Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete) Cover Image

Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Keyboard Accompaniment, Choral Score

$7.95 USD
$7.95 USD
Skip to product information
Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete) Cover Image
Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Keyboard Accompaniment, Choral Score

Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Keyboard Accompaniment, Choral Score

By Arrigo Boito, Italian libretto by the composer after the poem by Goethe.

Item: 36-A473591
$7.95
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Full Score

$55.00
View

Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Score and Parts

$150.00
View
Description
After the completion of his studies at the Milan Conservatory, Arrigo Boito (1842-1918) decided to compose his own operatic version of Goethe's Faust. Perceiving what he saw to be artistic shortcomings in the Gounod opera, he wrote his own libretto after the manner of Richard Wagner. Inexperienced as a conductor, he took the podium for the premiere of MEFISTOFELE in Milan on March 5, 1868. The performance of the work with its daring chromaticism and sprawling length, over five hours long, was met with confusion and outrage. After only two performances, Boito withdrew to revise the work, drastically cutting it to two-thirds of its original length. The first performance of the revised version in Bologna in 1875 achieved for its composer a much belated success. Some small changes led to a final version which premiered in 1881. During the PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN, Mefistofele declares his intention to take Faust's soul. His challenge is accepted by the angels. Vocal score.

Mefistofele, IAB 1: Prologue in Heaven (complete): Serious Opera, Keyboard Accompaniment, Choral Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Opera Vocal Score Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-563457-8
ISBN13: 979-889-563-4578
UPC: 612735619817
SKU: 36-A473591
Instrumentation: Mix Chorus: Children Chorus: Piano accomp.

More about this title

About the Composer: Arrigo Boito

Arrigo Boito (1842-1918) was a composer, librettist, and conductor whose artistic ambitions drove him to create works of remarkable scale and intellectual depth. After completing his conservatory training in Milan, he refused to accept the operatic conventions of his time, instead drawing inspiration from Wagner's through-composed approach and Goethe's literary complexity to craft both the music and libretto for Mefistofele.

Why we love this

This scene captures one of opera's most audacious opening moments: a supernatural council where heavenly forces confront demonic ambition. The harmonic language is restless and chromatic in ways that still surprise singers and audiences, rewarding choirs willing to embrace its tonal instability and dramatic scope.

What to expect

The music radiates a kind of supernatural unease. Boito's chromaticism creates instability and forward motion even in moments that should feel ceremonial; angular intervals and unexpected harmonic shifts make this opening feel dangerous rather than reassuring, perfectly suited to a cosmic wager about human salvation.

Who it's for

Opera choral programs and serious vocal music ensembles seeking substantial material that demands both technical rigor and interpretive maturity. This excerpt works for advanced mixed choirs, children's choruses with strong musicianship, and programs that program operatic scenes in concert or staged contexts.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the angelic chorus as a unified ensemble voice distinct from Mefistofele's declarations; clarity of diction matters enormously when text is set to complex chromatic writing.
  • Shape longer phrases across multiple measures rather than breaking them into small units; the declarative power of this scene depends on singers sustaining tension over extended spans.
  • Coordinate with your accompanist on the harmonic rhythm, which can feel ambiguous in passages where Boito withholds traditional resolution points.
  • Balance the children's chorus carefully in relation to the adult voices; Boito scores them to cut through, but they require precision intonation to avoid muddying the harmonic texture.

How to use it

Perform this scene in concert alongside other operatic excerpts exploring the Faust legend, pairing it with Gounod's Prologue in Heaven to highlight the compositional differences between the two versions. The dramatic intensity and compact length make it an effective standalone piece for choral festivals or opera workshops.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing chromatic and disjunct melodic lines with secure intonation
  • Balancing choral blend across complex harmonic language
  • Following a conductor's interpretation of harmonic rhythm in modernist operatic writing
  • Dramatic projection and character work as a chorus ensemble
  • Coordinating with piano accompaniment on entrances in asymmetrical phrase structures

You May Also Like