Gustav Helsted Decet (1891) for wind quintet, string quartet & double bass Dur. 35′
PREFACE Gustav Helsted’s Decet Op.18 was completed in July 1891. The work is written for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass. The composer’s original manuscript is to be found in the Helsted Collection at the Royal Library, Copenhagen and was donated to the library following Helsted’s death in March 1924. A set of hand-written parts exists (not at the Royal Library but in the possession of the Danish Amateur Orchestral Society) but, judging from the hand writing on the title pages, these are much more recent and incorporate some of the cuts and various alterations made to the original score (see below). While these parts have been consulted, the present edition is wholly based on the original manuscript found in the Royal Library, Copenhagen. The purpose of this publication is to provide a performing edition of the original version of the work, ignoring all cuts, and restoring the numerous alterations noted below to their original state. The manuscript contains many pencil markings: mostly cuts, alterations removing certain phrases in individual parts, and a large number of annotations underneath the double bass stave. In addition, there appears to be a date written in pencil on the title page of the manuscript (10 - 2 - 13) suggesting that the pencil annotations under the bass stave may have been made in conjunction with a performance of the work on February 13 1913. These markings fall into two categories: 1. Cues (e.g. “Fag” is written underneath the bassoon entry in bar 62 of the first movement); 2. Interpretative markings (e.g. “rit.” in bar 17 of the second movement). Since it is not clear whether these annotations, together with the alterations and cuts made in pencil, have been made by the composer or some other person, they have been ignored in the preparation of the present edition. The rehearsal letters in the manuscript are added in pencil and these have been retained. From page 103 of the manuscript to the final page a thicker paper type has been used which has faded considerably less than pages 1–102. There is no indication that this represents a recomposition or alteration of the work. Occasional apparent differences in ink colour have been ignored. Thanks are due to the following for their assistance in preparation of this edition: Claus RøllumLarsen at the Royal Library, Bo Andersen for inputting the original material, Kenneth Richardson for proof reading and the musicians of Randers Kammerorkester for their assistance in contributing numerous corrections while rehearsing and recording the work. David Riddell