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Frederick Delius

27K views 91 replies 34 participants last post by  Neo Romanza 
#1 ·


Frederick Delius was an English composer who forged a unique version of the Impressionist musical language of the early twentieth century. He was born in Bradford, England, in 1862, and died in Grez-sur-Loing, France, in 1934. He did not come from a musical family; rather, his father owned a wool company and hoped that his son would follow a career in business. Delius, however, wanted to study music, and though his father did not approve of music as a profession, he did not discourage music-making as a pastime; thus, Delius was allowed to study the violin and the piano. To his father's dismay, he also spent much of his youth sneaking away from school to attend concerts and opera performances. When he completed school, he went to work for his father in the family business. In 1884, he left England for Florida, where he worked on a plantation as an orange grower. While in Florida, he began studying music with Thomas Ward, a musician and teacher from Jacksonville. Delius proved to be a failure as an orange grower, and began supporting himself as a musician. In 1886, his father arranged for him to spend a year and a half studying music in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory. Though Delius would later insist that he learned very little of importance during his stay in Leipzig, it was there that he met Grieg, with whom he forged a lifelong friendship. Grieg convinced Delius' father to allow the young man to become a composer, and Delius, with the support of his formerly reluctant father, soon moved to Paris and began living the life of an artist.

Once in Paris, Delius began composing in earnest, and towards the end of the nineteenth century had already completed two operas, Irmelin and The Magic Fountain. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Delius married the painter Jelka Rosen and produced a number of important works, including the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet, the large-scale choral works Appalachia and A Mass of Life (based on the writings of Nietzsche), a piano concerto, and a number of songs and chamber pieces. His music was well-received throughout Europe, and Delius was quite successful up until World War I, when he was forced to leave France for England. Despite his renown in continental Europe, Delius was virtually unknown in his native England, and his stay there was marred by financial difficulties. After the war, Delius returned to France, where the syphilis he had contracted in Florida gradually caused him to become paralyzed and blind. Ironically, as Delius became increasingly infirm, his fame began to spread. This was due in large part to the efforts of English composer Sir Thomas Beecham, who championed Delius' music and organized a Delius Festival in 1929. Though terribly ill, Delius nonetheless still wanted to compose, and in 1928 enlisted the services of English musician Eric Fenby, to whom he dictated music (Fenby would later write a book about Delius). Towards the end of his life, Delius was made Companion of Honor by King George V of England, and was awarded an honorary degree in music by Oxford University. Before his death, Delius was able to hear his music over the radio and on record, but these accomplishments paled before the terrible deterioration of his health, and he died in seclusion.

(Article taken from All Music Guide)

What do you guys think of this very underrated composer? He was an English impressionist that produced some very outstanding and singular works in his time. He was a very unique composer.
 
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#49 ·
Film review: 'Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma'.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...at-british-musical-myth-was-born-7778714.html

Though it's common thought that Delius succumbed to syphilis, a Delius Society journal article from 1988 puts forward some contrary opinion. (pdf link).

http://www.delius.org.uk/images/journals/pdfs/journal98.pdf

Re the film review, Wikipedia suggests it was Delius' own wish to be buried in England, not Beecham's.

Re syphilis, I didn't notice anything via Wikipedia, to refute common opinion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Delius
 
#51 · (Edited)
Just wanted to drop by and say that Delius is one of my absolute favorite composers. I've been struggling a bit with accepting this because there are so many that seem to have a pure hatred for his music, so I have had a very limited experience with others who actually enjoy his music, but those I've met that love his music are passionate about it, which is good for me. I need someone to talk to about Delius! :)

Of the recent recordings I've been enjoying have been Bo Holten's series on the Danacord label. Exquisite! Pick these up if you haven't already. They're quite pricey but worth every penny. Holten has the best Songs of Sunset on record. His Song of the High Hills and North Country Sketches are also incredibly fine. Eventyr, though the only competition really is Vernon Handley, fares much better in Holten's hands. Not to discount Handley, but Holten brings a much needed clarity to this complex work.

Anyway, hope to enjoy some discussions with some other Delians here.
 
#52 ·
I've recently re-discovered Delius.
When I was young I found his music dull in the extreme. With maturity has come a new appreciation for it's beauty and subtleties.
Song of the High Hills is probably my favourite work of his. I've always had a soft spot for wordless Choirs ever since hearing VW's Sinfonia Antartica.
I haven't at this stage explored different interpretations. I've got the one box set "150th Anniversary edition" and that does me just fine at the moment.
 
#53 ·
I'll say I loved Delius' music on first hearing. The music hit my ear softly as a lot of his music does and I was truly mesmerized by what I heard. The work in question was the intermezzo The Walk to the Paradise Garden. I believe it was the Barbirolli performance that I heard. Anyway, I've been a fan from the beginning.

There never was anything dull about his music to me because the music is clearly trying to express something different. Delius doesn't pound you over the head with motor rhythms and shrieking glissandos. He has always composed beautiful music that reveals little pieces of himself along the way. His early style was heavily influenced by Wagner and Grieg, but his maturity (works past 1900) reveal a man consumed with sadness and the feeling of longing seems to permeate so much of his later music.

That EMI 150th Anniversary set is fantastic. Really a treasure trove of great performances. I do have a few problems with some of the performances and since you mentioned Song of the High Hills, Groves' performance is one of the worst on record IMHO. Definitely give Eric Fenby's, Charles Mackerras', and Bo Holten's performances a listen. There's also a newer recording with Andrew Davis that's quite good. You never can have too many interpretations of Delius' music because every conductor brings something different to the table.
 
#54 ·
So let's recap some of Delius' innovations in music:

1. Used the first wordless chorus --- (1897's Koanga which predates Debussy's Nocturnes by two years)
2. Wrote the first African-American opera, Koanga (1887 -- predates Gershwin's Porgy & Bess by thirty something years)
3. Used blues and Negro spiritual music in a classical context (Florida Suite, 1887) for the first time, which again predates Gershwin
4. Used American folksongs (Yankie Doodle) and other marching band tunes and collided these together creating an unheard kind of dissonance which predated Charles Ives (American Rhapsody 1896 later reworked as Appalachia)

The reason why none of these innovations have been acknowledged by scholars and critics is because of politics, which, unfortunately, still exist in classical music.
 
#55 ·
So let's recap some of Delius' innovations in music:

1. Used the first wordless chorus --- (1897's Koanga which predates Debussy's Nocturnes by two years)
Wow!! I'm actually amazed. Not that it was Delius but that it took till 1897. Never really thought about it.
I just know I love wordless choirs :)
 
#73 ·
Well, maybe not 'great' (I can see faults in technique) but more than he's got, for developing an original style and language at the same time of Debussy and Strauss. He's sometimes got a lot of vulgarity that's offputting. In terms of recomendations: the last part of the Requiem for example, is very colourful, might deserve some arranging.
 
#62 ·
I used to call him "Drearius". But as I age and slow down, it's lovely music I hadn't appreciated. In orchestra I once played The Walk to the Paradise Garden.

Delius has a musical language I haven't completely understood, the musical lines can be long but once you get it, it's lovely music that is "Dreamius"
 
#65 ·
I like Delius very much.

Being a chamber music fan I actually appreciate his violin sonatas, cello sonata, string quartet and his songs for voice and piano as much as his better known orchestral works.

His sound-world is rather unique - I have always wondered why so many people don't care for his music.
I guess he's a composer for those who enjoy in particular lush harmonies (after all he was a big Wagner fan) and don't care too much about structure. When I'm in the right mood, I can listen his dreamy musical landscapes for hours.
 
#66 ·
I have been enjoying the music of Delius for more than seventy-five years, and I am unable to understand why his music is not more popular. True, there are multiple recordings of some of the shorter pieces like La Kalinda, the Arabesques, "On cooking the first Hero in Spring" -- sorry, that´s what we used to call "on hearing the first cuckoo . . . " when I was a growing up in England long, long ago. Some of my favourites today are the violin concerto, the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet, Paris, Song of the High Hills . . . . but I'd better stop.
 
#69 ·
Plant Nature Organism Rectangle Tree


Window Car Building Sky Road surface


Sky Plant Cloud Building Tree


From the house at Grez sur Loing, near Paris.

Some good Delius stuff:

- Florida Suite & North Country Sketches / Handley;
- Paris - The Song of a Great City
- Dance Rhapsodies I-II, for orchestra
- Life´s Dance, for orchestra
- Piano Concerto / Fowkes
- Violin Concerto / Holmes

- 3 Violin Sonatas / Holmes

- Songs of Sunset, Sea Drift, Songs of Farewell /Terfel, Hickox
 
#70 ·
I've had this for a while:

Water Natural environment Plant Natural landscape Land lot


but can't really say it did much for me. Not sure why.

Anyway, just stumbled across this:

Publication Organism Font Book Art


I'm really impressed! With both the songs and the Paris Nocturne. Ironically the one song shared with the first album "In a Summer Garden" is my least fave on the new album.

Based on this new discovery and comments above, I'm gonna have to sniff around a bit more!

First stop - ArkivMusic search!
 
#72 ·
One of Delius's more 'Un-English' works is the opera Koanga, written during 1896-7. Set on a Spanish-owned Louisiana plantation during the 18th century, it concerns the arrival of a proud African prince forced into slavery and the plantation owner's non-violent (but nonetheless self-serving) attempt to pacify Koanga by introducing him to his maid, Palmyra, whom Koanga then falls for. However, the plantation owner's thuggish overseer has designs on the maid himself.

Delius was of course exposed to African-American music during his time as a young man in Florida and this knowledge enabled him to sprinkle the music of Koanga with Creole-ish touches (not to mention using African-American vocal forms such as working songs and spirituals). Although opera as a whole didn't exactly turn out to be Delius's strong suit this work is nevertheless well worth investigating. Below is the recording I have:

 
#76 ·
Picked up another:

Plant Organism Poster Font Adaptation


I've got the hunger now.... Pretty soon I'll start growing fangs!

By the way, re-listened to the Mackerras album above. I will say this... the Florida Suite was absolutely amazing! I kept thinking of Smetana's Ma Vlast, and thinking this blows that away.

And as far as I can tell, that was his first work. Not sure he ever topped it, but we'll see.
 
#77 ·
Just now listening to the Violin Concerto. It's so sweetly lovely my teeth hurt. Sweets can be addictive. Caution warranted!

Beneath the loveliness of Delius is the recognition that all things must die. His rich, delicate harmonies, always changing, always dissolving into new configurations which promptly dissolve in turn, tell of life's transience. It's music that lives for the exquisite moment, often showing little overall direction or structure, but I don't think it's correct to call it "impressionism"; it's too sentiment-laden, too personal, music of private indulgence and intimate confession, neither objective nor transcendental. Ultimately I find it sad and, sometimes, almost too beautiful.
 
#84 ·
Your view definitely chimes with an excerpt from an article on Delius where, if I recall correctly, he was described as 'the poet of regret for the vanquished hour and hedonistic delight'.
 
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#80 · (Edited)
The Florida Suite is an early work, much influenced by Grieg, and none the worse for that since it is incredibly tuneful. For those who think they are allergic to Delius's mature chromatic writing, the Florida Suite would be a good work to get to know an intriguing composer. It baffles me why such an engaging piece is so rarely performed when the old warhorses are trotted out endlessly.
 
#83 ·
Bulldog's CM and Water Game led me to Delius (and this thread). :tiphat:

The following are the two films mentioned in posts above. At first the boot-leg version of one of the films seems to be impossible to understand, but it improves later. I didn't upload that video and I just purchased the original, so I like to think that the BBC and the film maker are not being cheated.



 
#85 ·
The following is really just for myself. The two different performances of Sea Drift that I listened to for the Water Game. I can't remember what really first grabbed my attention the grief for the bird or what I thought must be Terfel having lost his ability to sing.... I'm not so sure if the way he sang at the Proms wasn't deliberately harsh or angry or a shout or he meant it to sound like that. Here I go:





 
#86 · (Edited)
When I hear the Delius Sea Drift, I sense an underlying ecstatic bliss that's almost pagan; truly otherworldly and heavenly; refined, exquisite music for the connoisseurs. I've never heard anyone like him, including Debussy and Ravel, who are not the same. Delius was strong in his own unique idiom, immediately identifiable if one gets more familiar with him. Ravishing! (But I don't care for this work with a big, wide warbling vibrato! When are singers going to learn?) There's also a sensuality to his music that I find irresistible, sensual like sleeping on silk and velvet...
 
#87 ·
Delius is one of my favorite composers and I agree with what you're saying.
It must be said that while he's considered an impressionist and rightly so (I don't care if Debussy and other composers didn't like the term, I know what it means and it's at least a good way to know what to expect in a composition when I read impressionism) he's closer probably to the composers he admired like Wagner and Grieg (and some of his friends like Percy Grainger and Peter Warlock) than Debussy or Ravel .
 
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