CROTCH, William 1775-1847

Palestine A Sacred Oratorio, The words by Reginald Heber, (Late Bishop of Calcutta) The music by William Crotch, Mus. Doc. Professor of Music in the University of Oxford. Arranged by the Author. Second Edition. ... Price 31/6. [Piano-vocal score]

London: Cramer, Addison & Beale [PN 2552], 1839.

Large folio. Full dark blue cloth with titling gilt to spine. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 189, [i] (contents) pp. Engraved.

With signature of musicologist and organist William A. Little to front pastedown.

Binding worn, rubbed, and bumped; head and tail of spine frayed with some loss; endpapers worn and stained. Minor wear; light uniform browning; corners slightly creased; tear to pp. 97/98 repaired with archival tape

Palestine was first performed in London on 21 April 1812.

"[Crotch] was an exceptional child prodigy and became one of the most distinguished English musicians of his day ... In London [he] became well known as a teacher, composer and scholar... In April 1812 came the performance of his oratorio Palestine, his most conspicuously successful work. It was repeated many times in London and the provinces, though Crotch never printed the score and charged 200 guineas for the loan of the instrumental parts and his own attendance as conductor at each performance. ... His contemporary reputation was founded on his oratorio Palestine, the first even moderately successful oratorio composed in England since Handel’s day." Nicholas Temperley and Simon Heighes in Grove Music Online.

Item #38881

Price: $385.00  other currencies