Difficulty: Grade 2

Belgian composer César Franck Composed his Mass, Opus 12 in 1872. In the fifth movement of this mass he incorporated the strophe of ‘Sacris solemniis’ that begins with the words ‘Panis Angelicus’ (‘bread of Angels’). Franck did set this strophe for tenor voice, harp, cello, and organ.

Later, ‘Panis Angelicus’, became very popular in all kind of settings and is performed  by tenors Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Roberto Alagna, as well as by the sopranos Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jessye Norman, Magda Olivero, and Renata Scotto.

In this edition ‘Panis Angelicus’ is transcribed for a Tenor, Symphonic Band and a Mixed Choir (ad lib.).

Publisher: → Baton Music

The ‘Duetto buffo di due gatti’ (Comic duet for two cats) is a popular performance piece for two sopranos which is often performed as a concert encore. The ‘lyrics’ consist entirely of the repeated word ‘miau’ (‘meow’).

While the piece is typically attributed to Gioachino Rossini, it was not actually written by him, but is instead a compilation written in 1825 that draws principally on his 1816 opera, Otello.

Sometimes the duet is also performed by a soprano and a tenor, or a soprano and a bass.

Publisher: → Baton Music

Recording: