Gustav Holst

Somerset Rhapsody, A, Op. 21

Part of the British folk revival of the early 20th century, Gustav Holst's (1874-1934) Somerset Rhapsody consists of his interpretations of three English folk tunes from the Somerset region: "The Sheep-Shearing Song," "High Germany," and "True Love's Farewell." Holst dedicated this piece, his first major critical success, to Cecil Sharp, a chronicler of English folk music who collected the songs that Holst adapted. Holst intended the cycle to tell a story of a young couple whose relationship is interrupted by war. Somerset Rhapsody premiered in London in April 1910. Instrumentation: 2(2dPicc).2(1dObd'mr).2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set). Reprint edition.