How to identify a first printing
- A printed-music publisher (scores, songbooks, contemporary classical): most product is sheet music identified by a plate/catalog number and edition designation, not by a trade-book printer's number line.
- First issues of a given score are identified by the original plate number and the absence of later-impression notices; reprints often carry a 'Reprinted' notice with a year.
- Where Faber Music issues bound trade-style books, a number line may appear; otherwise rely on plate/catalog numbers.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1965 as a sister company to Faber and Faber, created largely to publish the music of Benjamin Britten, who was involved as a director until his death in 1976; it is a separate company from the literary Faber and Faber.
- Collectible chiefly for first printings of scores by major modern composers (Britten, Malcolm Arnold, Imogen Holst and others) and for licensed pop/rock songbook folios.
- Do not apply trade-book first-edition rules to engraved scores; sheet-music bibliography relies on plate numbers and impression notices.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Faber Music book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. A printed-music publisher (scores, songbooks, contemporary classical): most product is sheet music identified by a plate/catalog number and edition designation, not by a trade-book printer's number line. First issues of a given score are identified by the original plate number and the absence of later-impression notices; reprints often carry a 'Reprinted' notice with a year.
Does Faber Music use a number line?
First issues of a given score are identified by the original plate number and the absence of later-impression notices; reprints often carry a 'Reprinted' notice with a year.
Is a book-club edition a Faber Music first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1965 as a sister company to Faber and Faber, created largely to publish the music of Benjamin Britten, who was involved as a director until his death in 1976; it is a separate company from the literary Faber and Faber.
What era does this cover?
This covers Faber Music (1965-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.