Barber of Seville - Kalmus vs. Bärenreiter

A score and set of Kalmus orchestral parts to Rossini's Barber of Seville costs about $1000, whereas the score alone to the Bärenreiter urtext edition costs $1,200, with the parts bringing the total to over $2,000.

The first question a music director needs to ask is whether the extra cost is worth it. Usually I always work from critical or urtext editions whenever possible. However, in the case of Barber, I'm not sure the Bärenreiter edition actually pays off.

Of course it's purely a matter of taste, but in this bel canto opera steeped in tradition, critically pared down parts without the traditions and adaptations for generations of performance practice actually end up sounding quite bland. Very few of the dozens of recordings available actually reflect the critical edition, and the same trend goes with performances.

I've outlined the main differences between both editions below along with my reasons for favoring the Kalmus parts, followed by a few (though minimal) "errata" in the Kalmus edition.

Orchestration

The second oboe, trombone and timpani parts in the Kalmus edition are superfluous. They accurately appear only in the overture, while the added parts parts for the remainder of the opera are awkward and best avoided. These parts exist because the overture was borrowed from another opera. They were added for the remainder of Barber in order to accommodate house orchestras when the extra players were present. The preface to the critical edition full score provides an interesting and detailed history. None of these parts are missed if left out of the overture, and they're certainly not needed for the remainder of the opera.

Percussion
I find the Bärenreiter orchestra parts to be under-orchestrated with percussion, and the Kalmus parts a bit over-orchestrated. Coming up with a percussion part that matches the tone of the production will be the music director's and percussionist's most creative task. Note that tambourine can be substituted for sistrum, and the Kalmus timpani part is best avoided, unless desired in the overture over bass drum and cymbals.

I prefer bass drum with cymbal attachment in the overture, introduction (vivace), Basilio's aria, the storm and the act two finale; triangle in the act one finale; and tambourine with bass drum in the quintet. Again, there's room for lots of variation and creativity in the percussion parts in general. Upon investigating the history of the work, there's little sense in even attempting to replicate Rossini's original intentions, as it was performed so many different ways even within his lifetime.

Dynamics

The dynamics in the Kalmus score and parts are generally more interesting than the dynamics (or lack thereof) in the Barenreiter edition. The Kalmus parts pretty accurately reflect the full score. Moreover, there are dynamics (or missing or editorial dynamics) in the Bärenreiter score that are highly inconsistent.

Articulations

The greatest discrepancies between the Kalmus and Bärenreiter editions are the articulations in winds and strings. The articulations in the Kalmus parts are more economical and conducive to faster tempi. Though the Bärenreiter articulations are more "authentic" and often more interesting, they are also more awkward in terms of bowing and limiting in terms of tempi. The Kalmus articulations are often easier for the string and wind players - probably because they are the result of decades of edits by the players of bygone productions.

Recitative
There are numerous discrepancies of pitches and text between the Kalmus, Ricordi and Bärenreiter scores. The Ricordi piano-vocal score is the most trust-worthy and practical source for recitatives.

Errata
Even though I have an obvious preference for the Kalmus parts for Barber, and even though the parts pretty accurately match the published score, there is a short list of items I could dub "errata," based primarily on score study, my own experience conducting the piece, and a bit of conjecture:

Introduction ("Piano, pianissimo")

The clarinet countermelody in the 2nd and 3rd measure should not exist. Likewise with the 2nd and 3rd measures after rehearsal 20. However, the clarinet line (doubled in violas) after rehearsal 22 is correct, and the later bassoon line doubling the violas is also correct.

No. 2 Cavatina Figaro ("Largo")

My preference is to leave out the trills and the tie to the second half of the measure. It is also cleaner if the first violins slur all of the 4th measure.

No. 4 Cavatina Rosina ("Una voce poco fa")

The articulation at the moderato before rehearsal 49 requires some decision-making. I prefer the slurred eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes in the Kalmus, but they are often separated and played staccato, as indicated in the Barenreiter. Likewise following rehearsal 49.

No. 5 Aria Basilio ("La callunia")

The bass drum and cymbal parts in the percussion parts are missing in the full score.

No. 8 Act One Finale

The horn parts in mm. 6 and 10 are inaccurate. They should parallel the rest of the winds. Likewise wherever this figure occurs.

5 measures before rehearsal 78, I do prefer the strings' sixteenth-notes without slurs, as in the Bärenreiter.

5 measures after rehearsal 84, Bartolo's "Chi è?" should be sung on B-flat and D-natural (the pitches of the chorus basses). The basses don't sing "Chi è?" See the Ricordi piano-vocal score for the correct rendition.

In the 4th measure of the Moderato before rehearsal 86, the strings and bassoons are incorrect. There should be a quarter-rest on beat two, and the half-rest should be a quarter-rest.

In "Fredda ed immobile," there are some orchestral chords in the Kalmus edition that do not exist in the Bärenreiter. I prefer the chords in the Kalmus.

The 19th and 20th measures of the Vivace do not exist in the Ricordi piano-vocal score or the Bärenreiter edition. They should be cut from the Kalmus score and parts.

The measure before the Allegro/Stretta, the violins are missing a re-articulation and trill on the 2nd beat.

At the Allegro, the Bärenreiter has the bassoons doubling the basses, which makes sense. If this is desired, an insert is required in the Kalmus parts.

The 9th measure of 98 , the Barenreiter has the violas doubling the cellos, which makes sense. If this is desired, an insert is requires in the Kalmus parts. Likewise after rehearsal 99.

The Storm

At the keychange to C Major at the end of the storm, the flute should play on the 1st and 3rd beats, not the 2nd and 4th. This is somewhat conjecture.

In sum, my preference is for an imaginative Barber infused with tradition, and the Kalmus edition is built on generations of both. While a critical interpretation of Barber is admirable, it might come at the expense of many of the traditions for which this opera has become so well-known.