Bassoon,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1311222 Composed by G F Handel. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Baroque,Historic,Instructional,Opera. Score and part. 8 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #900214. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1311222). This piece is probably Handel’s best-known melody, although it began life as an operatic aria. The opera was called Xerxes, sometimes written Serses and pronounced something like “ZERT-sees�. It was commissioned by The King’s Theatre in London and composed by Handel (who had become naturalized British and lived in London at the time) around 1737 and 1738. The opera is loosely based on the real historical figure King Xerxes, who ruled from around 522-486 BC and was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire, a vast region that covered most of the present-day Middle East including modern Turkey.  The melody is often known simply as Handel’s Largo (despite being marked “Larghetto� in the musical score) and is the opening aria in the opera. Known by its opening line Ombra mai fu the aria is sung by Xerxes to a plane tree: “Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved plane tree, let fate smile upon you...�Although the melody has survived over the years, the opera itself was a complete failure when it was first performed at the King’s Theatre in London’s Haymarket in 1738. The style of the opera was not appreciated by London opera-goers and it generally received poor reviews. The audience may have been confused by the innovative nature of the work because Handel introduced unexpected comic elements into the plot.This arrangement for bassoon is in E flat major. In the solo part, the lowest note is the B flat on the second line of the bass clef and the highest note is the E flat just above the bass staff. The piano part has been kept as simple as possible. Being so well-known, this piece would make a suitable encore.  

Recorder Solo,Soprano Recorder - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1311260 Composed by G F Handel. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Baroque,Historic,Instructional,Opera. Individual part. 6 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #900258. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1311260). This piece is probably Handel’s best-known melody, although it began life as an operatic aria. The opera was called Xerxes, sometimes written Serses and pronounced something like “ZERT-sees�. It was commissioned by The King’s Theatre in London and composed by Handel (who had become naturalized British and lived in London at the time) around 1737 and 1738. The opera is loosely based on the real historical figure King Xerxes, who ruled from around 522-486 BC and was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire, a vast region that covered most of the present-day Middle East including modern Turkey.  The melody is often known simply as Handel’s Largo (despite being marked “Larghetto� in the musical score) and is the opening aria in the opera. Known by its opening line Ombra mai fu the aria is sung by Xerxes to a plane tree: “Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved plane tree, let fate smile upon you...�Although the melody has survived over the years, the opera itself was a complete failure when it was first performed at the King’s Theatre in London’s Haymarket in 1738. The style of the opera was not appreciated by London opera-goers and it generally received poor reviews. The audience may have been confused by the innovative nature of the work because Handel introduced unexpected comic elements into the plot.This arrangement for soprano (descant) recorder(s) and piano is in G major and uses the lower and middle register of the instrument.  It could be used with any number of descant recorders. The lowest note is the D just below the treble staff and the highest note is the G just above the top line. The piano part has been kept as simple as possible.  

French Horn,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1311533 Composed by G F Handel. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Baroque,Historic,Instructional,Opera. Score and part. 6 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #900540. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1311533). This piece is probably Handel’s best-known melody, although it began life as an operatic aria. The opera was called Xerxes, sometimes written Serses and pronounced something like “ZERT-sees�. It was commissioned by The King’s Theatre in London and composed by Handel (who had become naturalized British and lived in London at the time) around 1737 and 1738. The opera is loosely based on the real historical figure King Xerxes, who ruled from around 522-486 BC and was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire, a vast region that covered most of the present-day Middle East including modern Turkey.  The melody is often known simply as Handel’s Largo (despite being marked “Larghetto� in the musical score) and is the opening aria in the opera. Known by its opening line Ombra mai fu the aria is sung by Xerxes to a plane tree: “Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved plane tree, let fate smile upon you...�Although the melody has survived over the years, the opera itself was a complete failure when it was first performed at the King’s Theatre in London’s Haymarket in 1738. The style of the opera was not appreciated by London opera-goers and it generally received poor reviews. The audience may have been confused by the innovative nature of the work because Handel introduced unexpected comic elements into the plot.This arrangement for Horn in F (French horn) and piano is in B flat major. The lowest note in the horn part is the C just below the treble staff and the highest note is the F on the top line. The piano part has been kept as simple as possible.  

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1313805 Composed by G F Handel. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Baroque,Historic,Instructional,Opera. Score and part. 6 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #902523. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1313805). This piece is probably Handel’s best-known melody, although it began life as an operatic aria. The opera was called Xerxes, sometimes written Serses and pronounced something like “ZERT-sees�. It was commissioned by The King’s Theatre in London and composed by Handel (who had become naturalized British and lived in London at the time) around 1737 and 1738. The opera is loosely based on the real historical figure King Xerxes, who ruled from around 522-486 BC and was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire, a vast region that covered most of the present-day Middle East including modern Turkey.  The melody is often known simply as Handel’s Largo (despite being marked “Larghetto� in the musical score) and is the opening aria in the opera. Known by its opening line Ombra mai fu the aria is sung by Xerxes to a plane tree: “Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved plane tree, let fate smile upon you...�Although the melody has survived over the years, the opera itself was a complete failure when it was first performed at the King’s Theatre in London’s Haymarket in 1738. The style of the opera was not appreciated by London opera-goers and it generally received poor reviews. The audience may have been confused by the innovative nature of the work because Handel introduced unexpected comic elements into the plot.This arrangement for clarinet in B flat and piano is in E flat major. The lowest note in the clarinet part is written C just below the treble staff and the highest note is written F on the top line. The piano part has been kept as simple as possible.

B-Flat instrument,B-Flat trombone,Baritone Horn TC/Euphonium,C Instrument,Instrumental Solo,Piano,Tenor Trombone,Trombone/Baritone B.C. - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1320503 Composed by Pietro Mascagni. Arranged by Rob Bushnell. Classical,Easter,Film/TV,Opera,Romantic Period. Score and individual part. 9 pages. RBMusic #909019. Published by RBMusic (A0.1320503). In 1889, a struggling composer called Pietro Mascagni heard about a sponsored competition for one-act operas, specifically for young Italian composers who had not yet had an opera performed, only two months before the deadline. With little time, he selected the subject for his opera and asked his childhood friend, Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (who was helped by Guido Menasci), to write a libretto for him. Mascagni selected a story that he had seen as a play in Milan in early 1884 by realist writer Giovanni Verga, “Rustic Chivalry�, or Cavalleria rusticana. A passionate love tragedy featuring seduction, adultery, revenge and murder, it is surprising set on Easter morning.Mascagni received only a few verses at a time from his librettists, but he was not worried because he had the opera clear in his mind: “I identified with the drama to such an extent that I felt it within myself in terms of music.� After two months’ of work, the music for Cavalleria rusticana was finished but he feared the opera would fail and put the music in a draw. Fortunately, his wife sent it off, he unanimously won the competition and was soon the talk of Europe. (At the premiere in May 1890 in Rome, Mascagni received no fewer than 60 curtain calls.) Unfortunately, it was a one-hit wonder with Mascagni unable to repeat its success, saying towards the end of his life that “it is a pity I wrote Cavalleria first for I was crowned before I became king.� He died, penniless, in 1945.Today, few people have heard of Mascagni’s name, and, if they have, it is rarely in relation to anything but one piece from Cavalleria rusticana, the Intermezzo. A short piece of purely orchestral music that is uses to denote the passage of time, the orchestration is very simple but it is such an indulgently beautiful melody (based on a hymn heard earlier in the short opera) that perfectly captures the peace of country living in Sicily against the intense feelings of the main characters and the looming tragedy to come.The piece is so popular that (along with the “Easter Hymn� from the same opera), it is the only reason Mascagni features in the Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.The piece was used in the 1980 film Raging Bull and the 1990 film The Godfather Part III.This arrangement (for solo trombone or euphonium and piano accompaniment) includes an alternative part for trombone/euphonium in treble clef. A recording of the original song can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgr-I1y1_2M.Other searchable terms: Italy, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola.

Piano,Violin - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1315952 Composed by Pietro Mascagni. Arranged by Rob Bushnell. Classical,Easter,Film/TV,Opera,Romantic Period. 8 pages. RBMusic #904730. Published by RBMusic (A0.1315952). In 1889, a struggling composer called Pietro Mascagni heard about a sponsored competition for one-act operas, specifically for young Italian composers who had not yet had an opera performed, only two months before the deadline. With little time, he selected the subject for his opera and asked his childhood friend, Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (who was helped by Guido Menasci), to write a libretto for him. Mascagni selected a story that he had seen as a play in Milan in early 1884 by realist writer Giovanni Verga, “Rustic Chivalry�, or Cavalleria rusticana. A passionate love tragedy featuring seduction, adultery, revenge and murder, it is surprising set on Easter morning.Mascagni received only a few verses at a time from his librettists, but he was not worried because he had the opera clear in his mind: “I identified with the drama to such an extent that I felt it within myself in terms of music.� After two months’ of work, the music for Cavalleria rusticana was finished but he feared the opera would fail and put the music in a draw. Fortunately, his wife sent it off, he unanimously won the competition and was soon the talk of Europe. (At the premiere in May 1890 in Rome, Mascagni received no fewer than 60 curtain calls.) Unfortunately, it was a one-hit wonder with Mascagni unable to repeat its success, saying towards the end of his life that “it is a pity I wrote Cavalleria first for I was crowned before I became king.� He died, penniless, in 1945.Today, few people have heard of Mascagni’s name, and, if they have, it is rarely in relation to anything but one piece from Cavalleria rusticana, the Intermezzo. A short piece of purely orchestral music that is uses to denote the passage of time, the orchestration is very simple but it is such an indulgently beautiful melody (based on a hymn heard earlier in the short opera) that perfectly captures the peace of country living in Sicily against the intense feelings of the main characters and the looming tragedy to come.The piece is so popular that (along with the “Easter Hymn� from the same opera), it is the only reason Mascagni features in the Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.The piece was used in the 1980 film Raging Bull and the 1990 film The Godfather Part III.A recording of the original song can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgr-I1y1_2M.Other searchable terms: Italy, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola.

Clarinet Quartet,Woodwind Ensemble Bass Clarinet,E-Flat Clarinet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1325229 Composed by Pietro Mascagni. Arranged by Rob Bushnell. Classical,Easter,Film/TV,Opera,Romantic Period. 15 pages. RBMusic #913462. Published by RBMusic (A0.1325229). In 1889, a struggling composer called Pietro Mascagni heard about a sponsored competition for one-act operas, specifically for young Italian composers who had not yet had an opera performed, only two months before the deadline. With little time, he selected the subject for his opera and asked his childhood friend, Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (who was helped by Guido Menasci), to write a libretto for him. Mascagni selected a story that he had seen as a play in Milan in early 1884 by realist writer Giovanni Verga, “Rustic Chivalry�, or Cavalleria rusticana. A passionate love tragedy featuring seduction, adultery, revenge and murder, it is surprising set on Easter morning.Mascagni received only a few verses at a time from his librettists, but he was not worried because he had the opera clear in his mind: “I identified with the drama to such an extent that I felt it within myself in terms of music.� After two months’ of work, the music for Cavalleria rusticana was finished but he feared the opera would fail and put the music in a draw. Fortunately, his wife sent it off, he unanimously won the competition and was soon the talk of Europe. (At the premiere in May 1890 in Rome, Mascagni received no fewer than 60 curtain calls.) Unfortunately, it was a one-hit wonder with Mascagni unable to repeat its success, saying towards the end of his life that “it is a pity I wrote Cavalleria first for I was crowned before I became king.� He died, penniless, in 1945.Today, few people have heard of Mascagni’s name, and, if they have, it is rarely in relation to anything but one piece from Cavalleria rusticana, the Intermezzo. A short piece of purely orchestral music that is uses to denote the passage of time, the orchestration is very simple but it is such an indulgently beautiful melody (based on a hymn heard earlier in the short opera) that perfectly captures the peace of country living in Sicily against the intense feelings of the main characters and the looming tragedy to come.The piece is so popular that (along with the “Easter Hymn� from the same opera), it is the only reason Mascagni features in the Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.The piece was used in the 1980 film Raging Bull and the 1990 film The Godfather Part III.This arrangement includes alternative parts for clarinet in E-flat and alto clarinet in E-flat. A recording of the original song can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgr-I1y1_2M.Other searchable terms: Italy, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola.

Brass Quintet Baritone Horn TC,Bass Trombone,Cornet,Euphonium,Flugelhorn,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1321540 Composed by Pietro Mascagni. Arranged by Rob Bushnell. Classical,Easter,Film/TV,Opera,Romantic Period. 18 pages. RBMusic #910007. Published by RBMusic (A0.1321540). In 1889, a struggling composer called Pietro Mascagni heard about a sponsored competition for one-act operas, specifically for young Italian composers who had not yet had an opera performed, only two months before the deadline. With little time, he selected the subject for his opera and asked his childhood friend, Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (who was helped by Guido Menasci), to write a libretto for him. Mascagni selected a story that he had seen as a play in Milan in early 1884 by realist writer Giovanni Verga, “Rustic Chivalry�, or Cavalleria rusticana. A passionate love tragedy featuring seduction, adultery, revenge and murder, it is surprising set on Easter morning.Mascagni received only a few verses at a time from his librettists, but he was not worried because he had the opera clear in his mind: “I identified with the drama to such an extent that I felt it within myself in terms of music.� After two months’ of work, the music for Cavalleria rusticana was finished but he feared the opera would fail and put the music in a draw. Fortunately, his wife sent it off, he unanimously won the competition and was soon the talk of Europe. (At the premiere in May 1890 in Rome, Mascagni received no fewer than 60 curtain calls.) Unfortunately, it was a one-hit wonder with Mascagni unable to repeat its success, saying towards the end of his life that “it is a pity I wrote Cavalleria first for I was crowned before I became king.� He died, penniless, in 1945.Today, few people have heard of Mascagni’s name, and, if they have, it is rarely in relation to anything but one piece from Cavalleria rusticana, the Intermezzo. A short piece of purely orchestral music that is uses to denote the passage of time, the orchestration is very simple but it is such an indulgently beautiful melody (based on a hymn heard earlier in the short opera) that perfectly captures the peace of country living in Sicily against the intense feelings of the main characters and the looming tragedy to come.The piece is so popular that (along with the “Easter Hymn� from the same opera), it is the only reason Mascagni features in the Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.The piece was used in the 1980 film Raging Bull and the 1990 film The Godfather Part III.This arrangement includes alternative parts for tenor horn, treble-clef trombone/euphonium and tuba. A recording of the original song can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgr-I1y1_2M.Other searchable terms: Italy, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola.

Cello Duet Cello - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.552404 Composed by Leo Delibes (1836-1891). Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Holiday,Romantic Period,Standards,Wedding. Score. 7 pages. Jmsgu3 #6342545. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.552404). Duo of the Flowers from Lakme, Act I. A popular wedding selection.Leo Delibes (1836-1891) was a French composer of the Romantic period best known for his ballets and operas. He was a child prodigy and began composing music at the age of seven. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where he developed a mastery of the symphonic form and wrote several pieces for the orchestra. His works for the stage are among the most popular and beloved of the Romantic era, including the ballets Coppélia and Sylvia, and the opera Lakmé.Delibes was a pioneer in the use of orchestral color and instrumental effects to enhance the dramatic narrative of his works. His works are often praised for their lyricism, graceful melodies, and colorful orchestrations. His music is considered to be a bridge between the grandiose and romantic works of the French composers before him, such as Gounod and Berlioz, and the more intimate and melodic style of composers like Debussy and Ravel.Delibes’ influence can be heard in the works of later composers such as Stravinsky and Prokofiev, and his music continues to be performed and enjoyed today. His contributions to music history are significant, and his works remain beloved masterpieces of the Romantic era.Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé is an opera in three acts. It was first performed in 1883 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris. The libretto was written by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The story is set in British-occupied India and tells the story of a young Indian girl, Lakmé, who is in love with a British officer, Gerald. The story follows the couple's romantic journey, as well as the obstacles they face from Lakmé's father and the British military. The opera is best known for its beautiful score, which includes the famous aria The Flower Duet as well as the duet Lakmé! The Bell Song. The opera has been performed in opera houses all over the world and is considered one of Delibes' most popular works.The Duo des Fleurs, composed by French composer Léo Delibes, is a ballet pas de deux from the ballet Lakme, Act I. It is a beloved masterpiece of the Romantic period and is often performed as a standalone piece in many ballet performances. The piece is typically danced by two female ballet dancers and is known for its playful and lighthearted nature. The music consists of a melody that alternates between the two dancers and is often accompanied by a lighthearted waltz. The music has a strong sense of unity and connection between the two dancers, which is enhanced by the use of the same melody. The piece also features a beautiful soaring coda that gives it a sense of grandeur and beauty. The Duo des Fleurs is an exquisite piece of music and an enduring classic of the ballet repertoire.

Concert Band - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1145793 Composed by Giacomo Puccini. Arranged by Juan José Peláez Vilanova. 20th Century,Classical,Contest,Festival,Opera,Romantic Period. Score and parts. 43 pages. John Joseph #745992. Published by John Joseph (A0.1145793). Giacommo Puccini, represents the union of Italian and German opera traditions, greatly influenced by Verdi, of whom he is considered his successor, and also by Wagner, Bizet, and Debussy. The main feature of his style was the eclecticism, the incorporation and assimilation of various languages and resources in his profession. Many of the musical concepts, as well as the connection between music and the stage, were the harbinger of what would rule in film music a few decades later. Puccini tooks from the French opera, under the influence of Bizet and Massenet, the taste for the exotic and historical location of his operas. In the case of Turandot, set in ancient China, the opera tells the story of the cruel princess Turandot who, in revenge for a sullied ancestor, beheads her suitors if three riddles are not answered. An unknown prince –Calaf– postulates by answering her three enigmas and challenging her to be the one to find out her name. Turandot orders that no one sleep in Peking until the name of the prince is known, Calaf, who has issued the challenge that if his name is not discovered, princess Turandot must marry him. At the beginning of the third act, the prince sings the aria –Nessun Dorma– convinced that the princess's efforts to discover his name will be in vain. Puccini began the composition in January 1921 and in March 1924 he had already completed the opera up to the final duet. However, a few months later he would pass away, leaving unfinished sketches of the end of Turandot. Franco Alfano was commissioned to finish it, premiering it two years later, in 1926. Currently, it is the fourth most performed Puccini opera worldwide, after the well-known trio La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly.

Flute Duet Flute - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.552403 Composed by Leo Delibes (1836-1891). Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Holiday,Romantic Period,Standards,Wedding. Score. 7 pages. Jmsgu3 #6342523. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.552403). Duo of the flowers from Lakme, Act I. A popular wedding selection.Leo Delibes (1836-1891) was a French composer of the Romantic period best known for his ballets and operas. He was a child prodigy and began composing music at the age of seven. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where he developed a mastery of the symphonic form and wrote several pieces for the orchestra. His works for the stage are among the most popular and beloved of the Romantic era, including the ballets Coppélia and Sylvia, and the opera Lakmé.Delibes was a pioneer in the use of orchestral color and instrumental effects to enhance the dramatic narrative of his works. His works are often praised for their lyricism, graceful melodies, and colorful orchestrations. His music is considered to be a bridge between the grandiose and romantic works of the French composers before him, such as Gounod and Berlioz, and the more intimate and melodic style of composers like Debussy and Ravel.Delibes’ influence can be heard in the works of later composers such as Stravinsky and Prokofiev, and his music continues to be performed and enjoyed today. His contributions to music history are significant, and his works remain beloved masterpieces of the Romantic era.Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé is an opera in three acts. It was first performed in 1883 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris. The libretto was written by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The story is set in British-occupied India and tells the story of a young Indian girl, Lakmé, who is in love with a British officer, Gerald. The story follows the couple's romantic journey, as well as the obstacles they face from Lakmé's father and the British military. The opera is best known for its beautiful score, which includes the famous aria The Flower Duet as well as the duet Lakmé! The Bell Song. The opera has been performed in opera houses all over the world and is considered one of Delibes' most popular works.The Duo des Fleurs, composed by French composer Léo Delibes, is a ballet pas de deux from the ballet Lakme, Act I. It is a beloved masterpiece of the Romantic period and is often performed as a standalone piece in many ballet performances. The piece is typically danced by two female ballet dancers and is known for its playful and lighthearted nature. The music consists of a melody that alternates between the two dancers and is often accompanied by a lighthearted waltz. The music has a strong sense of unity and connection between the two dancers, which is enhanced by the use of the same melody. The piece also features a beautiful soaring coda that gives it a sense of grandeur and beauty. The Duo des Fleurs is an exquisite piece of music and an enduring classic of the ballet repertoire.