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Dramma Giocoso In 2 Acts

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The music itself is excellent--what you'd expect from a Baerenreiter Urtext. My issue is with the product description which says "Sturdy hardcover binding." When my copy arrived, it was softcover, so I was quite disappointed, but there wasn't enough time to order a new one, so unfortunately...

I'm stuck with it.

As always with a Barenreiter, the score is pinpoint-accurate, and the printing is stunning; you can read every last detail in the music. The chorus individual chorus parts are spelled out too, whereas in the Schirmer SAT are on one staff, and B is on another, which makes it...

hard to follow, especially when coupled with Schirmer's subpar printing. Worth every peny!

This review will assume you enjoy Mozart, and focus on this edition. As far as editing goes, this book is beautiful to read, stunning page layout... perfect. The Schirmer edition is fine, but has many errors, and is not quite so friendly on the eyes. And with minimal spine-bending...

, this hardcover book lies wonderfully flat on the stand. This piano reduction has much more of the original musical material in it than the Schirmer piano reduction. It even tells you which instruments play what. However, this also makes it more difficult to play, and less idiomatic for the piano. Playing from the Barenreiter score, things sound a bit more strained. But also more accurate and more like Mozart. With all those benefits, this score also costs about 3 times as much as Schirmer. Between cost and piano playability, there are reasons to buy either one, I think.

Gorgeous edition. More expensive than Schirmer but totally worth it if you're working on a role.