Novello - Opera

Henry Purcell’s only Opera proper Dido and Aeneas is a magnificent example of English Baroque music with lively dances and passionate aria sections that demonstrate Purcell’s masterful compositional and choral writing skill. Based on a libretto by Nahum Tate it was first performed in 1689 comprises three acts and lasts about an hour. Filled with dramatic lyricism with a wide range of musical and emotional content it is a monumental Baroque composition considered to be one of England’s foremost operatic works. Dido and Aeneas contains all the elements for a successful opera including a shipwreck sorcery love and lost love anddeath. This is the Vocal and Full Operatic Score edited by Margaret Laurie and Thurston Dart. With its interesting and imaginative realization and authentic editorial process this is an excellent edition that features some performing choices and variants and also includes the reconstructed prologue.

The Fairy Queen (Full Score)-Purcell Society Edition No.12. The Fairy Queen In Full Score. The drama adapted from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The work may be perfomed with a minimum of five soloists: Soprano I Soprano II Alto or countertenor or Tenor Tenor Bass. The orchestral scoring consists of two recorders two oboes two trumpets timpani strings and continuo. Orchestral parts are available for hire from the publisher. Vocal Score available for sale.

A3 Size Score of the Opera in 3 Acts with libretto by the composer based on the 13th Century Chinese drama The Chao Family Orphan.

La Naissance d'Osiris opera-ballet by Rameau to a libretto by Louis de Cahusac Fontainebleau 12 October 1754 written to celebrate the birth of the Duc de Berry who became Louis XVI.DRAMATIS PERSONÆPamilie (Soprano)Un Berger (Countertenor Haute-contre)Le Grand Prêtre de Jupiter (Bass-baritone)Jupiter (Bass-baritone)L’AmourLes Gr cesBergers Bergères Prêtres PeuplesORCHESTRAMusettes2 Flutes2 OboesBassoonStringsBasso continuoDuration: circa 52 minutes

Opera in three acts edited by Alan Curtis. This opera was first performed in Venice in 1666. It may with justice be considered to be the finest opera written between Monteverdi's 'Poppea' and the dramatic works of the mature Purcell. Having in 1983 presided over the first modern revival of 'Il Tito' in Innsbruck the city of its original commissioning Alan Curtis has now produced the first complete performing edition to be drawn from available sources.

This the first of Purcell's Operas for the professional stage is edited in Vocal Score format by Margaret Laurie. The first performance of this work was produced by Betterton with great success at the Dorset Garden Theatre in June 1690. The text was an adaption almost certainly by Betterton himself of Flethcer and Massinger's play 'The Prophetess'.

King Arthur (Arr. Laurie)-King Arthur was the only one of Purcell's professionally produced operas to have been designed as a semi-opera; the others were all adaptations of earlier plays. Dryden made a real attempt to integrate the music into the drama but since he ascribed to the dramatic conventions of the period which virtually confined music to allegorical or supernatural beings and thier worshippers or servants shepherds and similar characters the main action mostly occurs in the spoken sections and even the two singing characters Philidel and Grimbald speak more than they sing.