Frederick Delius

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You certainly know how to make people part with their money, cilgwyn... 

[cilgwyn]

Oop,didn't you have this one?!! I must say I really,really AM excited about this opera!
The choral contributions are particularly marvellous! But so are the performances of the soloists. Who said Groves wasn't a great conductor? (Well.he certainly had his moments!) Listen & marvel! (Unless you hate Delius of course! )
I erm,actually think I prefer this to Porgy & Bess,in a way (gulp!) or maybe,just as much! You could even pop this on as a kind of sequel!
  Incidentally, I do prefer my Porgy & Bess with a less (overtly) operatic approach. I have had the RCA Houston recording for a while now & recently obtained the sadly deleted first 'complete' (well,not quite!) 1951 Columbia Masterworks recording from a seller. Beautiful 'retro' packaging with original artwork. They really pulled the stops out for this one. (Sony did the same for Weinberger's Schwanda.What a box!! ) This has to be one of my favourite recordings,now! Well worth shelling out for,if you like this work! The much earlier selections with Lawrence Tibbet are also very moving! (Not pc now,but he was a marvellous singer).

Of course,I musn't leave out poor old Scott Joplin. The recent recording Of 'Treemonisha' sounds very tempting. And what about the unrecorded opera's of Grant Still?!!! But that's another story for another thread?!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Oh, but I do have it, with David-Lloyd Jones and the Chelsea Opera Group. Found it on internet a few years ago, but I still have to listen to it... When I have more time, I'll dive in.

[cilgwyn]

My copy cost £13.26 altogether. I notice the s/h copies on Amazon are now £35 upwards! You really have to grab 'em while you can,don't you! Likewise,the Groves 'Mass of Life',which as you know,I have been looking for s/h for years. It suddenly came up,for around £12. I snapped it up. The same seller had the cd reissue of the BBC recording of 'The Magic Fountain' for just about £35. A bit too much,perhaps,but it often sells for much more & the copy of the 'Mass of Life' is near mint! I was sorely tempted,but luckily I have off air cassettes of a Scottish opera production. I will check these out as soon as I have the time. If I get the lead & master 'Audacity',I will make some cdrs. I have a dolby cassette deck as you know,but it would be nice to make a copy. I can also edit out the 'talking' bits with the presenters.

Fennimore & Gerda,next! I see the emi set has Soderstrom,no less!!!!!!!
EMI certainly pulled out the stops in those days!

[cilgwyn]

You certainly know how to make people part with their money, cilgwyn... 

I wonder if I could sell Koanga to Dundonnell?!!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Quote from: cilgwyn on Today at 14:25:29

I wonder if I could sell Koanga to Dundonnell?!!



Can pigs fly?

[cilgwyn]

  Judging by the noise their helicopter makes over here,at times,you never know! I just hope it doesn't turn up now,while I'm listening to Koanga!
I nearly forgot to mention....actually,I hadn't got to it;the very nice 'fill up'! The Song of the high hills. I think I prefer the vocal contributions to the ones on the Fenby Unicorn recording.The soloist was a little 'hard edged',or nasal,I think! It certainly sounds lovely here. That magical opening makes a wonderful contrast to some of the more fiery & passionate passages of Koanga. Despite the disparity of geography & inspiration,they compliment each other very well. Even more importantly,the two works underline the sheer breadth & range of Delius's inspiration. No listening to cuckoo's or 'rolling around in summer meadows' here (sorry,Dundonnell!). Mind you it could be a bit dangerous on a mountain!
  I will dig out that CBS Masterworks recording of Porgy & Bess later,just out of interest!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The Fenby "Song of the High Hills" is good, but I can imagine a better performance. I don't find the piece wholly satisfactory. It adheres to a form (a sort of sonata form, if I analyse correctly), which doesn't really suit Delius. Just as with Brian, Delius is at his best when his inspiration dictates the form... Nevertheless, there are unforgettable things in this piece!

[Mirror Image]

The Fenby "Song of the High Hills" is good, but I can imagine a better performance. I don't find the piece wholly satisfactory. It adheres to a form (a sort of sonata form, if I analyse correctly), which doesn't really suit Delius. Just as with Brian, Delius is at his best when his inspiration dictates the form... Nevertheless, there are unforgettable things in this piece!

I pretty much agree with you, Johan. I find that Delius' music flows better when he just lets the music speak. What people seem to not understand is that Delius was very much a 'progressive composer' and what I mean by this is his music takes a tiny sliver of an idea and he develops that idea until he completely exhausts it. He constantly moves from one motif to another. Structure isn't the important thing in his music. It's about mood and texture. It's good to see Koanga get some attention. I think it's a fine opera and I enjoy A Village Romeo and Juliet equally. I still haven't heard The Magic Fountain. I wish Hickox had recorded the rest of Delius' operas. The only one he recorded, to my knowledge, was Fennimore and Gerda.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well put, John. Yes, there is a unity in Delius's music, but no textbook will give you the key. You either 'get' it, or you don't. His music is certainly deserving of analysis but also, in a sense, defies it. As a Dutch poet, Willem-Jan Otten, once wrote about another Dutch poet, Jan Hendrik Leopold - you don't dissect a butterfly.

[Mirror Image]

Well put, John. Yes, there is a unity in Delius's music, but no textbook will give you the key. You either 'get' it, or you don't. His music is certainly deserving of analysis but also, in a sense, defies it. As a Dutch poet, Willem-Jan Otten, once wrote about another Dutch poet, Jan Hendrik Leopold - you don't dissect a butterfly.

To use a cliche, the key to Delius' music is to appreciate the beauty of a flower blossoming. By the way, have you heard this newer A Mass of Life recording:

[asin]B007P1837E[/asin]

I'm just curous about it. I wonder if it tops Hickox's performance? Hmmm...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

No, I haven't yet bought/heard it. So I don't know if it tops Hickox's performance. But, and this is a bit ironic - I like Sir Charles Groves's performance better (like cilgwyn). I have problems with Hickox's blandness and I don't like his baritone. Neither have I great love for his handling of its coupling, the Requiem - a wonderful work, where I prefer Meredith Davies!

[Mirror Image]

No, I haven't yet bought/heard it. So I don't know if it tops Hickox's performance. But, and this is a bit ironic - I like Sir Charles Groves's performance better (like cilgwyn). I have problems with Hickox's blandness and I don't like his baritone. Neither have I great love for his handling of its coupling, the Requiem - a wonderful work, where I prefer Meredith Davies!

You're probably quite right, Johan. I think Hickox is a bit bland in Delius myself, especially after exploring many of the recordings in this set:

[asin]B005RXKKQO[/asin]

What a treasure trove this EMI set is. I already had several of the recordings in this set, but there are some real gems buried here. There's a box set on Decca that looks interesting as many of the performances I don't own like Mackerras' Sea Drift and A Village Romeo & Juliet. Has anyone bought this set:

[Hattoff]

I have the BBC Magic Fountain and Margot la Rouge, I could upload to AMF? Hands up anyone?
I'm not enamoured with it opening over the sound of running water, it just makes me want to go to the loo Is that in the score?

[cilgwyn]

You sure it is running water,Hattoff?!!

[Hattoff]

Can't tell lately

I thought to have a listen to magic Fountain again just now, there's some incredibly beautiful music there.

[cilgwyn]

It could be Big Chief Running Water,of course!

I've got off air tapes of the Scottish opera production,of The Magic Fountain,which I've had for some years & hardly played. After listening to the Groves Koanga on repeat,for the last couple of hours,I'm finally starting to really enjoy this. Funny how something,that seemed a bit of a closed book,can suddenly open up like this!

No watery intro here,although I think I left the tape on during the 'talking' bits (with the presenters!) This is one of my better off air recordings. Very clear & in stereo! I just hope its like this all the way through. When I get the lead,I'll use this cassette deck to make some cdrs!

  Some incredibly beautiful music here! I'm really enjoying this! I definately haven't listened enough to make observations like this yet,but it strikes me as more 'Wagnerian' in places,less original than Koanga,but who cares when the music is as lovely as this!

Ooops! Tape 1,side 1 has come to an end. Must turn the cassette over!
(Remember that?!!! )

[cilgwyn]

I finished listening to The Magic Fountain. There is allot of ravishingly beautiful music here & I enjoyed listening to this opera. At the same time,I have to admit that it just doesn't grip me in the way Koanga did. Koanga strikes me as a grievously underrated English opera.I will definately be listening to it again. The Magic Fountain,not as much. Delius's inspiration is less consistent,there are definate longeurs & crucially,it lacks the individuality & dramatic urgency of the later opera.
The Scottish opera production I listened to was very good though & I can't think of a better case for this flawed,but very beautiful opera.

[Mirror Image]

I finished listening to The Magic Fountain. There is allot of ravishingly beautiful music here & I enjoyed listening to this opera. At the same time,I have to admit that it just doesn't grip me in the way Koanga did. Koanga strikes me as a grievously underrated English opera.I will definately be listening to it again. The Magic Fountain,not as much. Delius's inspiration is less consistent,there are definate longeurs & crucially,it lacks the individuality & dramatic urgency of the later opera.
The Scottish opera production I listened to was very good though & I can't think of a better case for this flawed,but very beautiful opera.

Yeah, it's hard to beat Koanga, A Village Romeo & Juliet, and Fennimore and Gerda.

[Hattoff]

I know and love A Village Romeo & Juliet but have never heard the entire Koanga or any at all  of Fennimore & Gerda: how remiss of me! That situation will be adjusted forthwith...or, that is, when I can find some money.