Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This interesting Delius disc contains one of his first major works, the Florida Suite. It was while working on an orange plantation in Solano Grove, Florida, that Delius first captured that sense of nature's intoxication that permeates all of his best music. It was also there that he caught the syphilis that would eventually blind him, and later cause his death. Aren't you glad you knew that? Anyway, the other major work is the haunting tone poem Over the Hills and Far Away. The other pieces are short, entertaining, and ephemeral, but they're all performed with great skill and expertise. A very good deal at budget price. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Florida Suite: Daybreak - Dance
Florida Suite: By The River
Florida Suite: Sunset - Near The Plantation
Florida Suite: At Night
Over The Hills And Far Away
Idylle Printemps
La Quadroone
Scherzo
Final Scene From 'Koanga'

Amazon.com

This interesting Delius disc contains one of his first major works, the Florida Suite. It was while working on an orange plantation in Solano Grove, Florida, that Delius first captured that sense of nature's intoxication that permeates all of his best music. It was also there that he caught the syphilis that would eventually blind him, and later cause his death. Aren't you glad you knew that? Anyway, the other major work is the haunting tone poem Over the Hills and Far Away. The other pieces are short, entertaining, and ephemeral, but they're all performed with great skill and expertise. A very good deal at budget price. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Performances.......2005-01-18

If you like music descriptive a landscapes and the bucolic life, the Florida Suite is certainly what you are looking for. The Florida Suite stems from the time the young Delius spent on a plantation (sent by his father as a possible business future for his son) overseeing orange groves. Fortunately for us, Delius studied music and not business. Delius' father recognized his son's true vocation and sent him to the Leipzig Conservatory to study music; the Florida Suite was written during his student years. The first movement of the suite includes music (known as La Calinda) that was later used in Koanga, so it is appropriate to have the final scene of that opera included in this CD. The third movement recalls the plantation workers after the day is done and the dance they do that has Spanish feel to it. The final movement is a very effective evocation of night. The opera Koanga is set on a plantation in Louisiana, revolving around a slave-girl named Palmyra, which worked well with descriptive music about Florida.

Over the Hills and Far Away is a fantasy-overture. It is a joyous work that evokes a landscape of distant hills. The theme is the subject of several variations. The Idylle Printemps nicely expresses the season of the title and the Scherzo and La Quadroone were part of a larger suite for orchestra (subtitled Rhapsodie floridienne). This music is perfect if you have had a difficult day and want to relax.

The CD is nicely recorded and David Lloyd-Jones is a superb interpreter of Delius' music. Highly recommended.

Another Great Naxos Recording at a Great Price.......2004-05-13

I am not all that familiar with the works of Frederick Delius, and I know I am probably not alone. His opera, A VILLAGE ROMEO AND JULIET is sometimes performed in his native England, but other than seeing a few of his works in the DECCA catalog, I knew little about this composer until Boston's local classical music station, WCRB began playing "By the River" from Delius' FLORIDA SUITE as what they like to call a "track to relax." I fell in love with the piece and wanted to add it to my collection, but had a hard time finding it, until I looked where else but the Naxos catalog and discovered this gem of a recording.. In FLORIDA SUITE, Delius is able to create an American feel to the music using the great attributes of the European classical tradition. The other tracks on the recording likewise demonstrate Delius' gifts as a composer. Delius's sound is a full and majestic one. One of the more curious tracks is an excerpt from his little known opera Koanga. The same techniques that made the other tracks beautiful likewise work in this operatic excerpt.

The English Northern Philharmonia under the direction of David Lloyd Jones honors their countryman well in this work. And, as so often is the case, Naxos delivers quality at a great price

Such a great treat!.......2004-04-06

Frederick Delius' "Florida Suite" has got to be among the finest compositions of all time. Every line of it amply speaks for Delius' strong connection with and subtle appreciation for the myriad aspects of nature. Few works can match its elegant beauty, which is rendered so nicely on this performance. And the wonderful sound quality makes for very satisfying listening.

Among the quick results I've obtained from listening to this CD is a real appetite for the works of Mr. Delius. I read that he abandoned England in his youth for the managment of some orange groves of Florida, which he rather neglected in favor of his music. We are very lucky indeed that both the orange crop-and this sumptuous music-remain vital today. Mr. Delius has gone, but perhaps we will see his like once more, in a better world, to remind us of the power of nature.

A wonderful "Florida Suite".......2001-09-18

Delius, to me, is one of the most underappreciated composers. Often dismissed as a composer of light, impressionistic miniatures, he in fact composed several large scale works of which the "Florida Suite" may be the most famous. Made up of four movements the work contains some of the composers most delightful melodies including the famous "La Calinda" which he would use again in his opera "Koanga". This is its original setting and makes for a wonderful opening to the work. The second movement "By the River", a favorite of Sir Thomas Beecham, contains a wonderful flowing melody that just carries the listener along.

This CD is also of importance to the Delius fan as it contains several works which are recorded for the first time on this CD: Idylle Printemps,La Quadroone, and "Scherzo".

The recording has a wonderful full sound and David Lloyd-Jones, who has previously recorded several acclaimed releases for Naxos, gets excellent performances out of the members of the English Northern Philharmonia.

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Brigg Fair:I. Introduction (Slow. Pastoral)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Brigg Fair:I. Theme (With Easy Movement)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Variation 1
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Var. 2
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Var. 3
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Var 4
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Var. 5
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Var. 6
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: II. Interlude (Slow And Very Quietly)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var. 7 (Rather quicker but not hurried)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var. 8
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var. 9 (With easy movement)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var 10
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var. 11 (Slow. With Solemnity)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Var. 12 (Maestoso)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Transition
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Var 13 (Gaily)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Var. 14
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Var. 15
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Var 16
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Transition (Rather quicker)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV.Var.17 (Rather Slower. Very Broadly)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Coda(Very Quietly)
In A Summer Garden
Rehearsing Appalachia
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Appalachia:Introduction (Molto moderato - Tranquillo - Poco piu)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Theme (Andante)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Variation 1
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 2 (Moderato)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 3 (Piu vivo)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 4 (Molto moderato)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 5 (Con moto)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 6 (Giocoso. Allegro moderato)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 7 (Lento e molto tranquillo)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 8 (Misterioso)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 9 (Andante con grazia)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 10 (Lento sostenuto e tranquillo)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 11 (Allegro alla marcia)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 12 (Marcia. MOlto lento maestoso)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 13 (L'istesso tempo)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Var. 14 (Misterioso lento)
Apalachia - Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chorus: Finale (Lento - Piu mosso)

Tracks:

On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring - F. DELIUS
Summer Night On The River - F. DELIUS
A Song Before Sunrise - F. DELIUS
Intermezzo And Serenade From 'Hassan': Intermezzo - F. DELIUS
Intermezzo And Serenade From 'Hassan': Serenade - F. DELIUS
La Calinda - F. DELIUS
Late Swallows - F. DELIUS
Fennimore And Gerda: Intermezzo from 'Fennimore and Gerda' - F. DELIUS
The Walk To The Paradise Garden: The Walk To The Paradise Garden from A Village Romeo and Juliet - F. DELIUS
Irmelin Prelude - F. DELIUS
A Song Of Summer - F. DELIUS

Customer Reviews:

Rapturous !.......2003-01-15

I find these renditions by Sir John Barbirolli totally beguiling. He brings warmth and deep sincerity to everything he portrays here. One surely senses the great love he had for Delius' music. Much of the charm wrought by the conductor has to do with the turn of various phrases. Time and again he caresses melodies. Simultaneously, he conveys a feeling of simple joyousness. Hear the Intermezzo from Fennimore and Gerda; The Walk to the Paradise Garden; the Irmelin Prelude, with its pastoral beauty; La Calinda, where one feels serenaded in a happy, carefree manner. A Song Before Sunrise weaves a similar pattern. In addition, there's that wonderful exotic quality that here and there echoes in Delius' music. Brigg Fair seems to have both this at some moments and yet a pleasing, homespun British character during other moments. Sometimes too there is a nostalgic yearning. In this vein, one can only relax and drink in the expressive portrait of Late Swallows. And what about the playful, carefree In a Summer Garden or the imposing, spiritual folk picture, Appalachia ? In so many ways, both this sensitive composer and conductor reach out to touch the life-affirming soul. How can one not be soothed and refreshed by what is offered here ? If there's anything missing, perhaps it's the composer's Summer Evening, another of his memorable pieces. A wonderful collection, and a source of inspiration. By the way, I find Barbirolli's Delius more enjoyable than Beecham's.

Average customer rating:

Magnificent performances of a singular composer.

Delius: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
In a Summer Garden: The Music of Delius
Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Delius: Florida Suite RTvi/1; Pieces RTvi/19

ASIN: B00005MO9Y
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

Paris: The Song Of A Great City
In A Summer Garden
Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody
The Walk To The Paradise Garden
Two Pieces For Small Orchestra: On Hearing From The First Cuckoo In Spring
Two Pieces For Small Orchestra: Summer Night On The River

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent performances of a singular composer........2004-05-04

Frederick Delius (1862-1934) is often called an "English impressionist," a term which implies that he can be lumped together with Debussy or Ravel. But just as Debussy isn't Ravel and Ravel isn't Debussy, Delius is an artist unlike any other.

He has never been a world-renowned figure, and his music doesn't have the power or universality of Beethoven or Mozart, but for those who love Delius, he is one of the sublime creators in the history of music. I, for one, love his music, and these exemplary performances of some of his best-known works present this singular creative mind at his very best.

Delius has some superficial similarities to Debussy and Ravel, but his highly personal harmonic thinking and his penchant for subtle but pronounced melodies make his music among the most accessible and rewarding of any in the classical repertory. The titles of his pieces, from "In a Summer Garden" to "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring," demonstrate his preoccupation with beauty and the evocation of nature. His work is subdued, quietly passionate, and immediate in its rewards. In Delius, refinement rather than hysteria is the defining element.

Tracks:

Brigg Fair
In A Summer Garden
The Walk To The Paradise Garden - (A Village Romeo And Juliet)
North Country Sketches: I. Autumn
North Country Sketches: II. Winter Landscape
North Country Sketches: III. Dance
North Country Sketches: IV. The March Of Spring

Tracks:

Florida Suite: I. Daybreak
Florida Suite: II. By The River
Florida Suite: III. Sunset
Florida Suite: IV. At Night
Two Aquarelles (arr. Fenby): I. Lento, ma non troppo
Two Aquarelles (arr. Fenby): II. Gaily, But Not Quick
On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring
Summer Night On The River
Dance Rhapsody No.2
Dance Rhapsody No.1

Average customer rating:

Summer Music: British Works for Flute

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000030S7
Release Date: 1993-12-16

Tracks:

Koanga: La Calinda
Son in b: I: Adagio
Son in b: II: Allegro
Son in b: III: Giga
Summer Music: Summer Music-Allegro Tranquillo
Summer Music: Siesta-Lento E Dolce
Summer Music: Games-Vivo
Son: I: Moderato
Son: II: Aria (Adagio)
Son: III: Allegro
The Serious Doll
Ste: I: Allegro Moderato
Ste: II: Andantino Amabile E Placido
Ste: III: Allegro Poco Scherzando
Ste: IV: Adagio Non Troppo, Quasi Improvvisata
Ste: V: Allegro Molto Quasi Presto
The Extatic Shepherd (Con Moto, Liquidamente)
Son, Op.121: I: Allegro
Son, Op.121: II: Andantino
Son, Op.121: III: Maestoso Con Molto Ritmico

Historical - Delius: Orchestral Works Vol 2 / Beecham, et al

Average customer rating:

ABBEY ROAD
One could hardly wish for better performances.
One could hardly wish for better performances.
Delius in Mezzotint

Historical - Delius: Orchestral Works Vol 2 / Beecham, et al

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Delius: Orchestra Works, Vol. 3
Delius: Orchestra Works, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00004T6KH
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Tracks:

A Village Romeo And Juliet: The Walk To The Paradise Garden: Intermezzo - Sir Thomas Beecham/RPO
Sea Drift - London Select Chor/John Brownlee
Fennimore And Gerda: Intermezzo
In A Summer Garden
Over The Hills And Far Away

Amazon.com

These performances of five works by Delius under Thomas Beecham, his friend and foremost champion, are incomparable for their authenticity and the beauty of their sound. The music has all the hallmarks of Delius's style: the calm, lyrical serenity; the shimmering, colorful, often lush orchestration; the evocation of nature, not through imitative sound effects, but rather through its peaceful, languid atmosphere. "The Walk to the Paradise Garden," from A Village Romeo and Juliet, a lovely, pastoral, impressionist piece, was recorded in 1927 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a group of freelance musicians; the rest, recorded in 1936, features the London Philharmonic, formed by Beecham in 1932. The playing throughout is beguilingly beautiful, and no wonder: the woodwinds include some of the greatest English players of the time, notably oboist Léon Goossens and clarinetist Reginald Kell. Their solos shed a special, delicate luster over "In a Summer Garden" and the Intermezzo from the opera Fennimore and Gerda, assembled from the prelude and two scenes by Eric Fenby, Delius's selfless, indispensable secretary, and performed here for the first time. "Over the Hills and Far Away," a youthful work clearly influenced by Wagner, is simple, wistful, and episodic. The disc's most substantial piece is "Sea Drift," for baritone, chorus, and orchestra, set to a long poem by Walt Whitman (the text, alas, is not included). Colorful, atmospheric, somewhat discursive, with many changes of mood and texture, it rises to several dramatic climaxes, but ends in resignation. Brownlee's voice is a bit dry, but he sings with much understanding; the chorus is excellent. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

ABBEY ROAD.......2005-01-22

Starting in 1934, the year of the composer's death, Beecham recorded three series of Delius performances at two-year rests. This disc gives us the 1936 selection together with The Walk to the Paradise Garden done in 1927. To my ears the sound here shows a distinct advance in quality over the first record in this set of reissues, enough of an advance for me to feel able to give this disc a fifth star.

The step-change in the recorded quality is down to Abbey Road, the studio in West Hampstead made famous by the Beatles. It had been custom-built to the latest ideas of the time, and seems to have satisfied even the exacting Beecham. Choral recording in those days was seen as a greater challenge than recording an orchestra, and even in 2005 I would say that the technicians managed to do an admirable job with the massive forces required for Sea Drift. The technical side of this reissue has been masterminded again by David Lennick, and he gives us an interesting little note of his own on a particular problem he faced, the consequence no doubt of the short recording takes that were imposed by the limitations of 78rpm technology. The fault had been spotted too late and only 'corrected' at the expense of introducing another problem. If Mr Lennick is letting us know what a good job he did in the circumstances I should say he has every right to do so.

The soloist in Sea Drift is the Australian baritone John Brownlee. His diction is absolutely exemplary, which is just as well since the words of the poem are not provided. Even the chorus are remarkably distinct in their enunciation once one's ears have got used to the ambience of the sound generally. As for the quality of the performances, the name of Beecham in relation to Delius probably makes much further comment superfluous. All the familiar grace and suppleness in the phrasing are here as ever, and the luscious ripe-to-overripe orchestral effects are starting to make something of their full effect thanks to Abbey Road. Beecham was to a great extent in a position to specify his own orchestral players, and few listeners will be liable to miss the special contributions of the oboe from Leon Goossens and the clarinet in the hands of Reginald Kell.

Like the first disc of the series, this record benefits from another fine and fascinating liner-note by Lyndon Jenkins, chairman of the Delius Society. The series of three discs is available at very modest cost, and I look forward to being able to report shortly that it can be recommended in its entirety.

One could hardly wish for better performances........2002-08-09

This second historic CD of works by Frederick Delius conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham offers all the items that appeared in the 1936 Delius Society volume. In addition there is Beecham's 1927 recording of "The Walk To the Paradise Garden", a recording that especially delighted Delius himself. Recorded at various times during 1936 in Studio 1, Abbey Road, the other items may be heard in slightly better sound quality than that which emerged from the first CD in this Naxos series of three. One could hardly wish for better performances. "Sea Drift" is the work and the performance to treasure here. It features the fine Australian baritone John Brownlee.

One could hardly wish for better performances........2002-07-31

Delius in Mezzotint.......2000-10-03

There is not exactly a Frederick Delius controversy: Those who like him, like him; everyone else ignores him. Once, however, the fires of opinion crackled high. Certain affiliations of the composer, such as his use of Nietzsche as the text of his Mass of Life or his friendship with the playwright Strindberg, put Delius as it were in the company of the then artistic avant-garde (I speak of the fin-de-siecle). These associations endowed the music with a certain aura of daring, and for a while some critics, especially in Germany, even considered Delius one of the chief competitors of Richard Strauss. The Delius partisans in England also advocated their champion as an important figure in modern music. One of them - in his way, the most convinced of them all - organized two Delius Festivals (1929 and 1946), week-long affairs devoted to the master's big orchestral-and-choral scores, deferring much of the expense himself. This was Thomas (later Sir Thomas) Beecham, whose advocacy went beyond the Festival into an ambitious recording-program of his friend's music, much of it subsidized by The Delius Society, which Beecham himself helped to organize. At the nadir of Delius' reputation, after World War II, the memory of him dependend largely on Beecham's pioneering studio-work. Collins and Barbirolli made recordings in the LP era, and many conductors have sampled the shorter works for CD (Richard Hickox has been issuing digital realizations of the major scores for a decade), but Beecham's original go-around have remained the interpretive benchmark. Now Naxos, as part of its "Great Conductors" series, gives us remasterings of some of Beecham's original Delius platters. Volume II centers on a magnificent 1936 reading of the choral suite Sea Drift to achingly lyrical words by Walt Whitman. Beecham leads the Royal Philharmonic and the London Select Choir; John Brownlee is the perfect baritone for the solo part. Much of the Beecham-Delius collaboration has already appeared on CD on the Dutton label. Those are magnificent remasterings. The advantage of the Naxos series, comparable with Dutton in the beauty of its sound, lies in its low price. For a mere six dollars or so, one can hear directly Beecham's passionate case for this music, the wonderful warmth of the players and singers, the excitement of the event. The CD includes four shorter works: The Walk to Paradise Garden from the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet, the Intermezzo from the opera Fennimore and Gerda (after a novel by the Dane Jacobsen), the tone-poem In a Summer Garden, and the early overture Over the Hills and Far Away. Maybe Delius wasn't a "great," maybe he simply tapped into a vein of late-romantic nostalgia. However the quibbling estheticians might decide it, Beecham makes us believe that this is the pure distillate of heartache and beauty. And so, while one listens, it is.

Vaughan Williams, Delius: Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

Williams & Delius
An absolute delight - One of Ormandy's crowning achivement
String Fest!
More about Vaughan Williams than Delius

Vaughan Williams, Delius: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5/Serenade For Strings
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique Op14; Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Prokofiev: Love for Three Oranges Suite
Janacek: Sinfonietta; Taras Bulba; Kodály: Dances
Strauss: Orchestral Music from Stage Works

ASIN: B0000029RX
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Fantasia on Greensleeves from Sir John in Love
The Lark Ascending: Romance for Violin and Orchestra Andante sostenuto
Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody
A Dance Rhapsody No. 2: Mazurka tempo
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
In A Summer Garden: Rhapsody

Amazon.com

Here's a fantastically played album of quiet, largely relaxing music by two of this century's greatest English composers. Delius, despite the popularity of his little tone poem about the cuckoo, remains something of an acquired taste; but Eugene Ormandy has selected some of the composer's best pieces, performing them all with uncommon character and no sense of dullness. And as for the great "Tallis Fantasion" of Vaughan Williams--possibly the finest work ever written for string orchestra--suffice to say that the Philadelphia Orchestra at the time of this recording had the world's best string section. This is a marriage made in heaven. A marvelous disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Williams & Delius.......2004-12-05

This is a superb recording of Vaughan Williams'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Greensleeves, and The Lark Ascending
PLUS
Delius Brigg Fair and others. Brigg Fair should be a ballet. It's dramatic and touching.

An absolute delight - One of Ormandy's crowning achivement.......2004-10-25

This album contains two not-so-high-profile (try comparing their reputation to those of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky or even Stravinsky) composers' best known works, and certainly one of the loveliest.

Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, long considered as one of the greatest conductor-orchestra collaboration in history, prove the listeners that the performances of Vaughn-Williams and Delius enclosed in this disk are top-notch.

In the lush Thomas Tallis Fantasy, no string orchestra could match such musical and technical depth and expression. Bernstin's almost equally beautiful but much slower performance is great, but Ormandy's above all a classic. Same goes for the famous Greensleeves.

As for all the Delius' pieces, Ormandy does it again giving a definitive performances as is giving off the full color. It's a real pity, however, that "A Walk Through Paradise Garden" (from A Village Romeo and Juliet) isn't in this precious album.

Although not done by Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, my favorite piece in the disk is The Lark Ascending. A nostalgic, beautiful romance for violin and orchestra, this piece really captivates my musical sense. The violin solo really caresses you like a cool breeze, and the orchestra can take you to some Shakesperean love affair. Every time I listen, I visualize myself having a casual date, most likely a violinist, in a beautiful pastoral land far from the thoughts of modern urban stress, later falling into a passionate (but somewhat innocently mild, and never "dirty") Shakesperean affair. This performance, done by violinist Rafael Druian, and the Cleveland Sinfonietta, under Louis Lane gives a grade A romantic touch. Even though I heard other performances, this one is a classic. Druian gives an immensely rich sound on the violin.

This disk is a treasure for all classical music lovers.

String Fest!.......2004-05-07

I really enjoyed the low powerful lush sounding cellos and double basses with the violins and violas providing the high soaring end of these works.I agree with the other reviewers that the Philadelphia Orchestra had one of the best ever string sections during Ormandy's time. The production is excellent featuring mostly crisp detailed string music. However, the second part of the CD has some nice woodwind work including the mostly egnored crontra bassoon. Ormandy is certainly one of my favorite conductors and these English composers use the string section most effectively. If you love strings and woodwinds you will enjoy these works.

More about Vaughan Williams than Delius.......2000-06-01

As other reviewers have said about high-quality, low-priced CDs, I affirm that "this disc is a steal." The strings in the first track are especially lush. "Tallis" is brilliantly composed. "Greensleeves" is also superbly well done. "Lark Ascending" is nicely done too, although done not by Ormandy's Philadelphia Orchestra. Check out the Delius compositions, they're light and almost impressionistic.

Average customer rating:

Delius Orchestral Works
Beecham's Autumnal Delius

Delius: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Delius: Orchestral Works
Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Delius
Anne Sofie von Otter - Grieg Songs
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.8 - Wiener Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan

ASIN: B00005AVMK
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhap
Dance Rhap No.2
Two Pieces: I. On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring
Two Pieces: II. Summer Night On The River
A Song Before Sunrise
Intermezzo (Fennimore And Gerda)
Irmelin Prld
Sleighride
Summer Evening
Florida Ste: I. Daybreak - Dance

Customer Reviews:

Delius Orchestral Works.......2005-08-28

Lackluster performance. Poorly engineered, need to constantly adjust volume to listen to music.

Beecham's Autumnal Delius.......2002-03-31

With no composer was Sir Thomas Beecham more closely associated than with Frederick Delius: Beecham made his first 78RPM documentation of Delius in the middle 1920s just after the invention of the electrical process; he recorded Delius throughout the period of electrical stylus engraving, continued to do so in the "hi-fi" years of the monophonic long-playing record, and made what were probably the first stereo recordings of Delius in the late 1950s and early 1960s, for EMI. The EMI stereo recordings have rarely, if ever, been out of the catalogue. They appeared initially in the United States in the late 1960s on the Seraphim label, on two LPs. EMI reissued them as a two-CD boxed set in the middle 1980s, and the current, semi-budget edition compiles the best of the older two-CD anthology, reworking the balances just a bit, and making them available at a lower price than previously. The highlight of the program is the wonderful, autumnal performance of "Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody," a work that Beecham committed to platters three times (in 1928, 1947, and, as here, in 1958). While the music of Delius does not absolutely demand stereo, it certainly benefits from it; the subtleties of orchestral color, the impression of depth so important to an evocation of landscape, the related representation of distance (as noted by Christopher Palmer in his study of the composer) - all of these become more vivid, and more vitally contribute to the living whole, in stereo. Let it be said that however accomplished conductors of later generations have been in their dedication to Delius, none has ever surpassed Beecham: the gentle rocking of the flute and harp in the opening bars of "Brigg Fair" sounds like the rolling countryside itself in warm pastels; the peroration in brass toward the end of the same work blazes for a moment before the music subsides back into its original quietness. The timing (15.51) is comparable with that of Beecham's pioneering 1928 performance (available on Naxos) and shows that the lambent atmosphere is not dependent on a retardation of the pace. The two "sketches," "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring" and "Summer Night on the River," here receive their definitive recordings. (Only Barbirolli, also on EMI, comes close.) Beecham brings to life the two other miniatures, "A Song before Sunrise" and "Summer Evening," with the same deft magic; in the less characteristic "Dance Rhapsody No. 2" he knows how to mark the rhythms and does a more effective job than Eric Fenby did on a now deleted Unicorn CD. This is a splendid CD for those curious about Delius who might want an introduction to the autumnal realm. I can detect little difference in sound between this disc and its previous CD re-mastering for the boxed set. The original recordings represented the state of the art for their time and have always sounded as warm as Sir Thomas must have intended them to be.

Average customer rating:

LAST AND NOT LEAST
Bench-Mark Performances.

Delius: Orchestra Works, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Delius: Orchestra Works, Vol. 1
Historical - Delius: Orchestral Works Vol 2 / Beecham, et al

ASIN: B00004TFS0
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhap - Sir Thomas Beecham And His SO
Koanga: La Calinda - LPO/Sir Thomas Beecham
Hassan: Closing Scene - Jan Van Der Gucht
Irmelin Prld - LPO/Sir Thomas Beecham
Appalachia (Variations On An Old Slave Song With Final Chor) - BBC Chor

Customer Reviews:

LAST AND NOT LEAST.......2005-01-23

This is now the third - third of three it seems - of the new reissues of Beecham's early Delius recordings. It takes in the performances Beecham gave in 1938 plus one of Brigg Fair from 1928. Like its two forerunners this disc benefits from an informed and informative short commentary from Lyndon Jenkins, chairman of the Delius society, and like the second of the series it also has a short note from the producer, the skilful and adroit David Lennick, on some of the technical problems he had to circumvent. Obviously there is no way that even Mr Lennick could transform recorded sound from so long ago into the sort of quality we take for granted nowadays, but he has done a fine job all the same. The major difficulties were with the 1928 item (unsurprisingly) and matters improve noticeably with the move to the famous Abbey Road recording studio for the others. I'm not clear what Mr Lennick means when he talks about `a more cramped studio than previously'. The details on the back of the box read as if the same studio was used as in the second set of recordings, but I don't detect a lot of difference however that may be.

I can't bring myself to deny a fifth star to this modestly-priced disc. Beecham did later recordings of Delius in far better sound, and I would not dare suggest that the later performances were inferior in any way, but there is a special historical significance to these early products. In 1928 Eric Fenby, newly arrived as amanuensis to the ailing composer, overheard Delius reacting enthusiastically to a broadcast of Brigg Fair by Beecham. The sound-quality can't have been marvellous, so we also ought to be able to enjoy the piece as recorded here, a performance only weeks later than the performance that overjoyed Delius. Appalachia is here too, the very work that first fascinated Beecham with the music of Delius, and I can't believe that his first recording of it did not have special significance for him. So far as I know they are all first recordings, and that gives them special interest and significance for me too.

All the works here are relatively well known, and the inclusion of La Calinda at least, and to a great extent Appalachia as well, should help dispel any understandable suspicions that all Delius's music has the tempo-marking `andante'. The choral sound is perfectly tolerable at worst, and at the end of Appalachia quite surprisingly good. The most important thing is that his special orchestral wizardry should get a chance to make itself heard through his greatest and most dedicated interpreter, and I move a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Lennick and to Naxos. Delius is not quite like anyone else, indeed not much at all like anyone else. Who I should be recommending this record, and its two predecessors, to I'm not quite sure, but one answer would be `everyone'. Allowances obviously have to be made for the antiquated sound, but to me that is simply no problem. For the unconvinced, the best thing to do would be to hear it before deciding on a possible purchase. For the special devotees of Delius, or of Beecham, or of both, I imagine there is likely to be no doubt or hesitation about it.

Bench-Mark Performances........2000-10-14

Great value indeed! With this CD, Naxos completes its series of Delius works recorded in the 1920 and 1930s by Sir Thomas Beecham. Transfers from 78s have been judiciously managed by Devid Lennick, who supplies informative notes, as does Lyndon Jenkins, Chairman of the Delius Society. Production values in this 2000 issue are all that could be wished for, as are the affectionate and dedicated performances under Beecham's direction. "Appalacia" is the principal work here, recorded in 1938. The sound is marginally better than can be heard on the fist two CDs in this series. The original 78s apparently pleased the ever-fastidious Sir Thomas and his producer Walter Legge. What a pity they didn't transfer their operations to the Kingsway Hall! Conditions at the Abbey Road Studio sound cramped and airless. Nevertheless these are bench-mark performances.