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"In his own time, Giacomo Meyerbeer was considered one of the all time great composers of music, along with Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. His music was incredibly popular, and other composers admired and emulated him. Today he is mostly known for the grand operas that he composed for the French stage from 1826 until his death in 1864. Among his lesser-known works are his melodies for voice and piano, his Lieder and other songs, and the monodrama Gli Amori di Teolinda. Written in 1816 when he had first journeyed to Italy, it shows how enamored Meyerbeer was with everything Italian, and in particular with Italian music. It was composed in Verona when Meyerbeer was in the company of two of his childhood friends from Germany; the clarinetist Heinrich Baermann and the soprano Helene Harlas, both virtuosos. The scoring is for soprano, clarinet, chorus and orchestra, and features virtuosic clarinet writing as well as Italianate coloratura for soprano voice. In the directions to the score there are indications that choral
Check out this listing on eBay for a box-set LP recording of Le Nozze di Figaro that comes with complete vocal score to the opera! Once CD production came into being, the consumer was lucky to get liner notes. Now with MP3 format, it seems as though it is better that the public knows as little about the recording or performers as humanly possible. And if you want a libretto while listening to the opera? Well, you'll have to sit at your computer to see it on screen for the duration. Two more pics after the jump.
