Books published by Serenissima Music

Brahms composed his first volume of choral-watzes in August of 1869 to poetry taken from Polydora, an 1855 collection of German folk-poems and love-songs assembled by George Friedrich Daumer (1800-1875). Rather than the usual accompaniment for piano solo, Brahms elected to provide one for piano duet. The first performance was given in Heidelberg on November 4, 1869 and issued later that year as his Op.52. The conductor Ernst Rudorff persuaded Brahms to orchestrate the accompaniment for 8 of the 18 selections (plus another subsequently included in his Op.65 set) for a concert given at Berlin's Hochschule on March 19, 1870. Offered here is a new edition and orchestration of the entire Op.52 by Richard W. Sargeant Jr. Brahms' own orchestration is retained for the eight selections he prepared for the 1870 concert while the remaining ten have been orchestrated by Sargeant using the same forces employed by the composer. The large conductor score and orchestral parts are now also available from Serenissima Music.

First heard with the opera's premiere on August 3, 1829 in Paris' Theatre de l'Academie Royale de Musique, Rossini's classic overture has been popular ever since even though the opera itself is only rarely performed today. Despite its tremendous popularity, this overture has not been treated very well by publishers over the decades. Part of the problem stems from the composer's own manuscripts which were the product of rapid composing under pressure from opera houses. Many things which were simply assumed by performers of the era from their first appearance and applied to analogous passages weren't by those of later eras. This new study score is a licensed reprint of the superb performing edition prepared by Clark McAlister using the pseudonym Howard K. Wolf in 2014 and published by the now defunct firm E.F. Kalmus. The large score and orchestral parts are now exclusively available from Serenissima Music.

Weber's final and only opera in English was a rousing success at its London premiere, with performances following throughout Europe and in America. The composer was dissatisfied with the structure of the the work after its first hearing and planed to revise the opera upon his return to Germany. The planned revision was never started due to his premature death less than two months later thanks failing health made worse by a grueling schedule. As with Weber's other opera overtures the music highlights his best music from the opera and showcases his brilliant style. This new edition prepared by Richard W. Sargeant, Jr. has been meticulously researched to bring Weber's final masterpiece for the enjoyment of professionals and amateurs alike.

Weber completed the opera in 1820 which was premiered the following year with international success. Long regarded as the first German nationalist opera and the first German Romantic opera for its patriotism and stark emotion. His musical portrayal of the supernatural is both scary and gruesome which inspired many young composers of the then new Romantic school including Richard Wagner and Hector Berlioz. The overture - which has been a concert favorite since the premiere - is presented here in a newly engraved edition by Richard W. Sargeant. Jr. Based on the composer's manuscript and other authoritative sources, this new score has been meticulously researched and showcases Weber's orchestral brilliance for the enjoyment of professionals and amateurs alike. IMSLP page Wikipedia

Widely considered a grand, heroic, romantic opera and one of Weber's finest, Euryanthe is unfortunately rarely performed because of its weak libretto and plot's implausibilty. Such defects don't apply to instrumental works thankfully, and the overture - which contains some of the best music in the opera - has become a worldwide concert favorite. As with Weber's other opera overtures the themes are closely linked to the opera and perfectly capture the mood and tone of the entire work. This newly engraved edition by Richard W. Sargeant, Jr. has been meticulously researched and shows the orchestrational brilliance of this classic overture in a clean, readable format sure to be appreciated by performers and students alike. IMSLP page Wikipedia