SKU: A0.792792

The Girl of the Golden West is an opera by Giacomo Puccini premiered in 1910 at the Metropolitan Opera (conducted by Arturo Toscanini), based on the 1905 play of the same name by American author David Belasco. It is a work of great craftsmanship, deemed by the composer to be one of his greatest works. Toscanini called it a great symphonic poem. Another little tidbit....it is the first world premiere ever to be commissioned and presented by the Metropolitan Opera.

The three arias:

1. Minnie, Dalla mia casa son Partito, 2. Chella Mi Creda, 3. E anche to lo vorrai, Joe

are beautifully arranged by Christopher Espy in a perfect register for the Trombone and will allow the performers to show off their expressive artistry.

SKU: A0.549391

Duration: 4:55, Score: 6 pages, Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 2 pages. A very famous aria (Ombra mai fu) from Xerxes
Suitable for any venue requiring meditative music. Excellent choice for a recital encore.

Xerxes

Xerxes is, in fact, an opera seria in three acts by Handel. Moreover, Handel conducted the premiere performance in London in 1738. Handel casts the opera in Persia in 470 BC. The part of Xerxes was indeed originally sung by a soprano castrato. Nowadays, the part is generally sung by a mezzo-soprano or conversely a counter-tenor. In the first place, Xerxes sings an opening aria, Ombra mai fu to a plane tree. Handel sets this aria to one of his most truly famous melodies. Although many refer to it traditionally as Handel’s Largo, Handel has, on the contrary, clearly marked Larghetto in the score.

Handel Background

George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) was born in Germany but eventually became a British citizen. Nonetheless, he was a famous Baroque composer. In fact, he became famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel studied music and, by and large, worked as a composer in Germany and Italy before moving to London. Overall, Handel was very familiar with the contemporary music of Italy and Germany.

Career in England

It is important to realize that Italian opera was all the rage in England at the time. Moreover, Handel was really good at writing them. Therefore, he started not one but three opera companies in England. Alexander's Feast was a huge success in 1736, but Handel nevertheless began composing English choral works. After success with the Messiah in 1742) he certainly never again wrote an Italian opera. Consequently, he died in 1759, a treasured genius. Accordingly, the English government gave him full state honors at his funeral. Hence, he is buried in Westminster Abbey in London.

Legacy

Music historians agree that Handel was one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era.  To demonstrate, his works such as the Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks remain consistently popular up to the present time. He composed the coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest for the coronation of George II. Nevertheless, it has specifically been performed at every succeeding British coronation since. His oratorio Solomon has by all means also continued to be prevalent. As a matter of fact, Sinfonia from act 3 was featured in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Handel was particularly prolific. To enumerate, he wrote over forty operas.  Since the late 1960s, we have expressly experienced a revival of baroque music. Similarly, we have seen a pique of interest in historically informed musical performances. Since his death in 1779, interest in Handel's music has all in all, expanded.

 

SKU: A0.1111191

Gada Meiren Theme and Variation Fantasy is the most well-known trombone composition in China. It was originally written for solo trombone and orchestra (unpublished) by Chinese composer You Dao Ma (1915-2010). The composer adapted the Inner Mongolian folk song Gada Meiren, also the name of the Inner Mongolian hero. The trombone and piano version of this piece was first published in China in 1959. Gada Meiren Theme and Variation Fantasy is a single movement work that depicts a story with four distinct parts. Part one: The repressed emotions of the Inner Mongolian people under the ruler. Gada Meiren led his people to fight against the ruler to protect their home and land. Part two: Gada Meiren's nostalgia for his homeland and people when fighting away from home. Part three: Gada Meiren's death in the battle. People mourned their hero with great sadness. Epilogue: People's remembrance and praise for their hero Gada Meiren, carrying his spirit moving forward. Taken from the 1959 version, this new edition of Gada Meiren Theme and Variation Fantasy for solo Trombone and Piano has fixed notation errors, added dynamics, articulations, tempo (bpm) markings, rearranged the piano score and solo part. All original Chinese terms in scores are translated into western standard musical terms. The solo is about 9.5 minutes in length and appropriate for advanced performers.