2011
Bizet
Critical Editions
BIZET CRITICAL EDITIONS
“Let us have fantasy, boldness, unexpectedness, enchantment - above all, tenderness, morbidezza!” Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
BIZET CRITICAL EDITIONS
Bizet Critical Editions - An Introduction The operas of Georges Bizet were famously unsuccessful in the composer’s lifetime; it was only after his premature death at the age of 36 that Carmen and Les Pêcheurs de perles would become standards of the operatic repertoire around the world. In the period between obscurity and ubiquity the works endured many changes by publishers and impresarios keen to make them fit the expectations and tastes of a rapidly changing audience, some artistically justified, some not. What is indisputable is that the resulting works were radically different from those envisioned and created by Bizet. Now the Edition Peters Group, internationally recognised for its excellence in scholarly editions, is proud to present editions which finally address the problematic editorial history of these works, crafting the best possible operas from the best possible sources. Created with performers as well as audiences in mind, they are a dramatic improvement on the materials currently used by many opera houses. They have already enjoyed critical success with major companies around the world, and are sure to become the standard choice for many more in years to come. The Bizet Critical Editions are available throughout the world exclusively from the Edition Peters Group and its agents. Please go to www.editionpeters.com for further information or email rentals.uk@editionpeters.com to order perusal scores.
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CARMEN
Carmen Edited by Richard Langham-Smith
Richard Langham-Smith’s approach to editing Carmen is unique: he actively sought out a source which best served the piece as a performing edition, one which had been honed during rehearsals and runs by the composer and a few later performers to produce the best possible opera. The careful balance he strikes between faithfulness to Bizet’s authorship, and an awareness of the dramatic and musical needs of the opera as a performance piece, makes this a valuable edition for performers, students and listeners alike. ‘My primary job in preparing an edition...was to produce a clean, clear text for the musicians to use, based on the Opéra-Comique version. It soon became apparent that the main problem was to decide which Opéra-Comique version to use, for there were many. Recent criteria for editing have leaned heavily on what is often referred to as ‘composer-intentions’. There is one surviving score mostly in Bizet’s hand, but to have followed this slavishly would have led me down a false trail, and quite possibly not have represented Bizet’s intentions anyway. After all, he surely had one main intention: to make the opera a success.’ Richard Langham Smith ‘If I’ve waited until 2009 to conduct this piece it’s because I was waiting for a solid, reliable edition. There have been three recent editions of Carmen. I chose Richard Langham Smith’s edition, published by Peters, because it restores Bizet’s own text objectively while at the same time usefully taking account of the staged aspects of the piece. This editorial work is the fruit of real reflection on the interaction between musical composition and the nineteenth-century development of a spectacle at the OpéraComique.’ Sir John Eliot Gardiner ‘Marc Minkowski chose a consummate version, the edition by Richard Langham-Smith enriching some all too familiar measures.’ Les echos Performance Highlights 2006 2007 2009 2010 2
Musiciens de Louvre Théâtre du Châtelet Opéra-Comique Teatro La Fenice
CARMEN
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Les Pêcheurs de perles
Les Pêcheurs de perles Edited by Brad Cohen
Brad Cohen’s edition of Les Pêcheurs de perles illustrates perfectly the value of Urtext editions in establishing the closest link possible to the original intentions of the composer. His reconstruction of the orchestration, as well as the overall structure of the work, allows performers, conductors and directors to come closer to the opera’s authentic roots than any other source available. With past and future performances in world famous venues, many houses are already realising the benefits this insight can bring. ‘This edition represents a complete reconstruction of Bizet’s intentions for Les Pêcheurs de perles, as indicated in the vocal score he prepared for publication by Choudens. Bizet’s autograph full score is presumed lost. The first printed full score, published by Choudens after Bizet’s death, tacitly re-orchestrated, replaced and omitted sections of the opera, in addition to introducing a number of errors into the text. This full score diverges in many details from the set of orchestral parts which accompany it. An attempt to return to Bizet’s original intentions was made in 1975, when Arthur Hammond re-orchestrated sections present in Bizet’s vocal score but missing from the Choudens full score. These re-orchestrations, however, were apparently made without reference to the principal contemporary autograph source, a conducting score made for the first performances in 1863. For all of these reasons, it seemed desirable to begin again in creating a critical edition.’ Brad Cohen ‘The old version issued by Choudens has been replaced by Brad Cohen with one that comes much nearer to what Bizet wrote. In particular, the famous flute and harp theme’s inauthentic, inappropriately fulsome reprise has gone, and the score and the drama are the better for its absence.’ The Times
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Les Pêcheurs de perles
‘In Les Pêcheurs de perles, Bizet’s daring, verve and passionate dramatic instinct come through strongly. The principal characters have not only fine arias and magnificent ensembles to sing; Bizet also gives them music rich in atmosphere, delicacy and intimacy. Les Pêcheurs de perles pleases the casual listener with marvellous melodies, the connoisseur with harmonic and formal sophistication, and the opera-goer with scenes of the highest drama.’ Brad Cohen Performance Highlights 2004 2005 2007 2010 2010 2010
Opéra de Baugé New York City Opera Opera Boston English National Opera Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Zürich Opernhaus
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