In choosing the Anabaptist movement of the 16th century, Scribe and Meyerbeer with "Le Prophete" once again opted for religious-historical materials: a conflict that is stirred up by sectarians and zealots and gives the dramatist an opportunity for crowd scenes and large-scale choruses. the characters in the plot invite critical contemporaries parallels to be drawn: hypocritical tempters, a false prophet, the dissolute gangs known as the 16th century socialists, reactionary princes, corrupt informers, and an incapacitated populace. Meyerbeer also pursues new paths in orchestration: in Act V, for example, triple divisi double basses produce a dissonant chord that has the effect of a menacing, diffuse noise. An overall formal concept interlocks heterogenous structures, and creates extended arcs of tension independently of traditional individual numbers. The climax of this tableau composition is the Cathedral Scene in Act IV: within a stage- and sound-space of epic dimensions, a multi-perspectival musical montage technique achieves an unheard-of interpenetration of „spectacle“ and „drame“.

The following editions of the work are available: score (4 volumes and critical report) and piano reduction. The critical edition is based on the autograph and the first printed score, as well as autograph materials (Cracow and Paris). There are also fragments and parts of the work which were found in the Bibliothèque de l’Opéra Paris, and are published here for the first time.

Le Prophète. Opéra en cinq actes.

Edited by Matthias Brzoska. Under co-operation of Andreas Jacob and Fabien Guilloux

The following editions of the work are available:

Complete (score, supplement, crit. report, piano reduction, 7 vols.)
Sy. 5602-kpl
2.936,00,00 € (incl. GST.)
Subscription price: 2.496,00 €

Score (incl. supplement and crit report, 5 vols.)
Sy. 5602/01
2.325,00 € (incl. GST.)
Subscription price: 1.976,00 €

Piano reduction
Sy. 5602/03
612,00 € (incl. GST.)
Subscription price: 520,00 €

Critical Report
Sy. 5602-KB
141,00 € (incl. GST.)

Subscription to the Edition of Meyerbeer’s Works is still available. Details of this can be found here…

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In choosing the Anabaptist movement of the 16th century, Scribe and Meyerbeer once again opted for religious-historical materials: a conflict that is stirred up by sectarians and zealots and gives the dramatist an opportunity for crowd scenes and large-scale choruses. the characters in the plot invite critical contemporaries parallels to be drawn: hypocritical tempters, a false prophet, the dissolute gangs known as the 16th century socialists, reactionary princes, corrupt informers, and an incapacitated populace. Meyerbeer also pursues new paths in orchestration: in Act V, for example, triple divisi double basses produce a dissonant chord that has the effect of a menacing, diffuse noise. An overall formal concept interlocks heterogenous structures, and creates extended arcs of tension independently of traditional individual numbers. The climax of this tableau composition is the Cathedral Scene in Act IV: within a stage- and sound-space of epic dimensions, a multi-perspectival musical montage technique achieves an unheard-of interpenetration of „spectacle“ and „drame“.

The critical edition is based on the autograph and the first printed score, as well as autograph materials (Cracow and Paris). There are also fragments and parts of the work which were found in the Bibliothèque de l’Opéra Paris, and are published here for the first time.

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