Frederick Delius

[SonicMan46]

I used to enjoy The Mass of Life until I sang in it. Close up and getting into the guts of it, apart from the opening chorus, I became increasingly disenchanted with it, the structure is poor and basically, panthistic rubbish, unredeemed by the music.

I enjoy quite a bit of his work, but not this turkey.

Hello, Mike - I was encouraged by Sarge's comments, and can understand you as a singer not enjoying a work, esp. one that is done repeatedly (e.g. my wife is a soprano who has sung in many concerts, and when Carmina Burana, as an example, is to be performed, she - and others - get nauseated!  Now, I love that work, I guess as a non-singer); so, my question, are you re-acting in this manner as a professional singer, or will us non-singing 'peons' still enjoyed this Delius performance?  Thanks - Dave 

[tjguitar]

I'm generally not a fan of choral stuff, but this review makes me interested:

http://thompsonian.info/massrevw.html

[knight66]

Sonic Man.....I am not sure I can tell, as with your wife, I would cringe if Carmina Burana hoved into view again. There is another chorus in the Delius I can now recall liking...lots of la-la-laing in it. I am not a professional singer, so was just part of the chorus. It is quite possibly effective from its surface. I had it on LP and when I got rid of the LPs, I never replaced it. I think it is just about the only standard major choral work I don't have. That was how cheesed off I was with it.

By the way, Hickox has only recorded it once, so the different covers do not indicate a different performance.

Mike

[Sergeant Rock]

Hello, Mike - I was encouraged by Sarge's comments, and can understand you as a singer not enjoying a work, esp. one that is done repeatedly (e.g. my wife is a soprano who has sung in many concerts, and when Carmina Burana, as an example, is to be performed, she - and others - get nauseated!  Now, I love that work, I guess as a non-singer); so, my question, are you re-acting in this manner as a professional singer, or will us non-singing 'peons' still enjoyed this Delius performance?  Thanks - Dave 

Dave, you might want to heed Mike here. I had to smile at his description but I understand his reaction. I have a feeling this is a work not many will love. It reminds me of RVW's Sea Symphony in that it has an arresting, powerful opening but nothing after that is quite on the same level. I love it (and the Sea Symphony) but can't guarantee you will. Therefore, approach with caution.

Sarge

[karlhenning]

Gosh, someone else has already written A Mass of Life Requiem, eh? 

[Sergeant Rock]

Gosh, someone else has already written A Mass of Life Requiem, eh? 

Yes, Delius beat you to it, Karl. Back to the drawing board.

Sarge

[johnshade]

I am a native of north Florida and have several recordings of Delius. This is my favorite Delius especially the Florida Suite. It is truly a great CD.
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Delius based his Florida Suite, composed in 1887, on native American music and African-American spirituals. Dvorak's Symphony #9, From the New World, was composed after the Florida Suite in 1893. I believe that the Florida Suite is equally as delightful as Dvorak's symphony. The Florida Suite is influenced by the native music Delius heard while living on an orange grove near Jacksonville, Florida.

[Hector]

I am a native of north Florida and have several recordings of Delius. This is my favorite Delius especially the Florida Suite. It is truly a great CD.
.

.
Delius based his Florida Suite, composed in 1887, on native American music and African-American spirituals. Dvorak's Symphony #9, From the New World, was composed after the Florida Suite in 1893. I believe that the Florida Suite is equally as delightful as Dvorak's symphony. The Florida Suite is influenced by the native music Delius heard while living on an orange grove near Jacksonville, Florida.

And puts to bed the lie that Delius is a schnooze composer.

If you cannot relate to the Florida Suite, then...

Pity it is not programmed more often.

[flyingdutchman]

The Beecham collection is the one set of disks that I drove from Southern Michigan to Chicago and Rose Records for one day back in 1987.  The best there is of Delius and worth every penny (and the drive).

[Harry Collier]

I grew up with the Beecham recordings of Sea Drift and Paris, and still have a very soft spot for both works. I find I have to be in a particular mood to enjoy Delius ... but when the mood cometh, I enjoy!

[Montpellier]

I grew up with the Beecham recordings of Sea Drift and Paris, and still have a very soft spot for both works. I find I have to be in a particular mood to enjoy Delius ... but when the mood cometh, I enjoy!

I'm still stuck on Beecham's Delius performances.  He recorded many important works on tape thankfully which has allowed them to be resuscitated with reasonable results.  (The only other Paris I can get on with is Anthony Collins' done by Decca and reissued by Dutton).   These are old recordings but Beecham definitely had magic with Delius.  Well, they knew each other.  More recent recordings are nice and digitally sparkly but they lack something - just an opinion because I've nothing against digital recordings! 

[Sean]

I am a native of north Florida and have several recordings of Delius. This is my favorite Delius especially the Florida Suite. It is truly a great CD.
.

.
Delius based his Florida Suite, composed in 1887, on native American music and African-American spirituals. Dvorak's Symphony #9, From the New World, was composed after the Florida Suite in 1893. I believe that the Florida Suite is equally as delightful as Dvorak's symphony. The Florida Suite is influenced by the native music Delius heard while living on an orange grove near Jacksonville, Florida.

I bought that CD- memorable coloratura role.

[tjguitar]

Looks like Chandos is reissuing a number of its Delius recordings into a 2-for-1 double CD set:

FREDERICK DELIUS (1862-1934)

The Essential Delius



Florida Suite 

North Country Sketches 

Air and Dance

On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring 

Summer Night on the River 

A Song before Sunrise 

Two Aquarelles 

Intermezzo and Serenade from 'Hassan'

Prelude from 'Irmelin' 

Late Swallows 

Intermezzo from 'Fennimore and Gerda' 

The Walk to the Paradise Garden 

In a Summer Garden



Ulster Orchestra / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley

Bournemouth Sinfonietta / Norman Del Mar

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox



A comprehensive and richly varied Delius programme has been put together for this new two-CD collection. Vernon Handley's splendid Ulster performance of the comparatively rarely heard Florida Suite is complemented with, among others, North Country Sketches, a work which reveals a Debussyan influence.



Richard Hickox is a sensitive and flexible Delian and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra plays passionately for him, especially in The Walk to the Paradise Garden. The collection demonstrates the glittering qualities of Delius's enchanting music which evokes an atmosphere of serene pleasure in nature.



These are conductors and orchestras performing at the top of their form, and the anthology will serve collectors as the perfect introduction to this marvellous composer. Quotes at original release:



Well-filled 2-CD set, an embarrassment of riches. It is well-played, splendidly recorded, delicately shaded, and rich in expression...

American Record Guide



The sultry, sensuous beauty and vibrant colour is wonderfully evoked... a strong contender for my CD of the year.

BBC Music Magazine



...the Chandos recording allows Delius's palette of colours to shine through.

BBC Music Magazine



Chandos 241 CHAN241-37

from http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/NR_August07/CHAN241-37.htm

[vandermolen]

I like the Piano Concerto best (original version was recently issued on Hyperion with John Ireland's great "Legend"). I also like the underrated Requiem which has a very moving closing section.

[Mark]

I don't know what it is about Delius, but his music doesn't appeal to me very much. And I say this as a lover of British classical music. His works 'meander' far too much; first a rise, then a fall, then another rise. In places, Elgar can do the same - but Elgar is redeemed a little for having what I think are the better tunes. With Delius, you reach a point where you're sure you know what's likely to come next, how something might develop, then it all just descends into more of the same. Admittedly, I've not heard everything by the man, but if I want works which wander in a similar way to those of Delius, I put on Bax's tone poems, some of which also have a musically meandering quality.

[Harry]

Delius is a fine composer, and it takes some time to balance your mind to it, meandering as it were.
If your life is not such a turmoil anymore, you might enjoy Delius more as you ever thought you would.
The twofar from Chandos is a excellent bargain, with fine recorded sound.

[m_gigena]

What about A village Romeo and Juliet?

Is it worth listening? I downloaded it a few weeks ago and is in my things-to-listen list.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Ever since 1984, when there was a whole series on BBC World Service about Delius, I have an intense love for his music. Favourites include:

the Violin Concerto (Ralph Holmes, but also the historic one with Albert Sammons)

Cello Concerto (Du Pré)

Requiem (Meredith Davies conducting, EMI)

Mass of Life (Groves)

Cynara (orchestral song, John Shirley-Quirk as soloist)

Sea-Drift (Groves, Hickox)

Song of the High Hills (Fenby conducting)

Idyll (Meredith Davies)

and many shorter works that are well-known, like On Hearing The First Cukoo In Spring et al.

Brian and Delius were my two favourite composers in the 'eighties - power and beauty, two sides of the same coin (to me).

[Larry Rinkel]

I don't know what it is about Delius, but his music doesn't appeal to me very much. And I say this as a lover of British classical music. His works 'meander' far too much; first a rise, then a fall, then another rise. In places, Elgar can do the same - but Elgar is redeemed a little for having what I think are the better tunes. With Delius, you reach a point where you're sure you know what's likely to come next, how something might develop, then it all just descends into more of the same.

More or less agree.

[Montpellier]

Delius was much of a symbolist (to me).  Many sleeve and programme notes claim that one either loves or hates Delius - there's little between.  I'm on the 'love' side though there are works I don't like. 

Much depends on performance.  Trite performances have done neither Delius nor the audiences any favours. 

I still think (from the very few recordings I've heard) that Beecham's Village Romeo and Juliet is the best rendition. 

The BBC issued recordings of a few of his opera.