Karen Mercedes wrote:
>
> Not true about arias being published in the key the appeared in the opera.
> Back in the 19th century, and even in the 20th, there have been a lot of
> "Popular Arias" books published that transpose all over the place. I have
> two books that do this - one is a Treasury of Opera that you can find in
> many public libraries, that takes a lot of the arias down a whole step or
> two (Batti, batti, for example, is published in a key where the top note
> is a G5 instead of an A#5. Also, the Fireside Book of Love Songs includes
> a few arias that have been transposed. And I've got two versions of
> Handel's CARA SPOSA from Semele. The Kagen edition is in the original key,
> while the Schirmer edition (in the Grey mezzo book) is a whole step
> higher.
I'm familiar with the Handel/Kagen transpositions, though
not with the other published transpositions you mention.
Kagen published a lot of the Handel arias in both high and
low keys. In the intro to his edition Kagen explains why he
transposed: he believed most Handel arias are treated by
singers like art songs, and he trasposed like art songs
are. I suspect if he were preparing his edition today, with
so many Handel operas staged by opera companies, he'd stick
much more with original keys (of course, Handel often
transposed his arias for various singers).
I still wouldn't recommend anyone but a tenor, for example,
sing "Where E'er You Walk" in an opera audition or
competition, even if though it could be acceptably
programmed on a recital. I think you'd agree with me on the
wisdom of auditioning for opera, competitions, or singing on
academic juries with arias in the original key or a
transposition commonly used in staged operas.
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
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