Elgar: From the Bavarian Highlands
Complete Edition Volume 2A
Expected to ship in 1-2 weeks.
- Composer: Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
- Editor: Donald Hunt
- Format: Full Score – Hardcover
- Binding: Hardcover
- ISBN:
Description
Donald Hunt completes his trilogy of Elgar Complete Edition volumes covering Elgar's part-songs with a volume devoted to the best known: Elgar's set of six songs From the Bavarian Highlands. The songs, with words provided mainly by his wife Alice, were composed during the early years of their marriage and reflect holidays spent together in Bavaria. Many regard them as the culmination of the first phase of Elgar's career as a composer when, before succumbing to the pressures of his status as a national figure, he was still able to relax and compose at will, a freedom which comes over in the music.
Despite their familiarity and superficial simplicity, the works present a similar challenge to those in Dr Hunt's previous two volumes. Although published as a self-standing version, the arrangement for SATB and piano was obviously intended to serve as the vocal score for the version with full orchestra, while Elgar appears to have limited his revisions in the two-voice arrangements to the vocal lines. This leads to an expectation that in all musical respects the vocal staves of the two SATB arrangements should be identical, as should the accompaniment to the two versions with piano. The editorial challenge was to decide which of the numerous Minor differences were intended by Elgar and, of those which we concluded were intentional, which was his preferred reading.
A further challenge arose with the orchestral full score. The manuscript gives the impression of an unfinished score, lacking detailed articulation in places. Our supposition is that Elgar intended to leave the task of completing the articulation to his engraver, confirming its full implementation to his satisfaction when he came to check the proofs. This opportunity never arose as the full score was not published until comparatively recently. More surprisingly, the same shortcomings are to be found in the published vocal score which was presumably prepared in some haste to make it available for the choir to use at the work's first performance in 1896. These deficiencies have been put right in this Edition by extending the articulation from earlier passages to the remainder of the work where this appears to have been Elgar's intention while, for the orchestral parts of three of the songs, we have the published full scores of the Three Bavarian Dances to guide us.
Predictably, the curiosities come in the lesser-known arrangements. in the SS version of ‘The Dance', the words ‘Quaff the bright brown ale, my treasure' are replaced by ‘Light of heart and foot, my treasure'. Was the reference to ‘bright brown ale' really too strong for the female choirs for which the SS version was intended?
The volume comes complete with the customary apparatus of detailed source descriptions, commentaries and an introductory foreword.
Publishers use a lot of words to describe what they sell, and we know it can be confusing. We've tried to be as clear as possible to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Below are descriptions of the terms that we use to describe the various formats that music often comes in.
Choral Score
A score for vocalists that only contains the vocal lines. The instrumental parts are not there for reference. Generally, cheaper than a vocal score and requires multiple copies for purchase.
Facsimile
Reproductions of the original hand-written scores from the composer.
Full Score
For ensemble music, this indicates that the edition contains all parts on a single system (there are not separate parts for each player). In larger ensembles, this is for the conductor.
Hardcover
Hardbound. Generally either linen-covered or half-leather.
Orchestral Parts
Similar to a wind set, this is a collection of parts. In the case of strings, the numbers listed are the number of copies included, though generally these are available individually (often with minimum quantities required).
Paperback
When publishers offer multiple bindings (e.g. hardcover) or study scores, this is the "standard" version. If you're planning to play the music, this is probably what you want.
Performance / Playing Score
A score of the music containing all parts on one system, intended for players to share. There are not separate parts for each player.
Set of Parts
For ensemble music, this indicates that there are separate individual parts for each player.
Solo Part with Piano Reduction
For solo pieces with orchestra, this is a version that contains a piano reduction of the orchestra parts. For piano pieces, two copies are typically needed for performance.
Study Score
A small (think choral size) copy of the complete score meant for studying, and not playing. They make great add-ons when learning concertos and small chamber works.
Vocal Score
A score prepared for vocalists that includes the piano/organ part or a reduction of the instrumental parts.
Wind Set
For orchestral music, this is a collection of wind and percussion parts. The specific quantities of each instrument are notated.
With Audio
In addition to the printed music, the edition contains recordings of the pieces. This may be an included CD, or access to files on the internet.
With / Without Fingering (Markings)
Some publishers prepare two copies - a pure Urtext edition that includes no fingering (or bowing) suggestions and a lightly edited version that includes a minimal number of editorial markings.
Elgar: From the Bavarian Highlands
