Monteverdi, Claudio: L'Orfeo
Favola in musica in a prologue and five acts
score
Monteverdi&rsquo,s opera 'L&rsquo,Orfeo ', based on the legend of Thracian singer Orpheus and his love of Eurydice, is a masterpiece of musical declamation and ornamentation. It was first performed during the 1607carnevale in the 'Palazzo Ducale ' in Mantua.
When an edition remains true to its sources, this certainly does not mean that it is not also practical to use, as is demonstrated in this Bä,renreiteredition of Monteverdi&rsquo,s'L&rsquo,Orfeo '. Edited by Rinaldo Alessandrini, the new publication follows the Bä,renreiter edition of Monteverdi&rsquo,s'Il ritorno d&rsquo,Ulisse inpatria '.
Two contemporary prints of 'L&rsquo,Orfeo ' from the years 1609 and 1615 have been passed down to us. Four copies of each of these prints still survive today in public libraries. The laterprint includes many corrections to the earlier edition and was accordingly used as the primary source for this Bä,renreiter edition. However, when solving musical problems the ed itor frequently follows the more coherent styleof the earlier print. The numerous interesting variants, not only between the two editions but also amongst the eight surviving copies, are listed in the critical commentary.
This edition of 'L&rsquo,Orfeo 'offers in addition to Monteverdi&rsquo,s somewhat sparse original figures also figures added to the bass line by the editor. The continuo player should, however, feel free to follow his own judgment. The notation has been, whennecessary, adgard to the clefs. The sections that were originally written in 'chiavetta ' have been transposed a fifth lower. In the appendix these sections also appearin their original notation in facsimile as well as transposed a fourth lower.
Detailed inll as transposed a fourth lower.
Detailed introduction by the editor (Ital/Eng/Ger) on the work&rsquo,s genesis and performance practice
Comprehensive criticalcommentary (Eng) in the score
Idiomatic piano reduction
In the autumn of 1923, a young man produced the first music editions of his newly founded publishing house in his parents’ living room. He named his company Bärenreiter. In the spring of 1924 when Karl Vötterle came of age, he was able to register it with the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. At first, he mainly put out folk song collections, church as well as organ music including early music by Leonhard Lechner and Heinrich Schütz, at the time primarily known in specialist circles.
During the last months of the Second World War, the publishing house in Kassel was destroyed and once more a fresh beginning had to be made. With the start of the extensive German music encyclopaedia MGG – "Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart" – as well as numerous series of scholarly-critical complete editions such as the “New Mozart Edition” and the “New Bach Edition”, the visionary founder of the publisher created the basis for the further development of Bärenreiter. The musicological editions increasingly aroused interest abroad, and Bärenreiter found itself on an expansion course.
When Karl Votterle died in 1975, his daughter Barbara took over the helm, supported by her husband Leonhard Scheuch. Under their leadership, the catalogue grew significantly and the brand BÄRENREITER URTEXT was established. Finally, in 2003, their son Clemens Scheuch joined the publisher which today he is managing together with his parents. Thus Bärenreiter has remained a family business to this day and has become a company of international standing in the world of classical music.
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