Thank you, Maestro Meneses
announcing the release of the Projeto Puccini, the last unfinished idea of the Brazilian cello master’s brilliant mind
This article is an expanded version of the Editorial Notes that can be found in the complete book version of the Projeto Puccini. This initiative covers seven of the most famous arias from Giacomo Puccini’s—whose centenary of death recurs this year, 2024—operas, arranged for the original voice and a five-voice ensemble of cellos. The original voice part can be substituted with a violin, for the female arias, or with a cello, for all seven arias.
Each aria is available separately and digitally at the following links:
- ASE 0082 O mio babbino caro from the opera “Gianni Schicchi”
- ASE 0083 Mi chiamano Mimì from the opera “Bohème”
- ASE 0084 Vissi d’arte from the opera “Tosca”
- ASE 0085 E lucevan le stelle from the opera “Tosca”
- ASE 0086 Nessun dorma from the opera “Turandot”
- ASE 0087 Recondita armonia from the opera “Tosca”
- ASE 0088 Un bel dì vedremo from the opera “Madama Butterfly”
Videos of each score can be enjoyed at the following links:
The complete book, available in a beautiful, premium set, is available for purchase and can be requested by contacting us directly.
Here are the notes about the edition, originally written in Brazilian Portuguese by the arranger, cellist Raïff Dantas Barreto, and translated in English by me. The original text can be found in the printed edition.
Editorial Notes
The making of a dream
I met the cellist Antonio Meneses many years ago. It was in 1983, the year I began playing the cello. On that occasion, he performed Dvořák’s concerto with my city’s orchestra (Orquestra Sinfônica de Paraíba). I do not have many memories of that concert but, in 1985, I listened to him playing Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, and that performance left a strong impression on me; for many years, I even listened to the recording I had made on a portable device.
While playing at the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, I had several opportunities to accompany him in various concerts. What struck me most was when he played Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante—it was unforgettable. Despite our many encounters, Professor Meneses and I had never grown close. I had always regarded him as a reference point and an inspiration.
On October 1st, 2021, I received a message from a friend; it was a video where he and Antonio Meneses invited me—or rather, summoned me—to lunch the following day. I attended with my wife and our daughter. At the home of our mutual friend Cláudio Cruz, Meneses’ musical partner and a dear friend, we talked for more than six hours, discussing cello, of course, but mostly about life. That day, I truly got to know Antonio, the human being, and from then on, whenever he came to Brazil, we would meet to talk about everything. Thanks to these meetings, I had the privilege of attending, at his invitation, the recording of his latest albums, including his third rendition of the Bach Suites—with the A tuned to 415 Hz!—which I consider his musical testament.
At the 2022 Janigro Festival, Meneses played with students some pieces I had arranged. It was he who introduced me to the publisher Artistic Score Engraving, which later released my arrangement of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture1.
In June 2023, I received a message from him inviting me to collaborate on what he called the Projeto Puccini, the “Puccini Project”. His idea was to record the principal arias of the Italian genius, arranged for solo cello, accompanied by a cello ensemble. We were deciding whether I would record the ensemble myself and he the solo, or if I would reactivate a cello group that had been inactive for over a year.
Meneses had the opportunity to see and comment on my arrangements of Nessun Dorma, Vissi d’arte, and E lucevan le stelle. The remaining pieces in this collection were chosen based on our conversations.
In parallel, Michele Galvagno had the idea of releasing an album with the sheet music alongside the recording of the Puccini Project. Unfortunately, the tragic news of the premature death of Maestro Antonio Meneses during the summer of 2024 interrupted the realisation of what may have been his last envisioned project. A few days after his passing, Michele and I decided to release the Puccini Project album in his honour.
The Arranger
Raïff Dantas Barreto
Vinhedo, Brazil — November 12, 2024
About the edition
This edition contains nine elements: a full score and eight separate parts. Three of the parts are dedicated to the soloists: the voice, the violin, and the cello. The remaining parts contain the five cello parts of the ensemble.
The original keys of the arias have been preserved throughout, and great care has been invested to favour the easiest fruition of these arrangements, from tiny engraving details, to a clear and clean layout. The best paper available for music printing has been used to ensure a flawless performance even in the hardest lighting conditions.
Should one require more than one copy of each ensemble part, for example for performance at a festival or at an organised event, please contact us2 to order the precise amount.
The Editor
Michele Galvagno
Saluzzo, Italy — December 9, 2024
- Available digitally here: artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/ctuem ↩
- https://artisticscoreengraving.com/contacts/ ↩
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