Elgar: The Starlight Express
Complete Edition Volume 19
Expected to ship in 1-2 weeks.
- Composer: Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
- Editor: Jerrold Northrop Moore
- Format: Full Score – Hardcover
- Binding: Hardcover
- ISBN:
Description
Even by the standards of the Elgar Complete Edition, this is a ground-breaking volume. for some, the full score of Elgar's incidental music to The Starlight Express , edited by Roger Dubois and published here in its entirety for the first time1, will be sufficient incentive to acquire their copy.
But painstaking months of editorial effort have resulted in a volume which offers so much more. Jerrold Northrop Moore's close comparison of the score with the text of the play and his scrutiny of Elgar's annotations on the composer's copy of the play typescript have made it possible to delve behind the staves and come up with a word-by-word correlation of spoken dialogue and music. Features of Elgar's score, meaningless when taken in isolation, are revealed to have a direct bearing on actions on stage, taking us much closer to the melodrama evolved in rehearsal, enacted during the production run of the play, and never recorded for posterity. and the composer's typescript annotations have been assimilated to provide a fascinating insight into the development of the play and its characters in parallel with Elgar's composition of the score, in part to meet musical and dramatic requirements, but also to comply with the financial realities of the production.
Unusually for an academic edition, this volume places particular emphasis on performance aspects. The play has always suffered an unenthusiastic reception and contemporary press reviews make clear that the original production run at the Kingsway Theatre in London in January 1916 was doomed from the start. We shall never know how successful the play might have become had it been refined and revived the following Christmas, as was at one time suggested; but it is clear that subsequent radio broadcasts have handled the play unsympathetically. It is the sincere wish of the editors and publishers of this volume that the detailed insight it provides will stimulate further productions which recognise the composer's intentions and bring out the subtleties of Elgar's score.
1 only the three Organ-grinder's songs, one to introduce each act, have previously been published and these have a piano accompaniment not by Elgar but by Julius Harrison, who conducted the orchestra for the theatre run of the play.
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: The Starlight Express
