Full Score. Corrected edition.
Bax wrote his overture to a Picaresque Comedy in 1930. Legend has it he did it response to a bet he could not outdo Richard Strauss. Whilst there is no evidence the part about the bet is true, Bax certainly takes plenty of tongue-in-cheek, good-natured pokes at Strauss in this vivacious piece. In addition, Bax referred to it as his Douglas Fairbanks Overture and there is more than a hint of the swashbuckling action Fairbanks was famous for.
A large B4 size full score is available FMP 10042401b4
Orchestral parts are also available under FMP 11042401