Le Testament “Paroles de Villon,” Ezra Pound’s legendary first opera is now available in print 75 years after its completion. Part One presents the editor’s reconstruction of the 1926 Paris Salle Pleyel Concert version composed by Pound to preview 9 numbers from the opera on a new 5/8 basis after having no success getting performances of the irrational and difficult meters presented in the urtext 1923 score edited for him by George Antheil. Pound reduced the performing forces to tenor, bass-baritone and small chamber ensemble (vln, 2 tbns, harpsichord, kettle drums) and added an overture for a long horn he named “cornet de dessus” to demonstrate his theory of Great Bass. Part Two contains the recently discovered final version of the opera penned by Pound in 1933. For this complete version, Pound further revised the rhythms of many of the numbers and adjusted his performing forces to 9 or more singers and 10–12 instruments. The book contains an Introduction by R. Murray Schafer, 13 facsimile reproductions of Pound’s holograph scores, staging instructions, libretto, background information, and editor’s notes.
                                                                                                                                                —Margaret Fisher