# Help me with Delius



## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

I enjoy a lot of English music, especially Elgar and the pastoral music of Vaughan Williams (Tallis Fantasia, Greensleves, Five Variants, The Lark Ascending, etc). To broaden a little, I thought I'd listen to some Delius. Which album of Delius's music would you suggest for a beginner, along the lines of his most famous pieces? I'm looking for one with ''On Hearing The First Cuckoo in Spring'' and ''The Walk To The Paradise Garden'' on the same CD. Thanks in advance.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Personally, the conductor who got me into Delius was Sir Thomas Beecham. I don't know what it is that he does that sets him apart; some have used the term lambent. There is a CD with all his stereo recordings which I think is great, but the Walk to the Paradise Garden isn't on it. 

I don't know if you want to dive into an 18-CD compilation, but this is an excellent boxed set and well curated. The Beecham stereo recordings are in here along with other conductors like Barbirolli, Handley, Hickox, Groves, and others.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Louis, this 2 CD set with Barbirolli at the helm meets your requirements.


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

RICK RIEKERT said:


> Louis, this 2 CD set with Barbirolli at the helm meets your requirements.
> 
> View attachment 172235


Thanks. Are they available separately? Or do you have any single CD Delius recommendations? I have more time for single CD'S.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

My mom had a widely diverse record collection when I was a kid: Herb Alpert, Tchaikovsky, Frank Sinatra, Broadway, 101 Strings, Julie Christy, Alan Sherman, Getz/Gilberto . . . 

She had an album with a collection of works from Delius. It was the dullest, most boring thing I'd ever heard. Even the cover artwork was dull (a somewhat impressionistic pastoral painting in white and dull green).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Can't help you, I'm afraid...Delius does nothing for me...starts nowhere, goes nowhere, ends in the same place...


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

Poor Delius is not getting much love here and I'm not a huge Delius fan either; but I do really like the _Florida Suite_ which is probably the most sincere musical tribute to America's sunshine state. Delius lived in Florida for a while and was so taken with it that after he returned to Europe and married his German bride he returned to Florida for a vacation so he could share the experience with her. I know you said that looking for something "English" but in my mind I place _Florida Suite_ right along side Copland's _Appalachian Spring_ and Grofe's _Grand Canyon Suite_ as the finest pieces of classical music that honor the natural beauty of the American landscape. Delius also paid tribute to the Appalachian Hills sometime _before_ Aaron Copland with his own _Appalachia_; the first in a grand trifecta of Appalachian musical tributes, the other two being Copland's _Appalachian Spring_ (of course) and _Symphony #60 "To the Appalachian Mountains"_ by Alan Hovhaness.

I have two very fine recordings of _Florida Suite_ in my music library:


















Welcome to Florida:










The Appalachian Trifecta:


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Like many others, I started out with the Delius recordings by Sir Thomas Beecham on EMI, which I'd certainly recommend; although I'm not sure what the best remasters are these days. So, I'd suggest that you sample the sound quality before you buy anything,






From there, I discovered a handful or so of other Delius conductors that I've liked, as well, especially Norman del Mar, Eric Fenby, Sir John Barbirolli, & Sir Charles Groves, but also from the digital era, Sir Charles Mackerras and Richard Hickox.

If you're looking for only a single CD, I'd strongly recommend the following Chandos recording from Norman del Mar and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta:






There's also a single CD of selected works drawn from Beecham's survey, which includes some of Delius's more essential works, but again, you'll need to make sure you're okay with the sound quality,






For a more comprehensive set, the 2 CD set that Rick suggested above is worth considering, too, along with this single Delius CD from Barbirolli,






While more off the beaten path, I wouldn't want to be without violinist Ralph Holmes recording of the Delius Violin Concerto, conducted by Vernon Handley,






(Though violinist Tasmin Little is good in this music too.)

Nor, being a long time devoted fan of Dame Janet Baker, would I want to be without my EMI recording of Delius's Songs of Sunset, Cynara, and An Arabesque, either, with singers Janet Baker & John Shirley-Quirk, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Charles Groves,

Unfortunately, I can only find 4 selections from their Songs of Sunset recording on You Tube (here coupled with Delius's Mass of Life and his String Quartet via a Warner re-release),

No. 1: Songs of Sunset on Texts by Ernest Dowson, RT II/5: No. 1, "A song of the setting sun!" (Chorus)
No. 3: Songs of Sunset on Texts by Ernest Dowson, RT II/5: No. 3, "Pale amber sunlight falls across"...
No. 6: Songs of Sunset on Texts by Ernest Dowson, RT II/5: No. 6, "See how the trees and osiers lithe"...
No. 8: Songs of Sunset on Texts by Ernest Dowson, RT II/5: No. 8, "They are not long, the weeping and...

Finally, while this may not be what you're looking for, I also wouldn't want to be without Eric Fenby's Delius recordings, as both a conductor and pianist. Most of them are, I believe, collected together in the following wonderful box set:









The Delius Collection


The Delius Collection. Heritage: HTGCD700. Buy download online. Maryetta Midgley, Vernon Midgley, Eric Parkin (piano), Ralph Holmes (violin), Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Philip Fowke (piano), Thomas Allen, Sarah Walker, Felicity Lott, Julian Lloyd Webber (cello) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra...



www.prestomusic.com





Hope that helps.

Edit: P.S. I now realize that I didn't find you a single album release that includes both "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring" and "The Walk to the Paradise Garden" together, as you requested. Sir Charles Mackerras with the Welsh National Opera Orchestra makes a very good choice here (it was originally a two for the price of one release, which I expect you should be able to buy used today in excellent condition, or possibly new, for under $10, or whatever that is in GBPs.):









Frederick Delius - Orchestral Works


Frederick Delius - Orchestral Works. Decca: 4602902. Buy 2 Presto CDs or download online. Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Charles Mackerras



www.prestomusic.com












Delius, Frederick, Charles Mackerras, Welsh National Opera Orchestra - Brigg Fair / Dance Rhapsody 1 - Amazon.com Music


Delius, Frederick, Charles Mackerras, Welsh National Opera Orchestra - Brigg Fair / Dance Rhapsody 1 - Amazon.com Music



www.amazon.com












Delius: The Walk to the Paradise Garden.


'It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive', especially by way of 'the path less travelled'.There is in my view, no other composer with a greater affin...




www.youtube.com


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

LouisMasterMusic said:


> I enjoy a lot of English music, especially Elgar and the pastoral music of Vaughan Williams (Tallis Fantasia, Greensleves, Five Variants, The Lark Ascending, etc). To broaden a little, I thought I'd listen to some Delius. Which album of Delius's music would you suggest for a beginner, along the lines of his most famous pieces? I'm looking for one with ''On Hearing The First Cuckoo in Spring'' and ''The Walk To The Paradise Garden'' on the same CD. Thanks in advance.
> 
> Louis Solomons


I would suggest Vernon Handley, LPO EMI. Very good performances by a master of English music and a top flight orchestra.

There is a used copy available on Amazon UK for £3.01 including p&p, or £3.02 from my preferred vendor.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

You can't go wrong with any single CD that offers a number of his shorter orchestral works. I love Delius; he's a marvelous blend of French and English quasi-Impressionism. But I find it better to hear just one separate piece rather than a number of them in a row.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I agree a little Delius goes a long way since he lacks the changes in timbre, flavor, temperament and dimension of other great English pastoralists. The only "extended" music of his I'd recommend is the _Florida Suite_. He is best heard in small doses.


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Thank you for all your recommendations; mujch appreciated. I looked for the LPO EMI disc with Vernon Handley on Qobuz (that's the streaming service I use), but it's not on there. The same was with the CD of Norman Del Mar conducting. I might go for the Barbirolli (single CD), or the Naxos one with David Lloyd Jones. Otherwise, I might just end up exploring a more interesting composer whose music I don't know sufficiently well, like Debussy or Sibelius. Apologies for going off-topic.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

LouisMasterMusic said:


> Otherwise, I might just end up exploring a more interesting composer whose music I don't know sufficiently well, like Debussy or Sibelius. Apologies for going off-topic.


I'll wager that you'll find Debussy and Sibelius far more interesting than Delius [Delirious...lol]


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> I'll wager that you'll find Debussy and Sibelius far more interesting than Delius [Delirious...lol]


I was thinking of the Sibelius Symphony cycle with Pietari Inkinen on Naxos, or Jun Markl's Debussy series on the same label. What would you recommend as an easy start up disc for either composer?

(P.S. See new title and post at the top of this thread).

_(edited by Art Rock, see next post)_


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

LouisMasterMusic said:


> I was thinking of the Sibelius Symphony cycle with Pietari Inkinen on Naxos, or Jun Markl's Debussy series on the same label. What would you recommend as an easy start up disc for either composer?
> 
> (P.S. See new title and post at the top of this thread).


*Please do not change title and first post like this, because the thread now makes zero sense. You can start a new thread about Sibelius and Debussy recommendations.

I am changing title and first post back.*


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Art Rock said:


> *Please do not change title and first post like this, because the thread now makes zero sense. You can start a new thread about Sibelius and Debussy recommendations.
> 
> I am changing title and first post back.*


Ok. My apologies.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

LouisMasterMusic said:


> Thank you for all your recommendations; mujch appreciated. I looked for the LPO EMI disc with Vernon Handley on Qobuz (that's the streaming service I use), but it's not on there. The same was with the CD of Norman Del Mar conducting. I might go for the Barbirolli (single CD), or the Naxos one with David Lloyd Jones. Otherwise, I might just end up exploring a more interesting composer whose music I don't know sufficiently well, like Debussy or Sibelius. Apologies for going off-topic.


Before you decide to spend money on music by way of digital download or by buying a CD, you can always sample the music for free on Youtube which I'm sure has plenty of Delius. I'm a bit surprised that you might give up so quickly on Delius just because a couple of people here said they don't like his music (and I even identified myself as not being not such a great fan of Delius). Part of the joy that I find in classical music is cheering for the underdog. The likes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven...and Debussy and Sibelius, have legions of fans and honors bestowed upon them, and rightly so; but I often take pleasure in the lesser composers whose music is not quite in league with the heavy hitters but still have the element of sincerity and occasional moments of originality, smart craftsmanship, even sparks of genius that might suggest a hidden greatest that was just barely missed due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being born 200 years too late or 200 years too soon.

You say that you have an interest in your own English composers; and if this is true then I'm your American counterpart as I have a special interest in our own American composers and not just our own "heavy hitters" such as Ives, Copland, Barber, and Glass; but also the likes of Edward MacDowall, Amy Beach, Florence Price, Roy Harris, Walter Piston, William Schuman, Roger Sessions, Ulysses Kay, Alan Hovhaness, Adophus Hailstork, Ellen Taffe Zwillich, John Cage, and Elliott Carter. Such composers as these may be seen as banal, derivative, thorny, overly-academic, tier two (or even tier three?) by most; and in the case of Cage and Carter, as "far out there"; but to me, these American composers (and many more of them) are a lovable, sincere, occasionally interesting, rich, and diverse lot that has deserved more recognition than they have received even here in the USA where our great American musicians, orchestras, and record labels, rarely have championed them apart from the the likes of the tired and obligatory recordings of Gershwin's _Rhapsody in Blue_, Copland's _Appalachian Spring_ and Barber's _Adagio for Strings. _

This is a great thing about clasicasl music, that we can all find are own little places of interest off the beaten path.

Ironically, it was the wonderful people at NAXOS, with it's German CEO based in Hong Kong that did more than anyone here in the USA to promote and champion American composers with their excellent _American Classics_ series that started in the mid-to-late 1990s. Prior to that, you were lucky to come across a recording by, say, Walter Piston, William Schuman, Ulysses Kay or Alan Hovhaness at a used record store, yard sale, or flea market.

Anyway, beofre you move on to Debussy and Sibelius, you may want to at least give Delius' _Florida Suite_ a chance as it is a unique intersection where English impressionaism, polish and restraint meets the wide and wild American landscape. Here again, there are probably several fine recordings of _Florida Suite_ on Youtube.


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Coach G said:


> Anyway, beofre you move on to Debussy and Sibelius, you may want to at least give Delius' _Florida Suite_ a chance as it is a unique intersection where English impressionaism, polish and restraint meets the wide and wild American landscape. Here gain, there are probably several fine recordings of _Florida Suite_ on Youtube.


I have just found ''Sea Drift'' and the ''Florida Suite'' on Qobuz in the recording on Argo with Thomas Hampson, the Chorus and Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, under Sir Charles Mackerras. In the episode of BBC Radio 3's Building A Library devoted to ''Sea Drift'', this is one of the recommended recordings.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

LouisMasterMusic said:


> I have just found ''Sea Drift'' and the ''Florida Suite'' on Qobuz in the recording on Argo with Thomas Hampson, the Chorus and Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, under Sir Charles Mackerras. In the episode of BBC Radio 3's Building A Library devoted to ''Sea Drift'', this is one of the recommended recordings.


I hope it was a good experience. My first Delius CD was the 2-CD set by Mackerras, and something about his way with the music of Delius didn't click with me. I didn't "get" Delius until I heard Beecham, and that is how I became a fan. But we all hear differently, so I hope with you, Mackerras kindled a spark.


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> I hope it was a good experience. My first Delius CD was the 2-CD set by Mackerras, and something about his way with the music of Delius didn't click with me. I didn't "get" Delius until I heard Beecham, and that is how I became a fan. But we all hear differently, so I hope with you, Mackerras kindled a spark.


I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm currently listening to Sir Charles conducting Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 24, with Alfred Brendel and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Whatever he's conducting, Sir Charles is - for me, one of the most intelligent musicians in his field. John Wilson and Sir Mark Elder are others.


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