Grand Opera With Less Hassle
The conductor Sabine Layer is enthusiastic about the choral collection “Great Opera Choruses”.
Carus-Verlag’s catalog includes three volumes of Great Opera Choruses which offer a wonderful opportunity for exploring the world of opera! An experienced one-person orchestra at the piano, ideally three soloists, plus an enthusiastic choir – you don’t need more than that!
The volumes contain a great variety of choruses by Mozart and Haydn, Wagner and Verdi, including of course catchy numbers such as “O Isis und Osiris” and “Va pensiero”. Brief introductory descriptions of the scenes are helpful for placing each chorus in its operatic context, and contribute to its understanding.
How does an opera chorus perform?
From memory of course! And for oratorio choirs, this experience alone can be an amazing one with the right preparation. An oratorio is in fact almost an opera, but without the staged element – think of the turba choruses from Bach’s St John Passion, or the drama of the choruses in Elijah. This wealth of experience can be turned to advantage, and with staged elements, just a few props, and short introductions, it is possible to devise a moving evening of operatic excerpts where the chorus is transformed into knights and ladies, janissaries, shadows of the underworld, or prisoners. Add some soloists to this line-up to contribute some suitable arias and duets, and you can introduce the great operatic emotions of love, hatred, envy and jealousy to the stage! I would recommend a bold mixture of different styles, provided the contents relate to each other. This will result in an exciting mix which is guaranteed to go down well with audiences.
Sabine Layer is much in demand as a conductor and song accompanist. She has taught for several years at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts Stuttgart, and regularly works for the Internationale Bach-Akademie Stuttgart.
Program suggestion:
- R. Wagner: Freudig begrüßen wir die edle Halle (Great Opera Choruses – Richard Wagner, Carus 2.651/00, No. 5)
- W. A. Mozart: Placido é il mar (Great Opera Choruses – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Carus 2.653/00, No. 3)
– Arie W. A. Mozart: Hai gia vinta la causa
– Arie W. A. Mozart: Der Hölle Rache - Haydn: Infelici ombre dolenti (Great Opera Choruses – W. A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn, No. 19)
– Arie Ch. W. Gluck: Che faró senza Euridice - Puccini: Humming chorus from „Madame Butterfly“
– Duett L. Delibes: Flower duet from „Lakmé“ - Verdi: A te, ciel natio (Great Opera Choruses – Giuseppe Verdi, Carus 2.652/00, No. 8)
- Verdi: Rataplan (Great Opera Choruses – G.Verdi, No. 9)
——————————- Interval ———————————-
- Great Opera Choruses – Giuseppe Verdi (choir & piano)
Carus 2.652/00
It is very welcome that not only the inevitable “classics” like the prisoner’s choir from “Nabucco” or “Gloria all ‘Egitto” from “Aida” are represented, but also really great choral scenes from Verdi’s relatively early operas […].
Chor aktuell
- R. Wagner/C. Gottwald: Allmächtger Vater, blick herab (Great Opera Choruses – R. Wagner, No. 4)
– Arie R. Wagner: O du mein holder Abendstern - W.A. Mozart: Fuor di queste urne dolenti (Great Opera Choruses – W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, No. 2)
– Arie Ch. Gounod: Faites lui mes aveux
– Arie G. Donizetti: Regnava nel silenzio - W.A. Mozart: O Isis und Osiris (Great Opera Choruses – W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, No. 8)
– Arie W. A. Mozart: Voi che sapete - W. A. Mozart: Singt dem großen Bassa Lieder (Great Opera Choruses – W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, No. 4)
– Duett W. A. Mozart: Là ci darem la mano - W. A. Mozart: Bassa Selim lebe lange (Great Opera Choruses – W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, No. 5)
- G. Verdi: Va pensiero / Prisoners’ chorus (Great Opera Choruses – G. Verdi, No. 1)
- Great Opera Choruses – Richard Wagner (choir & piano)
Carus 2.651/00
In the newly published choir book with a total of eight selected pieces, Johannes Knecht, who as the choir director of the Stuttgart Opera is a connoisseur of the matter, has only selected those choirs that also can be used as separate numbers in a concert program and performed with the piano.
Neue Chorzeit
Giuseppe Verdi (choir & piano)
In addition to the well known and much beloved choruses from Nabucco, Trovatore or Othello Verdi composed many other wonderful choruses, as is shown by our collection Great Opera Choruses – Giuseppe Verdi. 12 of these choruses were selected for this edition by Johannes Knecht.
Giuseppe Verdi (choir & piano) (editionchor)
His selection offers works suitable for every ensemble. As a supplement to the “Choir and Piano” edition we are also publishing a choral score (editionchor)
Richard Wagner (choir & piano)
In addition to the choral highlights “The entry of the guests” and the “Pilgrims’ Chorus” from Tannhäuser, and the “Bridal Chorus” from Lohengrin, the collection Great Opera Choruses – Richard Wagner presents four choruses from two early, lesser known operas, Die Feen and Rienzi.
Richard Wagner (choir & piano) (editionchor)
W. A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn (choir & piano)
W. A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn (choir & piano) (editionchor)
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