The Works of Giuseppe Verdi is the first critical edition of the composer’s oeuvre. Together with his operas, the series presents his songs, his choral music and sacred pieces, and his string quartet and other instrumental works.
Based on Verdi’s autograph score and an examination of important secondary sources, including contemporary manuscript copies and performing parts, this edition of Il trovatore identifies and resolves numerous ambiguities of harmony, melodic detail, text, and phrasing that have marred previous scores. Scholars and performers alike will find a wealth of information in the critical apparatus to inform their research and interpretations. The introduction to the score outlines the work’s genesis, sources, and performance history, while the critical commentary discusses all editorial decisions.
About the Author
David Lawton is professor of music at Stony Brook University, where he serves as artistic director and principal conductor of the opera program and teaches music history. For the Works of Giuseppe Verdi, he has also edited Macbeth.
Praise For…
“You really find out what a critical edition is worth when you have conducted the same opera with and without it. I’m sure the many other conductors who have done that with Il trovatore have shared my experience of the difference: in hundreds of details—from the correction of outright errors to the provision of clarity where the old editions left us guessing—it allows the musicians to start their work from scores and parts that help them at every turn. It lets us concentrate on discovering and interpreting the essence of the opera and gives us the information we need if here and there we have questions. Everyone who loves Verdi should have this score, and everyone studying or performing Il trovatore should use it.” — Will Crutchfield, director of opera, Caramoor International Music Festival
"When the University of Chicago Press and Casa Ricordi came out with Rigoletto, the first publication of the Works of Giuseppe Verdi, a new standard was set. Since then I have been encouraging conductors, singers, coaches, and stage directors to use these critical editions when preparing a Verdi opera. With the publication of the study scores, it is now easier to work from and travel with the music. These are the best scores from which to learn Verdi’s music on any level and the only valid material for interpreting Verdi’s music today.” — Victor DeRenzi, artistic director and principal conductor, Sarasota Opera
