Fantasia on a Theme By Thomas Tallis

Great product!

I have no need to commend the qualities of this piece of music - it is simply one of the greatest works for strings ever composed. It was high time for a replacement for the Boosey & Hawkes (originally Curwen) pocket score of 1920, and this one admirably fits the bill.Here is how the new score improves on the old. Firstly the new score is in a larger format - roughly 18cm x 25.5cm as opposed to 14cm x 19cm. Secondly it has been newly typeset, presumably using music notation software, so everything is crystal clear. The old score as printed suffers from a somewhat 'heavy' look, with some minims filled in and some of the beams of semiquavers merging together. Thirdly, the layout of Orchestra I + Orchestra II (and Soli as needed) is retained throughout, rather than (for example from bar 9) having both orchestras Tutti. This makes it much easier to see how VW laid out the division between the two orchestras. I am pleased to see that the soloists at the beginning are no longer marked as 'div.' (divisi).On the other hand, there is no mention that Orchestra II consists of single desks (plus a single contrabass player), a serious lapse. And although we now have bar numbers, the old rehearsal figures have been suppressed, in my view needlessly. The old score also came with a two-page analytical insert.So this score is not quite perfect, but can still be heartily recommended.