Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Carnegie Collection of British Music. A London Symphony. London: Stainer & Bell Limited, 1920
First edition of Vaughan Williams’ London Symphony, the composer's conducting copy, with his annotations and revisions, including the cancellation of 25 bars from the Epilogue.

Folio (391 x 280mm). Pp. 199 (short marginal tear to pp. 67-8, a number of leaves dogeared at lower corner, perhaps part of the composer’s use of the score). Original blue half cloth over printed boards (extremities lightly rubbed).

Provenance:
(1) Ralph Vaughan Williams: the composer’s annotated copy (ownership inscription in ink on title and extensively marked up in pencil)

(2) Ursula Vaughan Williams (1911-2007, widow of the composer; with presentation inscription to unknown recipient:) – ‘Bernard’

(3) Sotheby’s 3 December 2008, lot 116.

(4) Schøyen Collection, MS 5421.

A London Symphony is Vaughan Williams's second symphony: as the title suggests, it incorporates a number of references to and reflections of London life, including a quotation of the Westminster chimes in the opening bars. It was first performed at Queen's Hall on 27 March 1914, although the original score was lost after being sent to the conductor Fritz Busch in Germany just before the outbreak of the First World War, and had to be reconstructed from the orchestral parts. Vaughan Williams continued to revise the work over subsequent years, including (as here) after the publication of the first edition: it did not reach its definitive version until 1936, by which stage the Epilogue had been cut from an initial 109 bars to a mere 60 bars.