RARE early edition of a piano-vocal score of The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten) - an oratorio by Joseph Haydn (Hob.XXI:3) in an arrangement (for singers with piano accompaniment) by Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838), a German composer and a friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven. First performed in April 1801 in Vienna, the oratorio was published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1802. 225x260mm. 193 pages. Hardcover. Cover rubbed and stained. Cover edges and corners bumped and peeling. Tattered sticker on front cover. Bottom corner of front cover and some pages missing or worn - NO damage to text/music. Spine missing. Spine hinges tattered. Cover, pages 1-14 and 185-193 almost detached. Binning coming loose. Pages wavy and yellowing. [SUMMARY]: This extremely rare early edition of a classical masterpiece has sustained some damage, but is otherwise in good condition.