Frederick Delius

[Mirror Image]

Good to hear, Scarpia.

[vandermolen]

By the way, I would love for all the participants (sans those who dislike Delius ) to answer these questions:

1. What was the first work you heard by Delius? Was this work love on first-listen?

2. What would you say are your favorite works from Delius?

3. Would you say Delius' music is difficult for people to understand? If yes, why do you feel this way?

1. Probably In a Summer Garden (Barbirolli) I think that a friend had it on LP when I was at university - yes, love on first listen. Oddly I associate it with having a youthful crush on a barmaid in a local pub whom I never had the courage to talk to. In this respect I identified strongly with Charlie Brown. 

2. In a Summer Garden, the Piano Concerto, Paris, North Country Sketches, Brigg Fair, Requiem

3. No, quite approachable if your in the right frame of mind I think.

Prob my first Delius LP:

[Mirror Image]

1. Probably In a Summer Garden (Barbirolli) I think that a friend had it on LP when I was at university - yes, love on first listen. Oddly I associate it with having a youthful crush on a barmaid in a local pub whom I never had the courage to talk to. In this respect I identified strongly with Charlie Brown. 

2. In a Summer Garden, the Piano Concerto, Paris, North Country Sketches, Brigg Fair, Requiem

3. No, quite approachable if your in the right frame of mind I think.

Prob my first Delius LP:

Very nice, Jeffrey. In a Summer Garden was the first work I heard as well, but only I heard Mackerras' performance of it on Decca. What to you think of the string concerti: Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, and Double Concerto?

[vandermolen]

Very nice, Jeffrey. In a Summer Garden was the first work I heard as well, but only I heard Mackerras' performance of it on Decca. What to you think of the string concerti: Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, and Double Concerto?

Hi John. I like the VC but am less familiar with the others - but the Piano Concerto is my favourite.
This LP gave me a lot of pleasure:

[Dima]

By the way, I would love for all the participants (sans those who dislike Delius ) to answer these questions:

1. What was the first work you heard by Delius? Was this work love on first-listen?

2. What would you say are your favorite works from Delius?

3. Would you say Delius' music is difficult for people to understand? If yes, why do you feel this way?

1. Gennady Rozhdestvensky have made special concerts in Moscow introducing russian listeners to English music (it was
about 10 concerts). He made also lectures on this concerts. There I listened to Delius for the first time. It was concerto
for piano. It was played by Viktoriya Postnikova. My impressions was: Postnikova played this concerto as it was the
greatest concerto in the world, but it was just rather interesting work as I thought. I have the recording of this concert
with Postnikova, but still didn't relisten it. I will listen it one day, because today my view on Delius changed radically.

2. As I have said I don't know many of his works, but when my friend sent me for relaxing two parts from Florida Suite I
was impressed much. These parts:
a) Delius - Florida Suite: III. Around the Plantation ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daavjUkUzss )
b) Florida Suite: At Night ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI1OsWSb5ls )

3. These music I think is for those who prefer slow beautiful relaxing music.

P.S. I'm going to watch the film about Delius life because I don't know nothing about him.

[Mirror Image]

Okay, I'm back to hating Delius.

[SymphonicAddict]

I don't think that Delius will be one of my favorite British (or whatever nationality) composers, but I do enjoy some works of his, being my overall favorite Florida Suite. In spite of being an early work, it's a sincere, pastoral, lovely and bucolic piece of a significant inspiration. Besides it, the violin sonatas, Appalachia and the String Quartet are other firm favorites. I've listened to the most of his orchestral works, whilst they are pleasant, they don't grab me as much as I wanted.

[Mirror Image]

I don't think that Delius will be one of my favorite British (or whatever nationality) composers, but I do enjoy some works of his, being my overall favorite Florida Suite. In spite of being an early work, it's a sincere, pastoral, lovely and bucolic piece of a significant inspiration. Besides it, the violin sonatas, Appalachia and the String Quartet are other firm favorites. I've listened to the most of his orchestral works, whilst they are pleasant, they don't grab me as much as I wanted.

I truly have a love/hate relationship with the composer and I understand completely where you're coming from and really anyone who doesn't like a lot of his music.

[SymphonicAddict]

I truly have a love/hate relationship with the composer and I understand completely where you're coming from and really anyone who doesn't like a lot of his music.

Why do you mention 'hate'? Don't you like completely his music?

[springrite]

Okay, I'm back to hating Delius.

It must be fun to be your lover, with frequent sabbaticals in between and many inevitable reunions.

[Mirror Image]

It must be fun to be your lover, with frequent sabbaticals in between and many inevitable reunions.

Ssshhhh....don't tell them.

[Mirror Image]

Why do you mention 'hate'? Don't you like completely his music?

Not completely, no. I have periods where I like it, but then, at other times, I wonder what the in the world was he thinking and why I'm even listening?

Edit: I think I have finally just moved on from Delius as his music doesn't fulfill me any longer. I don't know how to explain it. There are just so many better composers than Delius and ones that have a lot of variety in their music to keep me on my toes. But I suppose the most important thing is I'm not head-over-hills in love with his music like I am say Debussy's. I truly believe there's only but a handful of composers that end up being favorites after all of the dust has settled. Delius was a composer I liked a lot early on, but I realize now that I've simply moved on and my tastes over time have become much more refined, but I've also become a lot more critical of other composers as well. Whether this is a good or bad is not for me to say, but it's how I have felt for the past two years or so.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I don't think that Delius will be one of my favorite British (or whatever nationality) composers, but I do enjoy some works of his, being my overall favorite Florida Suite. In spite of being an early work, it's a sincere, pastoral, lovely and bucolic piece of a significant inspiration. Besides it, the violin sonatas, Appalachia and the String Quartet are other firm favorites. I've listened to the most of his orchestral works, whilst they are pleasant, they don't grab me as much as I wanted.

I'm somewhere close to that. Some of his miniatures are absolutely unique. Walk to the Paradise Garden, etc, but the long form works don't really resonate, except for Briggs fair, which I remember as an extended rhapsody of folk inspired music. As I said somewhere above, a very fine composer with a limited scope. I'm curious about the chamber music.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

It must be fun to be your lover, with frequent sabbaticals in between and many inevitable reunions.

"I love you" (goes to mail box, returns) "I hate you."  Yes, would be epic.

[vandermolen]

My views are similar to Cesar's I think. Delius has never been one of my favourite composers and some of his most popular works like A Walk to the Paradise Garden I don't like at all. However, the Piano Concerto and In a Summer Garden are works that I think very highly of, also the North Country Sketches. He is sometimes compared to Moeran but I much prefer Moeran's music on the whole.

[aukhawk]

P.S. I'm going to watch the film about Delius life because I don't know nothing about him.

Spoiler

Delius:  Fenby, I feel a tune coming on - take this down - [in a monotone] TAAAA TA TAA, TAAAA TA TAA

Fenby:  [quietly to himself] **^@#~%* !!

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

My views are similar to Cesar's I think. Delius has never been one of my favourite composers and some of his most popular works like A Walk to the Paradise Garden I don't like at all. However, the Piano Concerto and In a Summer Garden are works that I think very highly of, also the North Country Sketches. He is sometimes compared to Moeran but I much prefer Moeran's music on the whole.

Don't like the "Walk?" How can that be? 

I have a recording of the piano concerto, paired with the Ireland concerto. Maybe I should pull it out.

[Roasted Swan]

He is sometimes compared to Moeran

Where?!  I've read most of the Delius and all of the Moeran literature and I can't remember a detailed comparison being made anywhere.  Quite quite different - Moeran influenced by folksong/the Elizabethans and Sibelius in his symphony.  Delius none of the above.  Neither do they share the same aesthetic. 

Not sure the occasional similar harmonic progression counts as being comparable.......  The only tangible link is they both knew Philip Heseltine/Peter Warlock well

[Florestan]

The only Delius I've heard so far is Idylle de Printemps from this:



I quite liked it --- nay, it sounded right up my alley, actually. So where do I get from here?

[Roasted Swan]

The only Delius I've heard so far is Idylle de Printemps from this:



I quite liked it --- nay, it sounded right up my alley, actually. So where do I get from here?

Probably with a collection of the shorter works in a similar vein to the Idylle you mention.  This Naxos disc is an exceptionally well programmed and played selection and NOT just of the miniature "pops".  There are some rare gems here as well as things such as "The Walk to the Paradise Garden" which - pace Vandermolen - capture the very essence of Delius

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After that the bigger orchestral works - Appalachia / Songs of the High Hills / North Country Sketches are all wonderful works and very typical of his pantheistic vision.  In many ways his "Mass of Life" is the work which embodies his life's creed the best - but its not the easiest work to assimilate.  If you do fancy it my favourite performance is the blazing live version on Intaglio featuring a young Te Kanawa's UK debut (or very early performance at least)

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