Britten's Aldeburgh

Whittington Press, Leominster, Herefordshire, first edition, 1997. Limited edition, this being one of 60 copies signed by the artist specially bound with an additional portfolio of engravings signed and dated by the artist, from a total edition of 440. Half-Oasis turquoise goatskin and boards, with portfolio, slipcased, 34 cm,. [67] pp, ills ( some tipped-in and folding). The book has eighty-one engravings and three two-colour linocuts by John Craig. The portfolio has 6 further engravings, signed and dated by him. From a review of the book by Dennis Hall in Parenthesis: "The title crouches low on the page and wide letterspacing of the title suggests a bleak, spare, flat landscape. John Craig has rewalked the routes Benjamin Britten took while thinking about his music. The book is musical, it flows, not a justified line of type in sight. Blocks and text crouch low to avoid the wind. In the engravings, the fishing boats all have slightly dif-ferent shaped stems, at sea or on the beach, different solutions to the problem of smoothing the wake through the water. The houses again show knowledge, they may be looking towards Holland but they are very East Anglian, only the Venetian engraving is picture-postcardish. You can feel the cold and the colophon shows with honesty a driving easterly rainstorm.. The book is successful as every aspect works well. Good text, very sympathetic wood engravings, lively design, partly an outside influence, beautifully produced and printed by a Press with the experience to be confident in what they are doing. Copy number XIX. Spine sunned to green (as common). One small mark to slipcase which also has a small dent to one edge, otherwise Fine.