T. Adès, M. Suckling, E. Hughes, D. Marianelli, and D. Pritchard. Five autograph manuscripts, c.2004-2016

Sold in aid of the University of York Music Press (UYMP)

Thomas Adès, Martin Suckling, Ed Hughes, Dario Marianelli, and Deborah Pritchard.

Five autograph manuscripts

Adès, Thomas (b.1971). Autograph draft for the 'Witches Trio' from Act 2 of The Exterminating Angel, boldly signed in red pen at the foot of the draft ("ThomasAdès"), notated in pencil in short score on systems of varying length, the draft labelled at the head in black ballpoint, the voice parts labelled ("Let[icia Meynar], Sil[via de Avíla], Bl[anca Delgado]"), with some indications of scoring, and containing numerous erasures and deletions, 1 page, oblong folio (29.5 x 42cm), 18-stave paper, no place or date, [c.2016]

Suckling, Martin (b.1981). Two autograph sketches, for Psalm (after Celan) and the fourth movement of the Piano Concerto, each initialled by the composer ("MS"), the former notated in multicoloured inks, the latter also in pencil, 2 pages, oblong 4to and oblong folio (21x 29.7cm and 29.5 x 42cm), the folio leaf 18-stave paper, the 4to leaf bearing hand-drawn staves of varying length, no place or date [2015-2016], tiny tears to inside edge of smaller leaf, vertical fold to larger leaf

Hughes, Ed (b.1968). Autograph sketches for bb.75-121 of the third movement ('Night Toccata') of Night Music, for solo piano and electronics, signed twice ("EHughes"), notated in pencil on four two-stave systems, the pages numbered '5' and '6', 2 pages, oblong folio (29.7 x 42cm), 16-stave paper, no place or date, [c.2014]

Marianelli, Dario (b.1963). Autograph sketches for the themes in the 2004 film The Brothers Grimm, signed ("Dario Marianelli"), notated in pencil, the themes numbered '1'-'8' ("Bros...Fear...Forest...Children...Queen Sexy..."), with some deletions and corrections, 1 page, oblong folio (29.8 x cm), 18-stave paper, no place or date, [c.2004], some creasing and vertical and horizontal folds; with a signed typed note by the composer referring to the sketchleaf

Pritchard, Deborah (b.1977). Autograph sketch for Inside Colour for solo violin, signed ("Deborah Pritchard"), a graphic manuscript comprising three manuscript strips with music in pencil affixed to card, annotated and illustrated in black ink and watercolour, 1 page, folio (29.6 x 42cm), no place, 2016

Thomas Adès's opera The Exterminating Angel was inspired by film-maker Luis Buñuel's surrealist masterpiece El Ángel Exterminador; it received its premiere at the Haus für Mozart, Salzburg, on 28 July 2016. Martin Suckling is Professor of Composition at the University of York. Psalm (after Celan) was written in 2015 and first performed by the Aurora Orchestra on 9 November of that year at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. His Piano Concerto was commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and received its first performance, with Tom Poster as soloist, on 12 October 2016 at the Younger Hall, University of St. Andrews. Ed Hughes is currently Senior Lecturer in Music at Sussex University. His haunting score Night Music (2014) was written in response to archive footage from the Imperial War Museum. The Italian composer Dario Marianelli (b.1963) is particularly known for his frequent collaborations with the director Joe Wright, providing the film scores for Pride and Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007), The Soloist (2009), Anna Karenina (2012) and Darkest Hour (2017). Deborah Pritchard's Inside Colour (2016), for solo violin, was inspired by images of the Aurora taken from the International Space Station.

Manuscripts by living composers have become rare items, swept aside by technology. Few composers cultivate individual calligraphy when they can access sophisticated music notation on their ipads or computers. This sale of autograph manuscripts, sketches and scores composed in the last twenty years therefore represents a special opportunity.

The manuscripts comprising lots 82-93 are offered for sale by the University of York Music Press (UYMP), a charity that champions contemporary concert composers, with a focus on helping younger composers establish themselves.

The lots in this section encompass music for the concert hall, opera house and film by some of today's best-known composers: Thomas Adès, George Benjamin, James MacMillan, and Debbie Wiseman. Included too are those who continue to write an elegant calligraphy - Robert Saxton, Michael Finnissy, and Judith Weir. Most topical is John Rutter's anthem for Ukraine. Particularly fascinating is a sketch by the late Harrison Birtwistle (his initials at the foot of the manuscript were the last thing he ever wrote).

Altogether, twenty-two composers are represented in the sale, all of whom have donated their manuscripts for the support of UYMP's charitable activity.