Three of the most outstanding waltzes from Tchaikovsky's ballet masterpiece have been thoughtfully arranged as a 15-minute dance suite by Carl Simpson, who also prepared the new critical edition of the complete ballet. The final waltz is the most familar, but the two others offer quite different perspectives on the familar dance form from the Russian master.

Newly edited and engraved study score for the original 1877 version of Tchaikovsky's first ballet masterpiece. Includes Preface, Synopsis, and Cast of Characters. This is the complete orchestral score, not a piano reduction, based upon the composer's autograph, the first edition issued by P. Jurgenson, and the score from Tchaikovsky's complete works. Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky's first venture into ballet, was only moderately successful in its first production at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. Choreographer Julius Reissinger's dances were not well received, and those of his successor Joseph Peter Hansen fared no better. The ballet was propelled into the permanent repertoire only after a brilliant revival mounted by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in St. Petersburg more than a year after Tchaikovsky's death from cholera. A new, reasonably priced study score that will be invaluable to students, conductors, music lovers and ballet aficionados everywhere.

Ravel composed the original piano version of this piece in 1899 after resuming his studies at the Paris Conservatory. It was published the next year and became an overnight success. Despite some self-criticism of his youthful work for being "poor in form," Ravel thought well enough of it to prepare an orchestral version in late 1910, which was given its premiere under the baton of Henry Wood at the Manchester Gentlemen's Concerts on 27 February 1911. This newly-engraved critical edition will be appreciated by Ravel fans, students, and conductors everywhere.

Debussy orchestrated two of the three Gymnopedies composed by his friend Erik Satie after giving an impromptu performance of the piano originals at the home of conductor Gustave Doret, who was so taken with them that he commissioned Debussy to prepare an orchestral setting for an upcoming concert, which was given on Feb. 20, 1897. Though Satie's piano originals are easily his most famous and beloved work now, they were virtually unknown in 1897. Debussy's orchestration of the first and last, presented in reverse order, did much to establish the younger composer's reputation. This newly engraved, critical edition makes these exquistite orchestral miniatures available in an affordable, easy-to-read score for the first time.

Newly edited and engraved. The composer considered an orchestral suite from his great ballet, but never got around to extracting it. An unknown editor compiled the first version, which was issued by Jurgenson in 1900. The Soviet state publishers produced their own version in 1954, adding 3 dance movements and omitting the finale from the original suite. This new score includes all the movements found in the two different versions of the suite.

A study score of the spectacular new setting for wind symphony. Simpson's orchestration is the first one for winds based upon the composer's manuscript instead of the flawed 1886 edition of the piano original. Edited by the eminent American composer of wind music, Alfred Reed.