Mefistofele [Prologue, Four Acts and Epilogue]: Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)

$275.00 USD

Mefistofele [Prologue, Four Acts and Epilogue]: Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)

Name: Mefistofele [Prologue, Four Acts and Epilogue]: Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A465401
Price: 275.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

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

Item: 36-A465401

$275.00

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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. Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2(2nd dEH).2+1(BCl).2: 4.2.4(BsTbn subTuba).0: Timp.Perc(4): Hp(2).Clst.Org: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Vocal Soli (7 roles): Chorus: Children's Chorus: Banda. Reprint edition.

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Series: Kalmus Opera Library

ISBN10: 8-904201-97-7

ISBN13: 979-8-904201-97-5

UPC: 604634109421

SKU: 36-A465401

Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2(2nd dEH).2+1(BCl).2: 4.2.4(BsTbn subTuba).0: Timp.Perc(4): Hp(2).Clst.Org: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Vocal Soli (7 roles): Chorus: Children's Chorus: Banda

More about this title

About the Composer: Arrigo Boito

Arrigo Boito was an Italian composer and librettist whose dual mastery of both crafts positioned him uniquely in the operatic landscape of the 19th century. Beyond Mefistofele, he is remembered as the brilliant librettist for Verdi's final masterpieces, Otello and Falstaff, collaborations that shaped the trajectory of Italian opera in its final decades.

Boito's creative ambition often exceeded the technical resources available to him. His decision to compose and conduct the premiere of Mefistofele reflected confidence born of his conservatory training, yet the work's initial reception taught him hard lessons about the gulf between artistic vision and practical execution. The substantial revisions he undertook demonstrate not stubbornness but genuine responsiveness to what the stage demanded.

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Why we love this

Mefistofele stands apart from other Faust operas through Boito's commitment to Wagnerian structural principles and his libretto's fidelity to Goethe rather than lighter sources. The work's daring harmonic language, particularly its use of chromaticism to characterize Mephistopheles, creates vocal and orchestral writing that feels genuinely modern even now. For companies with the resources and artistic stamina to mount it, this opera rewards audiences with psychological depth and musical sophistication rarely found in the standard repertory.

What to expect

Mefistofele unfolds with Romantic grandeur tempered by philosophical darkness. Boito's orchestration creates an atmosphere of moral ambiguity where the diabolic and the transcendent coexist in surprising harmonic juxtapositions. The work moves between intimate character moments and sweeping choral tableaux, never settling into comfortable predictability.

Who it's for

Opera companies, university music theater programs, and professional symphonic organizations with substantial resources and experienced casts capable of handling complex chromatic writing. This is repertory for singers and conductors who understand that a five-hour commitment demands performers who can sustain both vocal security and dramatic momentum.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the vocal lines with the orchestra's chromatic complexity; singers need secure, grounded technique to navigate the harmonic twists without losing dramatic clarity.
Plan rehearsal time carefully around the work's length. The five-act structure with prologue and epilogue requires singers and orchestra to maintain stamina and dramatic continuity across multiple sessions.
Clarify the role of the children's chorus and banda early in staging; their moments provide essential textural contrast and theatrical punctuation in a work of considerable scale.
The 1881 version represents Boito's final artistic statement. Consult the score's critical notes to understand which passages differ from earlier versions, particularly regarding orchestration and vocal line adjustments.

How to use it

Position this as an anchor work for a season focused on Italian opera beyond Verdi and Puccini, or pair it with Wagner to illustrate how Boito synthesized Germanic and Italian traditions. Universities might tackle the complete version over a full academic year, breaking it into scenes for study seminars alongside concert excerpts. Its historical significance also makes it valuable for company retrospectives on 19th century operatic innovation.