Serenade in A minor (1898)

ISBN: 0193379562

Author: Vaughan Williams, Ralph

Condition: Used

Product DescriptionThis is the first publication of Vaughan Williams's earliest substantial work for orchestra, composed 1897-8 and premiered in April 1901. This attractive work already shows evidence of the composer's emerging musical style and sure grasp of orchestral techniques. Its five movements display much variety and sense of overall architecture, with a sombre opening Prelude, a fleet-footed Scherzo, a graceful Intermezzo and Trio, a delicate Romance, and a boisterous Finale. This new edition has been carefully prepared from the original manuscript by Julian Rushton and comes with full textual commentary. Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.About the AuthorRalph Vaughan Williams, born in Gloucestershire on 12 October 1872, read History at Cambridge and went to the Royal College of Music where his teachers were Parry, Wood, and Stanford. Vaughan Williams believed in the value of music education and wrote practical competition pieces, serviceable church music, and with the 49th Parallel (1940-41) he found a new outlet in writing for film. His profoundly disturbing Symphony No.6 (1948) received international acclaim with more than a hundred performances in a little over two years. His great sensitivity to the 20th-century human condition, his flexibility in writing for all levels of music making, and his unquestionably great imagination combine to make him one of the key figures in 20th century music. Ralph Vaughan Williams had a long association with Oxford University Press; over 200 publications are available in the Oxford catalogue.