The high art and irresistibility of opera meet the immediacy and accessibility of musical theatre in a balance perfectly struck for this widely adapted tale of sexual conquest and intrigue. Melpomene is pleased to make a fitting offering of vocal selections from Caluori and Steppe’s Dangerous Liaisons (available on Melpomene Records). Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (like the later novels The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miserables) is a work poised between two worlds. On the one hand, the stature of classic literature. On the other, a wildly popular appeal, captivating a clamoring mass audience. Its immediate popularity, scandal and overwhelming success has since led to a proliferation of innumerable derivations in all genres. Yet, despite the novel’s seductive antihero and his wicked, domineering counterpart, its extreme emotions, brilliant comedy and high melodramatic tragedy, no opera or musical based on the lurid classic has been itself called a classic. Until now. A serendipitous match to this two-worlds dichotomy, Johnathan Daniel Steppe (lyrics) and Malcolm Caluori (music) bring backgrounds distinctively attuned to the classical-popular synthesis. The resulting combination brings a vibrancy to the characters and a unique theatrical thrill to their circumstances, establishing Dangerous Liaisons as the definitive musical dramatization of the story. Caluori’s dramatic instinct and skilled orchestration informs a score that parallels grand opera. But as a melodist, and in his natural setting of the text of Steppe’s sharp and loyal, episodic libretto, he betrays the deep affection for the musical theatre shared by both collaborators. The excerpts contained in this volume have been hand selected by the composer and librettist, and include solos and duets for all voice types. In these pages you will find neither your run-of-the-mill Broadway sheet music piano versions of songs with a vocal line attached, nor the impractical, if not impossible, piano reductions of orchestration found in so many classical vocal scores. Based on Caluori’s original orchestral accompaniment, the arrangements retain their original keys and have been specially adapted by the composer himself, specifically for independent vocal performance with piano. A distinctive (and affordable) joy for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
