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Iphigénie en Tauride. Tragédie lirique en quatre actes
The contrast between Piccinni and Gluck can perhaps best be illustrated with Iphigénie en Tauride, as Piccinni’s opera appeared just two years after Gluck’s work on the same subject. In fact, supporters of Piccinni (“Piccinnistes”) hoped that the Italian composer would demonstrate the superiority of his style with Iphigénie, and scholars have used these settings to illustrate the difference between the two composers.
Alceste: tragedie opera en trois actes
According to Grove Music, "when Admetus, King of Pherae in Thessaly, is ill and about to die an oracle announces that he will be saved if someone else is willing to die in his stead. His wife Alcestis displays her conjugal devotion by offering herself; she dies and Admetus recovers. Under the influence of tragédie lyrique, Calzabigi enriched his libretto with choruses, ballets and opportunities for impressive scenery."
Panurge dans l'Isle des Lanternes : comédie lirique en trois actes
Panurge, like Colinette à la cour, features recitative, rather than spoken dialogue. In his memoirs, Grétry recognized Panurge for being the first comic opera to enjoy a successful run at the Opéra, and he saw it as a turning point for this theater, which traditionally presented serious plots (Grétry, Memoires; ou, Essais sur la musique, 377). The overture to Panurge was featured on concerts in the nineteenth century, and although the opera eventually disappeared from the repertoire, its long stint was noted as late as 1866, by which time it was no longer being performed (Crozet, Revue de la musique dramatique en France, 275-76).
Tancrède: tragédie
André Campra’s Tancrède, which premiered on 7 November 1702, is his best-known tragédie en musique, with a run of performances until 1764, and high praise by noteworthy music personalities such as Rameau. While the music critic La Cerf de la Viéville wrote positive comments about Tancrède, he was bothered by the opera’s use of low voices, which defied the tradition of employing castrati parts. Additionally, the role of Clorinda was written for a well-known contralto named Mademoiselle Maupin; although the range is that of a mezzo-soprano, the powerful quality of Maupin’s voice seemed to be a prime consideration for Campra.
Les amours des dieux : ballet heroique
Mouret’s Les amours des dieux is classified as a ballet-heroïque, a type of opéra-ballet that was popular during the first half of the eighteenth century. Although the term ballet-heroïque suggests the prevalence of dance, drawing on the divertissement tradition, singing and acting are also integral parts of this genre. What distinguishes the opéra-ballet from the tragedie en musique is the use of separate plots for each entrée (comparable to an act). The segments are not entirely independent, however, in that there is typically a central, overarching idea.
Devil to pay: or, The wives metamorphos'd
English libretto to Charles Coffey's ballad opera The devil to pay or, The wives metamorphos'd. The Devil to Pay is an adaptation of Thomas Jevon’s play The Devil of a Wife (1686). Nearly fifty years later, the ballad opera appeared at Drury Lane with Charles Coffey and John Mottley each responsible for half of the three acts. However, a much shorter and more well-received one-act version, edited by Theophilus Cibber, is represented in the printed libretto. Today Coffey is generally the only name widely attached to The Devil to Pay. The opera’s popularity is attested by the frequent performances and a translation into German, which contributed to the development of the Singspiel.
Le Huron : comedie en deux actes, et en vers
Grétry’s Le Huron takes as its source a short story called L’ingénu (Geneva, 1767), written by Voltaire under the name Dulaurens. The story was banned two months after its publication due to anti-government themes. For instance, the young man raised by the Hurons (the title character of the opera) was imprisoned for expressing his radical ideas about issues such as the treatment of the Huguenots. Voltaire’s character is derived from another source, the novel Bélisaire by Marmontel, in which a man is framed for a crime and awaiting the death penalty before being released. Marmontel, who corresponded regularly with Voltaire, created the libretto for Grétry’s opera. However, most controversial aspects of the story were eliminated or downplayed for the censors, and as a result, the anti-religious message is absent from Le Huron.
Richard Cœur de Lion : opéra comique en trois actes
Richard Cœur-de-lion is probably Grétry’s most famous opéra-comique. However, it was banned during the French Revolution and subsequent rebellions in 1830 and 1848 due to its favorable depiction of royalty. Other than those exceptions, the work has remained popular due to its well-developed and compelling plot, its idealized representation of the Medieval community, as well as its musicodramatic structure in which a recurring romance melody is treated as a unifying plot point.
Barbier de Seville [Il barbiere di Siviglia] Opéra comique en quatre actes
Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia was based on the first play, Le barbier de Séville, ou La precaution inutile (1772), of Beaumarchais’s famous trilogy. The controversial commentary on aristocracy caused the play to be banned from the stage for three years. The ban was lifted in 1775 and the work premiered that same year; Beaumarchais finally saw the work performed in 1780 when he was employed by Catherine II in St. Petersburg. Although Rossini’s later opera (of 1816) is more familiar today, Paisiello’s rendition was extremely popular throughout Europe during its time. The work was first performed in St. Petersburg in September of 1782.
Beggar's opera
This is a 1735 fourth ed. of the three-act ballad opera "The beggar's opera" by John Christopher Pepusch and John Gay. It includes the score for the overture (for violins (2), viola, and bass ensemble) and the melodies of each song. The inscription, "Nos haec novimus esse nihil" (transl. as, We know these to be nothing) that appears on the t.p. is an epigram by Marcus Valerius Martialis from his Books of Epigrams. On the back of the t.p. appears the advertisement of these works printed by John Watts: Fifty one new fables in verse; The tunes to the songs in the Beggar's Opera, transposed for the flute; and Gay's opera "Achilles." A table of songs shows the first lines of text for each act. The item includes a list of characters.
The encore concerto for piano and orchestra
This is a holograph score of Don Gillis "The Encore Concerto for Piano and Orchestra." Gillis's dedicated this his first piano concerto to his friend Joseph Kahn. The entire score is in loose white onionskin pages and black ink. It is part of the UNT Music Library's Don Gillis Special Collection, which can be accessed at <http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/gillis/the-don-gillis-collection-1>. Page 96A is an alternative re-orchestrated version that replaces the essentially chordal accompaniment presented in p.96.
Esther, a sacred oratorio in score
This is a ca. 1794 score of "Esther," a sacred oratorio by Handel. According to the Grove Dictionary of Music, the English libretto of the oratorio was probably a collaborative work between John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope with additional words by Samuel Humphreys. The engraved frontispiece that precedes the t.p. bears the title "Apotheosis of Handel," and the inscription, "The portrait from an original picture of Hudson's in the possession of Dr. Arnold. Designed by Rebecca [Biagio]. Engraved by [James] Heath. Published the 26th of May 1787, being the anniversary of the commemoration of Handel." A table of contents appears on p. 185 with incipits of first lines of text of recitatives and aria. The performance medium includes: oboes (2), flute, bassoon (2), trumpet, strings (violins, viola, violoncello, and bass), harp, soloists (S) and mixed chorus (SATB), and basso continuo. The choral number that appears in the appendix on p.183, contains a note, "This chorus comes in page 122."
Esther, a sacred oratorio in score
This is a bound copy of a ca. 1794 score of "Esther," a sacred oratorio by Handel. The cover contains the inscription, "The works of Handel, edited by Dr. Arnold." It does not include the frontispiece preceding the t.p. According to the Grove Dictionary of Music, the English libretto of the oratorio was probably a collaborative work between John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope with additional words by Samuel Humphreys. A table of contents appears on p. 185 with incipits of first lines of text of recitatives and aria. The performance medium includes: oboes (2), flute, bassoon (2), trumpet, strings (violins, viola, violoncello, and bass), harp, soloists (S) and mixed chorus (SATB), and basso continuo. The choral number that appears in the appendix on p.183, contains a note, "This chorus comes in page 122."
Giulio Cesare : opera in tre atti
This is a [ca. 1743] score of "Giulio Cesare," an Italian opera seria in three acts by Handel. The performance forces include: flute, oboe, horns (in A and D), strings (violin, viola, violoncello, bass), continuo (theorbo and viola da gamba), harp, chorus of mixed voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), and soloist singers. A list of solo arias and duets of each act appears on p.170 followed by a list containing the names of the subscribers on pp.[171-172]. Two mythological figures [possibly, the god Apollo and the Muse Erato] and musical instruments signed by the London engraver [John] Strongitharm of Pall Mall appear on the title page. The name of each character appear at the top of p.3 with the names of the actual performers inscribed with pencil. The names of the casting coincide with those listed in the Oxford Dictionary of Music (online, 2009): "the castratos Senesino, Gaetano Berenstadt and Giuseppe Bigonzi (Caesar, Ptolemy and Nirenus), Francesca Cuzzoni (Cleopatra), Margherita Durastanti (Sextus), Anastasia Robinson (Cornelia), Giuseppe Boschi (Achillas) and John Lagarde or Laguerre (Curius)."
Handel's Songs, Selected From His Oratorios: Volume 2
This is the second of a five-volume anthology featuring 160 arias and songs from various oratorios by G. F. Handel. The vocal score contains musical selections arranged for 1-2 voices with unrealized figured bass intended for harpsichord (continuo), oboe, or flute accompaniment. The English text is printed between the treble and bass, or alto staves. A publisher's note in the t.p. announced the availability of instrumental parts are available separately for concerts. The table of content that follows after the t.p. indicates the titles of the oratorio from which the arias and songs were taken. The songs are numbered continuously from 81-160 paginated from 172-332.
Handel's Songs, Selected From His Oratorios: Volume 3
This is the third volume of a five-volume anthology featuring arias and songs from various oratorios by G. F. Handel. The vocal score contains musical selections arranged for 1-2 voices with unrealized figured bass intended for harpsichord (continuo), oboe, or flute accompaniment. The English text is printed between the treble and bass, or alto staves. A publisher's note on the t.p. announced the availability of instrumental parts sold separately. The table of content indicates the oratorio from which the arias and songs were taken. The songs are numbered continuously from 161-240 paginated from 334-498.
Love in a Village: a Comic Opera As it is Performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden. For the Harpsicord, Voice, German Flute, or Violin.
Vocal score for Love in a Village is broken into four labeled sections ('books'), each of which has a separate title page, and includes the music from the comic opera which has figured bass. Some of the music includes underlaid lyrics and the names of the persons who performed the pieces. Table of contents for the entire work is on page [1].
Nouvelles parodies bachiques, mélées de vaudevilles ou ronde de table
This a copy of vol. 2 of an anthology of French songs compiled by Christophe Ballad, music publisher of King Louis XIV. The work consists mainly of unaccompanied melodies with underlaid text for selected acts of the following tragedies: Proserpine (pp. 1-19); Le triomphe de l'amour (pp. 20-60); Persée (pp. 61-81); Phaeton (pp. 62-94); Amadis (pp. 95-125); Roland (pp. 126-155); Armide (pp. 169-176); Acis et Galatée (pp. 177-192). It contains also melodies for "Ballet du temple de la Paix" (pp. 156-168), and Vaudevilles on rondes de table (pp. 193-264). Two previous editions, compiled by Monsieur Ribon, published under title: Parodies bachiques. Cf. RISM, v. B I, 1 1695(4) and 1696(1), present ed. listed as 1700(3).
Le mariage d'Antonio. Divertissement en un acte et en prose
Lucile Grétry’s opera Le mariage d’Antonio premiered in Paris when she was a mere fourteen years old. As the second daughter of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, she was afforded lessons at a young age in counterpoint and declamation. Her father supplied the orchestral parts for her comédie mêlée d’ariettes after Lucile had composed the vocal, bass, and harp parts. Although Le mariage d’Antonio was a modest success, Lucile’s second endeavor, a divertissement mêlée d’ariettes entitled Toinette et Louis (1787), did not receive the same positive attention. The young composer died from tuberculosis before she could establish herself further at the Comédie-Italienne.
Thetis et Pelée; tragédie en musique
Pascal Collasse was one of the few opera composers able to secure successful performances in the years following Lully’s death. Collasse then went on to supply the music for the entire opera, Thétis et Pélée, which was premiered at the Paris Opéra on 11 January 1689. Thétis remained popular throughout Collasse’s lifetime, in spite of its rather weak plot. Owing to its success is primarily the music, including a significant storm scene in Act II. This departure from the Lullian tradition is perhaps Collasse’s most significant contribution to the tradition of French opera.
Le devin du village
As with many French operas, Rousseau’s Le devin du village was first staged for the court, appearing at Fountainebleau on 18 October 1752. The work was then performed at the Paris Opéra on 1 March 1753. The historical importance of this short intermè is closely tied to its role in the famous Querelle de bouffons, a debate about the merits of French serious opera in comparison to Italian comic opera (especially Pergolesi’s La serva padrona).
Misterioso Infernale: Violin 1 Part
First (1st) violin part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For uncanny situations."
Misterioso Infernale: Violin 2 Part
Second (2nd) violin part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For uncanny situations."
Passionato: Timpani Part
Timpani part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Pathetic Melody: Bass Part
Bass part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Gruesome Misterioso: Bassoon Part
Bassoon part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For Infernal or Witch Scenes."
Jollifications: Harmonium Part
Harmonium part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For inn, bar, and all scenes of gaiety."
Conversational: Bassoon Part
Bassoon part for music intended to accompany a silent film, for "Drawing room, or quiet neutral scenes."
A Pathetic Story: Flute Part
Flute part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Indian Misterioso: Oboe Part
Oboe part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For General Use."
Bayadere: Clarinet 1 in B♭ Part
First (1st) clarinet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Hurry: Clarinet 2 in B♭ Part
Second (2nd) clarinet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For pursuit and races."
Light Agitato: Cornet 2 in B♭ Part
Second (2nd) coronet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For scenes of excitement, anxiety, unrest, fear and impending danger."
Hurry: Piano Part
Piano part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For pursuit and races."
Love Song Orientale Number 59: Violin 1 Part
First (1st) violin part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Passionato: Flute Part
Flute part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Hurry: Cornets in B♭ Part
Cornet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For pursuit and races."
Pathetic Melody: Violin 2 Part
Second (2nd) violin part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Love Song Orientale Number 59: Bass Part
Bass part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Beware: Oboe Part
Oboe part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Pathetic Melody: Cornet 1 in B♭ Part
First (1st) coronet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Enigma: Clarinet 2 in B♭ Part
Second (2nd) clarinet in B♭ part for music intended to accompany a silent film, for "Stealthy, mysterious" scenes.
Beware: Horns in F Part
Horn in F part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Misterioso Agitato: Bassoon Part
Bassoon part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Enigma: Timpani Part
Timpani part for music intended to accompany a silent film, for "Stealthy, mysterious" scenes.
A Pathetic Story: Cello Part
Cello part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Creepy: Bass Part
Bass part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Prologue: Altos Part
Viola part for music intended to accompany a silent film.
Gruesome Misterioso: Cello Part
Cello part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For Infernal or Witch Scenes."
Dramatic Tension Number 9: Oboe Part
Oboe part for music intended to accompany a silent film, "For Subdued Action."
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