Frederick Delius

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

And I was thinking of you as that lonely Delian... 

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And I was thinking of you as that lonely Delian... 

Oh....well I am in a sense. I don't think my Dad listens to Delius as much as I do. My Mom doesn't listen to classical music much but does enjoy it on occasion (she's into rock and bluegrass music).

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

When I played Wagner in my parental home, decades ago, my mother always asked me (not maliciously) if they were sawing a woman in half (Brünnhilde was singing)...

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When I played Wagner in my parental home, decades ago, my mother always asked me (not maliciously) if they were sawing a woman in half (Brünnhilde was singing)...

I played my Mom Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps a year or so ago and she was quite shocked, in a good way, by what she heard. I told her that this is the rock music of that time. Since then, she's requested I play her more of Stravinsky's music.

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Hey Johan,

Do you own this recording?



Here are the contents of the recording:



If you do not own this, then run, don't walk, over to Amazon (or whatever online retailer you use) and buy this immediately! A true treasure in the Delius catalog.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Nope. I do have the other one with Life's Dance and the Suite from 'A Village Romeo and Juliet'. I won't run, but I will go... 

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Nope. I do have the other one with Life's Dance and the Suite from 'A Village Romeo and Juliet'. I won't run, but I will go... 

Yes, you will love this recording I think, Johan. It contains a unique arrangement of the Double Concerto for viola and violin which sounds quite nice. Hiawatha, of course, is the rarity here. There's some fascinating information in the liner notes of how this work came into prominence. If you decide to buy it, then I hope you enjoy it!

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I wonder how Leo K. is getting on with Delius?

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It's always a good thing for me to see someone else getting into Delius' music. Huntsman may your journey bring you much aural pleasure. Also, please feel free to comment and post your thoughts on the music as you become better acquainted with it.

[Leo K.]

I wonder how Leo K. is getting on with Delius?

Hi John! It's been awhile since posting, thanks for asking

I've been back to Bruckner and Brahms this week, enjoying new broadcasts I received

I will be back with Delius soon though, this morning I played a bit of Sea Drifts and really enjoyed it once again, the Beecham account.

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I've got to say that I've really been enjoying Bo Holten's Delius series on Danacord. Does anyone else own this series? Am I the only Delian on GMG who owns almost every Delius recording?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You are... 

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You are... 

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I will be back with Delius soon though, this morning I played a bit of Sea Drifts and really enjoyed it once again, the Beecham account.

Excellent, Leo. I'll be happy to hear of your return to the music. Speaking of Sea Drift, I listened to a performance that wasn't issued commercially earlier with Thomas Hampson and Richard Hickox/National Orchestra of Wales that was absolutely fantastic.

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I've been seriously enjoy this recording today:



This Norman Del Mar recording might end up surpassing Handley's as my favorite performances of the Two Pieces for Small Orchestra. No kidding. This is an absolute gem of a recording. Top-notch audio quality as well.

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I've been enjoying this recording except for the horrible mono recording of the Piano Concerto. This performance of Sea Drift rivals Hickox's own with Terfel on Chandos. I find this performance with Hampson to be more urgent that reminds me a bit of Mackerras' performance (also with Hampson). Unfortunately fellow Delians you cannot purchase this recording unless you can find someone selling it on Amazon or Ebay as this wasn't a commercial release. The other performance is of the rare Poem of Life and Love which Handley completely nails. I'll have to do a comparison with the Lloyd-Jones performance.

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Listened to this recording yet again. This is so fantastic. Again, Sea Drift is performed with such authority. Hickox and Hampson both show their Delian credentials. Handley's performance of A Poem of Life and Love receives a top-notch performance. Both of these performances have such enthusiasm and urgency to them.

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Has anyone heard Andrew Davis' new(er) recording of Appalachia and The Song of the High Hills? Man, this is a GREAT recording! Both works recall the urgency of the great Delians of the past: Del Mar, Mackerras, Groves, Davies, etc. Johan, cilgwyn if you don't own this one, then buy it as soon as you can!

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Another masterly Delian miniature: Irmelin Prelude:

Based on themes from Delius' 1892 opera, Irmelin, this prelude is actually a freestanding orchestral piece, not an introduction to the stage work. Delius dictated it in 1931 to his amanuensis, Eric Fenby, and it was first performed when Sir Thomas Beecham used it as an interlude in a 1935 production of another early Delius opera, Koanga.

The prelude begins with a small, rising motif with a little fall at the end, whispered by individual woodwinds and passed to the strings. (The woodwinds, indeed, play a central role through this piece.) The themes are wispy and fragmentary; the second and third main sections contain pastoral melodies that seem more extended, but they merely rely on gently repeated small gestures. The opening theme returns in a string duet, seeming especially nostalgic and nocturnal, and the prelude ends with the clarinet crooning the melody on a soft bed of strings.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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And it seems GMG's own Daniel (Madaboutmahler) will be embarking on his Delian journey soon. Smart move asking for the 18-CD EMI 150th Anniversary set. A treasure trove of great, and rare, performances.