Ralph Vaughan Williams: Romance: Viola: Instrumental Work

This 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.

Composed for Violin and Piano in 1914 and reworked for Violin and Orchestra in 1920 The Lark Ascending is on of Vaughan Williams's most enduringly popular works. A serene romance the work takes its title from a poem by George Meredith. The Violin's magical evocation of the lark's 'chirrup whistle slur and shake' as it soas above delicate orchestral textures demonstrates the composer's mastery of the pastoral idiom. This new edition of the version for Violin and Piano includes an introduction by Michael Kennedy and is produced with the support of RVW Ltd.