Edward Elgar’s inscribed copy of the three volume full orchestral score of Wagner’s Parsifal, acquired during one of his two visits to Bayreuth in 1892 or 1902. In the first volume Elgar records his acquisition of the score by writing ‘Edward Elgar Bayreuth’ on the verso of the title page, limiting himself to ‘Edward Elgar’ in the third volume. There is annotation scattered through the three volumes relating to the text, sometimes adding phrase markings and alternative English translations of the libretto - many of these seem to belong to one ‘R.O.E.’ to whom Elgar gave the scores in 1922 but we have yet to identify him - despite his tantalising surname beginning with an ‘E’. A single marking only can definitively be attributed to Elgar, coming late in Act III and reading ‘record begins’ - seemingly a reference to Elgar’s enjoyment of the Berlin Philharmonic’s momentous 1913 recording (their first ever record) of four passages from Parsifal which included the Good Friday Spell from Act III (this was the Berlin Phil’s first ever recording - Elgar followed suite the following year with HMV).
Elgar is known to have seen Parsifal performed twice in 1892 at the Bayreuth Festival and three more times in 1902 with the result that it became a key inspiration for his choral work, The Dream of Gerontius which he described as ‘the best of me’. It is no surprise that the composer owned a full score of Parsifal as Elgar studied and absorbed Wagner’s music into his own creative life throughout his compositions.
DESCRIPTION: Three volumes bound in publisher’s original red pebbled cloth, gilt lettering (lightly rubbed), some spine lean. Traces of marbling to book edges. Undated; this edition is scarce institutionally but must date from after 1890 when Margaret Glyn completed her English translation that is included here.
Volume I: trace of a bookplate removed from front flyleaf. Signed ‘Edward Elgar Bayreuth’ on the verso of the title page in ink. Inscribed by a second owner: ‘R.O.E. 12.3.22’ opposite the title page with a series of page numbers and references to ‘Transformation’ and ‘Grail Scene’ in his hand, continuing opposite Elgar’s signature and with further notes relating to the lengths of each act. Annotations at pp 41 ‘Fool’, p87, 119, 167, 329.
Volume II: Inscribed on flyleaf: ‘Card in Vol I’. Further inscription by ’R.O.E.’ to verso of flyleaf and ‘Personen’. One annotation only.
Volume III: Also inscribed on flyleaf: ‘Card in Vol I’. Signature of Edward Elgar on verso of flyleaf, boldly in ink. ‘R.O.E.’ annotations in following opening in ink and pencil. Textual annotation at p10 ‘Atonement’, 24, 77-78, 134-135 ‘record begins’ in Elgar’s hand referring to Alfred Hertz’s Berlin Philharmonic recording of 1913 which selected four parts of the work.
