G. GERSHWIN. MANUSCRIPTS BY RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT OF FIVE "GERSHWIN SONGS", IN UNPUBLISHED ARRANGEMENTS, 1991

Including 'Maybe', 'Soon', 'Who cares', 'Embraceable you' and 'By Strauss', arranged by Bennett for voice, flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet, the full score notated in black ink on two systems of up to twelve staves each, with time-signatures added in blue ink, comprising five songs in four manuscripts ('Maybe' and 'Soon' are segued):

I 'Maybe--soon (1926/9)', comprising the chorus: "Soon or late, maybe if you wait...", from the duet in the 1926 musical Oh Kay!, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin), and 'Soon', the chorus: "[...and] soon, my dear, you'll never be lonely", from the song in the 1930 revival of Strike up the Band with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, 11 pages, dated "Sept. 2", with Bennett's timing: 4'35"



2. 'Who cares (1931)', with the lyrics found in the separate editions (and as used in Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959), "Let it rain and thunder! Let a million firms go under!" (altered from Ira Gershwin's original version found in the musical Of Thee I Sing), 8 pages, dated "Sept 5.", with the timing: 1'50"



3. 'Embraceable you (1930)', from the musical Girl Crazy, with Ira Gershwin's lyrics (slightly adapted), "Dozens of guys would storm up. I had to lock my door", 10 pages, dated "Sep.4", with the timing: 3'45"



4. 'By Strauss (1936)', with Ira Gershwin's lyrics "Away with the Music of Broadway, Be off with your Irving Berlin!", used for the Gershwins' private performances, but subsequently included in Vincente Minnelli's musical The Show is On, 11 pages, dated "Sep.9", with the timing 2'20"



40 pages, folio (c.37 x 25.5cm), 24-stave paper, the leaves written on one side only and taped back-to-back at the edges, New York, 2 September to 9 September [1991], remains of adhesive tape at edges

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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These unpublished Gershwin arrangements have remained in the possession of the present owner, who commissioned them from Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012) in 1991. Bennett was the composer of the opera The Mines of Sulphur (1965), the Academy Award-nominated film scores for Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974); and also for Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).  The precise timings at the end of each manuscript reflect Bennett's professional practice as a film composer.