At the request of many singing teachers, we now offer this collection for soprano, which features very famous arias, lieder and melodies set in comfortable tessituras.
Students will thus be provided with a tool of the trade for many years*.
The novelty here lies in the piano reductions, revised by Bruno Gousset, which are now closer to the richness of orchestration than in the previous editions (pianists can always, if necessary, simplify on sight).
Some pieces have been lowered by a semitone (415) or a whole tone (390), which is standard practice in early music groups.
Recitatives have been added when interesting and useful for the comprehension of the lyrics that follow.
They are often required for auditions. Students must learn to perform them with the proper expression - keeping in mind that, in Italian style, rests are to be disregarded when they do not match punctuations in the text.
In two of these arias (Zerlina and the Telemann cantata), we have detached a part for cello solo** so as to allow trio performance, which is convenient in classes of chamber music.
Lastly, we can point out that these classical pieces have endured to this day by reason of their inexhaustible virtues that can be compared to "these gold coins... for which we never have enough change to give back". (Bergson). Years have gone by but they have remained forever young.

Jacqueline Bonnardot
Translation: Pierre Bourhis

* In each collection, a companion CD includes musical examples sung by two artists, which is most helpful to assimilate the diversity of styles. On the CD, further on, the piano part is recorded on its own to help students learn the piece.
** The cello solo part is available at the end of the book.

Selected by: Jacqueline Bonnardot
Piano accompaniment: Bruno Gousset
Recorded: Studio Sysmo
Piano: Bruno Gousset
Voices: Corinne Sertillanges (1-5-7-9-11-13-15-17-19)
and Kiyoko Okada (3)