ChOsEn Opera Editions

Opera Editions for Chamber Orchestra and Smaller Ensembles

After almost a decade of experience in the field of orchestration for small ensembles, thanks to feedback and suggestions from conductors and musicians, we are pleased to announce a new publishing line-up: ChOsEn Opera Editions for chamber orchestra and smaller ensembles. More choice, with three different versions for each score. More readability of scores and parts, with new A4 and B4 formats. Revised and corrected scores and orchestra parts, ready for you to print or cut out and perform. Professional cues to help players during multi-bar rests.

What is New in ChOsEn? Three Different Versions & More Flexibility

ChOsEn stands for Chamber Orchestra & Smaller Ensembles. All the operas and other major music masterpieces will be arranged for three different groups.

  • Chamber Orchestra (L) – 17-22 players. Strings, flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, trumpet, one or two percussionists, with extra or optional parts for instruments such as harp, organ, chromatic percussions.
  • Small Ensemble (S) – 7 players. A string quartet (1.1.1.1.-), flute, oboe, clarinet, with an extra piano part suitable to be played by the conductor (not a vocal score, mostly covers percussions, basses and brasses).
  • Chamber Ensemble (M) – 11 to 18 players, depending on the chosen combination of parts.

Chamber Orchestra

The full Chamber Orchestra (L) version allows for more flexibility, with a few additional instruments to cover on- or off-stage orchestras, bands or solos. With a minimum of 10 strings (3.3.2.1.1), or an ideal amount of 15 strings (5.4.3.2.1), and 7 other players, the balance between the orchestra sections is ideal, and most of the string parts are the original ones.

  • PROs – Richer sound, optimal balance between strings and winds, full string parts with tailored page turns.
  • CONs – More rehearsing time for the strings, higher cost of production, needs space for 22 players.

Small Ensemble

The score for Small Ensemble is the smallest orchestration possible without using a vocal score, with still two different and independent sections, strings and woodwinds. Flute, oboe and clarinet parts are different from the previous orchestrations, while the strings are the same as in the Chamber Ensemble version. The piano part covers the parts of the timpani and brasses in the ‘tutti’ or ‘forte’ sections, and is mostly playable with one hand, leaving the conductor with a full free arm for conducting.

  • CONs – The Cello is the only Bass part remaining, other parts are heavily arranged. With less instrument in the score, and more notes in each part, players will often need assistance in turning pages.
  • PROs – Good balance between strings and woodwinds, reduced cost of production with 7 players only; needs very little space and rehearsing time. The piano part is not a vocal score, and can be played mostly with one hand by the conductor.

Chamber Ensemble

The version for Chamber Ensemble (M) is a flexible solution combining the strings from one version to the other parts of the other version. You can combine a string quartet (1.1.1.1.-) with the other 7 parts from the chamber orchestra, for a total amount of 11 players, OR a larger group of strings with the three woodwinds and the piano, for a total amount of 13-18 players. There is no perfect choice, it all depends on your taste, budget and available players. Having more strings seems a better choice for Mozart’s operas, while a richer amount of different instruments seems a better choice for Verdi’s operas.

  • PROs – Average rehearsing time and production costs, flexibility in the choice of parts (more strings and less winds, or vice versa), easy to bring up to a larger group, or down to a smaller one.
  • CONs – Combining a horn, a trumpet and percussions with just 4 strings requires some solution to balance the sound, whereas a larger amount of strings with just three winds and a piano will create a string-orchestra-like overall feel.