- Edited by David Matthews
- First published in 2024
- Pages: 216
- Format: Hardback
- Dimensions (mm): 317 x 235 x 20
- Weight: 1.238kg
Behold! We are delighted to announce that a full score of A Sea Symphony is available to purchase for the very first time. An eagerly anticipated release, this new critical edition, prepared by David Matthews, presents a number of key updates to the orchestration and has been meticulously re-engraved. The preface, editorial method and textual notes provide an invaluable insight into the fascinating background and history of this momentous work. N.B. This full score is compatible with both the new and the original edition of the vocal score (D47). See below for further details.
The numerous revisions and fine adjustments made by Vaughan Williams to the music of A Sea Symphony over a long lifetime are faithfully recorded in this benchmark new edition of the work. It draws on invaluable primary sources, including the conducting scores of Sir Adrian Boult and Norman Del Mar, and those in the extensive VW archive in the British Library. While old and new vocal scores remain fully compatible, the full score and instrumental parts replace all previous orchestral material as the definitive performing edition.
Two major features are the substitution of trombones for horns in the dramatic opening fanfare, which is the composer’s final and authentic choice of scoring, and in the Scherzo the addition of a substantial organ part taken from his own annotated full score. Details of texture have been clarified and inconsistencies of notation corrected, with the harp parts improved to resolve long-standing difficulties of impractical passagework.
Indispensable to choral societies over the years, the composer’s suggested instrumental omissions for performance by smaller orchestras have been preserved, though now more clearly presented. The crisp typography, well-spaced layout and efficient page turns make the parts a pleasure for orchestras to use, and there is generous cueing throughout to streamline the rehearsal process.
