Italian Standards (New Edition)

Johann Jacob Froberger (1617 67) enjoyed an outstanding reputation during his lifetime as his compositional style represented a synthesis of Italian French and English influences. There is now a growing awareness that Froberger?s significance for Keyboard music of the 17th century is comparable only with that of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck.Each volume contains a critical commentary as well as a detailed foreword with sections on the scope and structure of the new edition the editorial method and performance practice. Information on contemporary instruments ornamentation and Froberger?s biography is also included.Both volumes VI.1 andVI.2 contain music from anonymous copies of the 17th century undoubtedly made from autograph manuscripts which were returned to the Singakademie in Berlin from Kiev in 2001. They also include further new discoveries of manuscripts and compositions.The New Edition of the Complete Works will comprise a total of eleven volumes.- Urtext scholarly-critical edition setting new standards.- Reflects the current state of research.- Music from the newly-discovered ?Kiev sources?.- Detailed explanatory notes (Ger/Eng).

In 1774 Gluck had committed himself to supplying six stage works to the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris. This job he fulfilled partially by reworking works which had already been premiered in Vienna, such as 'Orfeo ed Euridice? (BA 5845-90).In the case of 'Alceste? which was premiered in 1776 and which was the prototype of the so-called reform opera, the composer created a completely new version. The libretto was translated from the former Italian into French and was altered at the same time, but also the music was fundamentally changed: Gluck newly composed the recitatives and rearranged, enlarged or cut scenes. The initial rejection of the work by the audience caused him to further alter the third act, for example by adding the character of Hercules as Alceste's saviour. In this form the opera finally became a big success.The Bärenreiter vocal score has been carefully revised, corrected, newly engraved and brought up to Bärenreiter standards.- Revised and newly engraved Urtext edition based on the Gluck Complete Edition- French libretto with singable German translation- Preface (Ger/Eng/Fr)- Idiomatic, uncluttered piano reduction / Chant Et Piano