Symphony No. 1 in A-flat, Op. 55 Cover Image

Symphony No. 1 in A-flat, Op. 55: Full Orchestra Score

$95.00 USD

Symphony No. 1 in A-flat, Op. 55: Full Orchestra Score

Name: Symphony No. 1 in A-flat, Op. 55: Full Orchestra Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A504201
Price: 95.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Edward Elgar

Item: 36-A504201

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Edward Elgar's (1857-1934) Symphony No. 1 in A-flat, Op. 55 was completed in 1908, although it was a work about a decade in the making. Originally proposed as early as 1898 as a programmatic work based on the life of General George Gordon, by 1907 is had transformed into something wholly different, with the program then abandoned. It was an immediate success at its premiere by the Hallé Orchestra, Hans Richter (conductor), in Manchester on December 3rd, 1908, and approximately 100 performances followed in the next year, with it often thought of as the first major British symphony. The third movement (adagio) is considered by many to be the most perfect and lyrical of all of Elgar's works, which Hans Richter called "an Adagio such as Beethoven might have written." The work is frequently performed in the United Kingdom today, and it features occasionally in programs in continental Europe and North America. Instrumentation: 3(3rd dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp(2): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).

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Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 8-88-852670-6

ISBN13: 979-8-88-852670-5

UPC: 676737924652

SKU: 36-A504201

Instrumentation: 3(3rd dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp(2): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) stands as the towering figure of British music in the early twentieth century, a composer who brought the symphonic tradition of continental Europe to England and transformed its musical landscape. Largely self-taught and working outside London's establishment for much of his career, Elgar developed a distinctive voice marked by sweeping lyricism, sophisticated orchestration, and deep engagement with the Romantic idiom. His symphonies, concertos, and choral works secured his international reputation and established him as a major voice whose influence extended well beyond his lifetime.

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Why we love this

This symphony represents British orchestral writing at its finest, and the third movement (Adagio) genuinely deserves its legendary status. The work demands serious orchestral resources but rewards that investment handsomely, offering musicians of advanced capability a chance to sink their teeth into music of structural ambition and emotional depth that never feels overwrought.

What to expect

The symphony unfolds with the confidence of a composer at full maturity, moving from a declarative opening through surging, generous melody toward the luminous Adagio, where time seems to suspend. The final movement returns to vigor and affirmation, yet carries the spiritual weight of everything that preceded it. This is music of consequence written by someone who understood the orchestra's voice as deeply as any composer of his era.

Who it's for

This score is designed for conductors leading advanced community orchestras, college and university ensembles, and professional orchestras seeking to program a cornerstone work of the British symphonic tradition. Musicians must read fluently at a professional level, and the ensemble needs sufficient string depth (the set indicates 9-8-7-6-5 string distribution) to support the work's harmonic and textural demands.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the eight-part string texture carefully in the Adagio, where inner voices carry essential harmonic and melodic material; avoid letting violas and cellos disappear beneath the first violins.
Establish clear sectional independence between brass choirs, particularly in the first movement, where trumpet and horn passages need definition without sacrificing the overall sweep of the phrase.
Attend to Elgar's dynamic markings with precision; his gradual crescendos and diminuendos shape entire sections, and rushing these transitions flattens the emotional arc.
Let the two harps breathe independently in their written passages rather than treating them as a single sonority; they support rather than dominate the orchestral texture.

How to use it

Position this work as a centerpiece in a concert devoted to British symphonic music, or pair it with other Elgar orchestral works to create a substantial program exploring his mastery of the form. Its immediate success at premiere and continued frequent performance in the United Kingdom make it an excellent choice for marking important occasions or celebrating the breadth of the standard repertoire with audiences hungry for major structural works.