Frederick Delius

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Delius's music seems to say, "Progress is not an issue for the artist, Being is." Future, but without a promise of a better future or an afterlife, humans should have a hearty satisfaction in the now. The now is rather about accepting the next now. Delius' compositions tell me we can hope for a better NOW, and one of the most evocative aspects of Delius' music is this ability to create moments of Now; moments when music isn't about progress (yet somehow there is progress in the music anyways).

I was reading some early entries into this thread and I ran across this post and fully agree with what you're saying here, Leo. Delius was very much about the present moment. He expressed himself deeply and with his own sense of musical intuition. There are no histrionics in his music. It exists on some other spiritual plane.

[Leo K.]

I was reading some early entries into this thread and I ran across this post and fully agree with what you're saying here, Leo. Delius was very much about the present moment. He expressed himself deeply and with his own sense of musical intuition. There are no histrionics in his music. It exists on some other spiritual plane.

Thanks John, - gosh I haven't heard Delius in awhile, I'm going to have to return to his work soon! It will be nice to return to his world.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks John, - gosh I haven't heard Delius in awhile, I'm going to have to return to his work soon! It will be nice to return to his world.

Indeed, Leo. Delius has a way of transporting you to another time and place but he also makes you forget about the idea of time. It's clearly irrelevant in Delius' sonic universe.

[Moonfish]

Indeed, Leo. Delius has a way of transporting you to another time and place but he also makes you forget about the idea of time. It's clearly irrelevant in Delius' sonic universe.

Is Delius viewed as the ultimate pastoral composer weaving all his works around nature?

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Is Delius viewed as the ultimate pastoral composer weaving all his works around nature?

I'm not sure if I like the term 'pastoral' but his music does reflect the beauty of nature. Do you know any of Delius' music, Peter?

[Moonfish]

I'm not sure if I like the term 'pastoral' but his music does reflect the beauty of nature. Do you know any of Delius' music, Peter?

Not very much I'm afraid.    However, I just need to take the time to listen to some of his works.

[Mirror Image]

Not very much I'm afraid.    However, I just need to take the time to listen to some of his works.

Give a listen to The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Brigg Fair, and the Florida Suite a listen first. These can be found easily on YouTube. At least you'll be able to get a taste of his music.

[J]

Delius has a way of transporting you to another time and place but he also makes you forget about the idea of time. It's clearly irrelevant in Delius' sonic universe.

Given the frequent characterization of Delius's music as intensely expressive of transience, evanescence, and loss in both the human and natural worlds (consider Appalachia, Sea Drift, Songs of Sunset, Songs of Farewell, et.al.) one might make an argument for its suffusion with time and its passing, - that rather than being irrelevant, it is central. 

To say Delius "makes you forget about the idea of time" seems a problematic statement that requires a bit in the way of explanation or at least clarification.

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Anyway...I listened to Songs of Farewell last night and was quite moved by the listening experience. It's a wonder this work even saw the light of day. Poor ol' Fenby and his superhuman level of patience, tolerance, and, most of all, his belief in this man's music.

[J]

BTW, you "forgetting about how much time has actually elapsed" (while listening to Delius's music, - as MI said happened in a clarifying statement now deleted by him)  is something virtually any activity can induce that we become engrossed with regardless of its actual "content".  I suppose the same occurs when you listen to Shostakovich, Prokofiev, or any other of your favorite composers.  It's hardly an insight about Delius's music in particular it seems to me (without at least some further qualification) but simply a more generalized psychological observation of your apparent entrancement with it.  The place or significance of time in the music itself and the fact of you forgetting how much time has elapsed while listening to it can hardly be identified.

[Mirror Image]

BTW, "forgetting about how much time has actually elapsed" (while listening to Delius's music, - as MI said happened in a clarifying statement now deleted by him)  is something virtually any activity can induce that we become engrossed with regardless of its actual "content".  I suppose the same occurs when you listen to Shostakovich, Prokofiev, or any other of your favorite composers.  It's hardly an insight about Delius's music in particular it seems to me (without at least some further qualification) but simply a more generalized psychological observation of your apparent entrancement with it.  The place or significance of time in the music itself and the fact of you forgetting how much time has elapsed while listening to it can hardly be identified.

Okay.

[J]

Given the frequent characterization of Delius's music as intensely expressive of transience, evanescence, and loss in both the human and natural worlds (consider Appalachia, Sea Drift, Songs of Sunset, Songs of Farewell, et.al.) one might make an argument for its suffusion with time and its passing, - that rather than being irrelevant, it is central. 

To say Delius "makes you forget about the idea of time" seems a problematic statement that requires a bit in the way of explanation or at least clarification.

Not that a case couldn't be made for the experience of timelessness or the transcendence of time in Delius's music.  It all depends on how you understand those elusive and multifaceted ideas ("time" and "transcendence") and bring them into relationship relative to the juxtaposed elements in Delius's soundscapes.  I'm only suggesting that it's not so straightforward, - there are contraries or at least different dimensions to the music that draw one in different directions and lead to alternative feeling responses (as with any great music).  One has to make an argument rather than just an assertion, - or at least some elaboration is helpful in trying to understand what you mean.

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Not that a case couldn't be made for the experience of timelessness or the transcendence of time in Delius's music.  It all depends on how you understand those elusive and multifaceted ideas ("time" and "transcendence") and bring them into relationship relative to the juxtaposed elements in Delius's soundscapes.  I'm only suggesting that it's not so straightforward, - there are contraries or at least different dimensions to the music that draw one in different directions and lead to alternative feeling responses (as with any great music).  One has to make an argument rather than just an assertion, - or at least some elaboration is helpful in trying to understand what you mean.

To me, Delius' music isn't earthy but rather 'in the clouds' floating. I can't really elaborate on this because that would require theoretical knowledge of the actual music, which I don't possess. The music, in many cases, is slow-moving and the kinds of harmonies he used seems to stretch and fill out the overall soundscape while his melodies take flight and seem to always be in evolution. I can't really explain it.

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I forgot about Fred's birthday on the 29th! I'll definitely be listening to a few works over the weekend, but the Super Bowl is on Sunday, so I'll have to divert my attention to this year's game. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Fred!

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I was looking through some things tonight and ran across this:



But only I don't own the stamp, I own the postcard. Does any other Delian have this Royal Mail collectible?

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Also tonight, I dove back into the Heritage box set. What treasures this set contains!

[Sean]

A quick mention for a very fine LP I bought in the 80s, Handley doing Brigg Fair, In a summer garden, Eventyr and A Song of summer on EMI, the best of introductions to Delian sensitivity. He exaggerates tempo changes a bit at times but understands the idiom like few others.

[Mirror Image]

A quick mention for a very fine LP I bought in the 80s, Handley doing Brigg Fair, In a summer garden, Eventyr and A Song of summer on EMI, the best of introductions to Delian sensitivity. He exaggerates tempo changes a bit at times but understands the idiom like few others.

Yes, Handley's Delius is quite good indeed. Here's the recording in question:

[Sean]

Thank you, very nice to see the cover again, it's been over 25 years. Helped inspire enthusiasm for In a summer garden.

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Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread:

Not a CD purchase but a music-related purchase nonetheless:

[asin]1843839598[/asin]

Wasn't aware of this book's existence until tonight whenever I was browsing through some of Delius' photographs on Google. Looks very interesting.