Vaughan Williams began this work - his earliest known piece for a solo instrument with orchestra - in 1896 shortly after returning to the Royal College of Music to study composition with Stanford and completed it in 1904. After his death the manuscript was donated to the British Library and it was here that the pianist Mark Bebbington rediscovered it in 2010 subsequently recording it for Somm Records. The work shows influences of late nineteenth-century composers but also hallmarks of Vaughan Williams's later style and maturity. As such it offers a fascinating glimpse into the composer's development as well as being a powerful work in its own right. This isits first publication; a reduction for two pianos is also available on sale. Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.
