Medium) [Menotti, Gian Carlo] O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) [Puccini, Giacomo] O War Ich Schon Mit Dir Vereint (Fidelio) [Beethoven, Ludwig Van] Porgi Amor (Le Nozze Di Figaro) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Quando M'en Vo Soletta (La Boheme) [Puccini, Giacomo] Saper Vorreste (Un Ballo In Maschera) [Verdi, Giuseppe] Signore Ascolta (Turandot) [Puccini, Giacomo] Stridono Lassu (I Pagliacci) [Leoncavallo, Ruggiero] Sul Fil D'un Soffio Estastio (Falstaff) [Verdi, Giuseppe] The Black Swan (The Medium) [Menotti, Gian Carlo] The Silver Aria (The Ballad Of Baby Doe) [Moore, Douglas] Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta (Turandot) [Puccini, Giacomo] Un Bel Di (One Fine Day) (Madama Butterfly) [Puccini, Giacomo] V'adoro, Pupille (Giulio Cesare) [Handel, George Frideric] Vedrai Carino (Don Giovanni) [Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus] Willow Song (The Ballad Of Baby Doe) [Moore, Douglas]