Frederick Delius 150th Anniversary box-set

Posted by: naim_nymph on 27 May 2012

Just ordered a box from Amazon for £30.99

Has anyone else purchased this box set yet?

(Would like to know what the quality of recording and mastering is like)

Also, did anyone see the BBC 4 program about Delius on Friday evening?

Thought is was quite fasinating, imho...

Delius 150th Anniversary Edition [18 x CD box-set]

Sleigh Ride

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Marche Caprice

ed. & arr. Beecham

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Over the hills and far away

ed. Beecham

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Dance Rhapsody No. 2

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Dance Rhapsody No. 1

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

On the mountains

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

The Walk to the Paradise Garden

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli

A Song of Summer

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli

Irmelin Prelude

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli

Late Swallows

Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli

Appalachia (Variations on an old slave song)

(includes rehearsal footage)

Ambrosian Singers, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli

Paris - Song of a Great City

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

In a Summer Garden

Hallé Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Two Pieces For Small Orchestra

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Fennimore and Gerda: Intermezzo

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Piano Concerto in C minor

Piers Lane (piano)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Florida Suite

Revised and edited by Sir Thomas Beecham

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox

Brigg Fair

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox

Summer Evening

arr. Beecham

Northern Sinfonia of England, Richard Hickox

Koanga: La Calinda

arr. Fenby

Northern Sinfonia of England, Richard Hickox

Air and Dance

Northern Sinfonia of England, Richard Hickox

Hassan: Intermezzo & Serenade

arr. Beecham

Northern Sinfonia of England, Richard Hickox

Aquarelles (2)

arr. Fenby

The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner

Lebenstanz

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves

North Country Sketches

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves

Sea Drift

John Noble (baritone)

Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves

Cynara

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves

Violin Concerto

Yehudi Menuhin (violin)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Meredith Davies

Double Concerto for Violin and Cello

Yehudi Menuhin (violin), Paul Tortelier (cello)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Meredith Davies

Cello Concerto

Jacqueline du Pré (cello)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent

Dance

arr. Eric Fenby

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Eric Fenby

Koanga: La Calinda

arr. Eric Fenby

Elena Duran (flute)

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Eric Fenby

Air and Dance

arr. Eric Fenby

Elena Duran (flute)

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Eric Fenby

Five Little Pieces

arr. Eric Fenby

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Eric Fenby

Sonata for string orchestra

arr. Eric Fenby

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Eric Fenby

String Quartet (1916)

Britten Quartet

Violin Sonata No. 1 in E major

Yehudi Menuhin (violin), Eric Fenby (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 2

Yehudi Menuhin (violin), Eric Fenby (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 3

Yehudi Menuhin (violin), Eric Fenby (piano)

Legende

Tasmin Little (violin), John Lenehan (piano)

Cello Sonata

Moray Welsh (cello), Israela Margalit (piano)

Dance

Igor Kipnis (harpsichord)

Twilight Fancies

Ian Bostridge (tenor), Julius Drake (piano)

To be sung of a summer night on the water, No. 1

(wordless)

Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Sir Philip Ledger

Wanderer's Song

Baccholian Singers of London

The Homeward Way

Marjorie Thomas (mezzo)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Twilight Fancies

orch. Beecham

Elsie Suddaby (soprano)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Whither (Autumn)

orch. Beecham

Elsie Suddaby (soprano)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

The Violet

orch. Gibson

Elsie Suddaby (soprano)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Whither (Autumn)

Dora Labbette (soprano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

The Violet

Dora Labbette (soprano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

I-BrasÎl

Dora Labbette (soprano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Young Venevil

sung in German

Dora Labbette (soprano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Twilight Fancies

Dora Labbette (soprano), Sir Thomas Beecham (piano)

Cradle song

Dora Labbette (soprano), Sir Thomas Beecham (piano)

The Nightingale (from Five Songs from the Norwegian)

Dora Labbette (soprano), Sir Thomas Beecham (piano)

Irmelin Rose from Seven Danish Songs

Dora Labbette (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)

So white, so soft, so sweet is she from Four Old English Lyrics

Dora Labbette (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)

Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit

Dora Labbette (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)

La lune blanche

Dora Labbette (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)

To the queen of my heart (from Three Shelley Songs)

Heddle Nash (tenor), Gerald Moore (piano)

Love’s Philosophy (from Three Shelley Songs)

Heddle Nash (tenor), Gerald Moore (piano)

Caprice & Elegy

Beatrice Harrison (cello)

Chamber Orchestra, Eric Fenby

Eventyr (once upon a time)

Hallé Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Hassan - incidental music

Martyn Hill (tenor), Brian Rayner Cook (baritone)

Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir, Vernon Handley

Songs of Sunset

Dame Janet Baker (mezzo), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Sir Charles Groves

An Arabesque

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Sir Charles Groves

A Mass of Life

Heather Harper (soprano), Helen Watts (contralto), Robert Tear (tenor), Benjamin Luxon (baritone)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir, Sir Charles Groves

Requiem

Heather Harper (soprano), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Choral Society, Meredith Davies

Idyll 'Once I passed through a populous city'

Heather Harper (soprano), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Meredith Davies

A Song before sunrise

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent

Songs of Farewell

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Choral Society, Sir Malcolm Sargent

Koanga

Eugene Holmes (Koanga), Claudia Lindsey (Palmyra), Raimund Herincx (Don José Martinez), Keith Erwen (Simon Perez), Jean Allister (Clotilda), Simon Estes (Rangwan)

London Symphony Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Sir Charles Groves

A Song of the High Hills

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Sir Charles Groves

A Village Romeo and Juliet

Benjamin Luxon (Manz), Noel Mangin (Marti), Colin Manley (Sali - as a child), Wendy Eathorne (Vrenchen - as a child), Elizabeth Harwood (Vrenchen), Robert Tear (Sali), John Shirley-Quirk (The Dark Fiddler)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Meredith Davies

Fennimore and Gerda

Elisabeth SÖderstrÖm (Fennimore, Gerda), Brian Rayner Cook (Niels Lyhne), Robert Tear (Erik Refstrup)

Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Chorus, Meredith Davies

Posted on: 27 May 2012 by George Fredrik

Dear Debs,

That looks a nice comprehensive set, including many wonderful performers who were noted master of the composer's music. I never realised that Sir Thomas Beecham had ever been recorded playing the piano!

Meredith Davis was the Organist at Hereford Cathedral years ago as a side light!

I have quite a lot of the music though none of the performances issued here. Benno Moiseivitch playing the Piano Concerto, and Albert Sammons playing the Violin Concerto, as well as many shorter works conducted by Constant Lambert [of Rio Grande fame], and Malcolm Sargent.

Delius is rather out of fashion nowadays, and compared to Elgar and Holst [all three died in 1934] he is the least known today among these three Elglish composers of the time.

Please do report your findings as it may swing me to get the set for myself. I have a quiet liking for this music that is more to do with affection for it than admiration. Usually my affection stems at first from admiration. With Delius, I simply warm to it!

Thanks for posting about this. Otherwise I would have missed it!

ATB from George

Posted on: 27 May 2012 by naim_nymph

Dear George,

thanks for reply, i know the music of Delius tends to be unfashionable these days,

and maybe some of it hasn't aged well… as they say.

Although much of his music composition was not be designed to reach out and grab hold of the listener, but it does offer an invitation to step into an artistic and natural world of splendour, all one needs to do is make some effort to relax and feel for the music.

The BBC4 programme shown on Friday evening was very informative, it makes the consideration of how English Delius was… who was born in Yorkshire but of German parents, most experts say his music does not sound English, his influences include what he heard in places where he lived that includes: a southern state in America, Paris, and Norway.

BBC4 iplayer - Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma [1 and a half hours]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e...mposer_Lover_Enigma/

Posted on: 27 May 2012 by George Fredrik

Dear Debs,

Relax and feel the music. Absolutely ,,,

Thanks for the link. Not sure my internet connection will hold up to the strain, but I'll look just now!

Please do report on the issues. If they are clean transfers, I'll spring for it after I've cleared the month's bills!

Best wishes from George

Posted on: 27 May 2012 by Florestan

Hi Debs,

Thanks for highlighting, what for me is, a composer I know very little about, besides his name. I was going to say that to my knowledge I have not heard anything by Delius but after a quick scroll through the list I realize that I might stand corrected. As a minimum, I am positive that I have the Yehudi Menuhin and Jacqueline du Pré recordings somewhere here. I'll listen to these tonight but in the mean time this is going on my wish list.

Thanks again for the heads up.

Doug

Posted on: 27 May 2012 by naim_nymph

Doug, and George

if you want to watch that programme on the telly...

Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma

It's starts on BBC FOUR (again) in just over an hour from now... 01:40 ~ 03:10

Sorry didn't say earlier, only just realised : )

Debs

Posted on: 02 June 2012 by mudwolf

I hear a few Delius on our local classical station but not most of these. I know he convinced his father to buy an orange grove in Florida and for him to take music lessons to get away from very constraining situation at home. Haven't heard it clearly, but a few comments are that he was difficult at best. His music doesn't sound that way. I'm rather interested is relaxed music these days going thru so much tumult in my own life. Soon to have apartment painted and then put back my stereo. Oh how I miss an evening of music.

Posted on: 02 June 2012 by naim_nymph

Hi Mudwolf,

Yes, Delius spent a few years in Florida, where he was hopeless at growing oranges although he succeeded with a black lover who fathered his child, which must have been a jolly controversial kind of relationship in the late 1800’s.

He never succumbed to Victorian/Edwardian monogamist normality, and after moving to Paris he continued to practice a horny Casanova approach to ‘exotic’ women.

His music is a reflection of art and nature, whereas a painter could express a story with a picture, Delius does so with music composition.

He also wasn’t one to use his musical genius with a mission to impress people, but rather someone with a strong desire to write a particular kind of music, even if it was not in vogue at the time.

Much of his music is indeed relaxing, but it’s also layered with life, vibrancy and nature.

I think this is why i get it, and enjoy it so much, his music is very relaxing, but it's also woven with an unpretentious stimulation to hold ones allure.

So far I’ve played up to disc 7 of the EMI box-set and I‘ve loving every track of it!

To play all in one go would get me lost me in the natural undergrowth, but it’s a lovely surprise to hear how good much of this music is, and thankfully the EMI transfers/mastering are top draw too.

I know it’s not nice being without the audio for a while,

so best of luck with your apartment decorating,

hope the finish looks fabulous and the audio sounds all the better for it.

As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Debs