Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934)
A Delius Collection of Rare Historic Recordings
Performers include Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Eugène Goossens, Constant
Lambert, Isobel Baillie & Heddle Nash.
rec. ADD Mono
Full Track List at end of Review
rec. 1929-55
DANACORD DACOCD717 [76:07]
Danacord’s way with Delius has been pretty well documented on MusicWeb
International. Their Holten-directed Norwegian (review
review)
and Danish (review
review)
collections are invaluable. They are to follow this up with three more CDs,
one each for the British, French and American works for singers, chorus and
orchestra. The trio will be out ready for the 2012 Delius Anniversary year.
Out of the blue Jesper Buhl preludes these promised CDs - in the same month
as his 2CD collection of Woldike Haydn symphonies - with this Beecham-less
Delius collection. They are what I understand to be some of the rarest historic
recordings. Many of these miniatures are now available for the first time
on CD. The generous notes are provided by Lyndon Jenkins.
We start with a sumptuous pulse-racer of a La Calinda from Constant
Lambert. Similar celerity is heard in Isobel Baillie’s Gerald Moore-accompanied
Love’s Philosphy. Moore here does a better than passable imitation
of Golovanov at full throttle. Sidney Beer’s 1944 Irmelin Prelude
is memorable for some closely-placed woodwind and some Hollywoodian golden
violins. After that aureate halo Pini and Parry lead us plangently through
the Caprice and Elegy we know so much better from the Beatrice Harrison
recording on Testament. The Boyd Neel strings smooth the way for the rather
unmemorable but agreeable Air and Dance. Much the same can be said
of Barbirolli’s full-hearted 1948 Two Aquarelles. I do not recall
hearing Joan Stuart before. She is the soprano inThe Violet and Sweet
Venevil, two songs that inhabit the gestures and contours of classic English
song without being specially Delian in any way. The same might be said of
the clarion clear Indian Love Song. Heddle Nash is rather prim of tone
for To the Queen of My Heart. Collins takes the way of Beer in the
famous Cuckoo which surges with bullion vibrant string playing among
other delights. From very far back in misty recording antiquity we hear Evlyn
Howard-Jones in the 1929 recording of the Three Preludes for solo piano.
The first of these is dedicated to Howard-Jones. Goossens’ Walk to
the Paradise Garden is a specially languid reading - it feels very expansive
indeed. A reading to relish. Steady-toned Danish violinist Henry Holst premiered
the Walton Violin Concerto in the UK. He later recorded the Bax violin sonatas
with Frank Merrick. Gerald Moore and Holst here take the slow-pulsed Légende
quite steadily. Finally we return to Barbirolli and this time with A Song
of Summer which is far more worthy of his tender attentions that the earlier
diptych. This sounds splendidly pellucid and the Halle bask in the warmth
of it all though at sustained climaxes the sound becomes distressed though
the mind soon mends the rasping distortion.
Dedicated Delians - are there any others? - will need to get this disc.
Rob Barnett
Dedicated Delians - are there any others? - will need to get this disc of
Delius rarities.
Full Track List
La Calinda [3:29]
Hallé Orchestra/Constant Lambert
Recorded 30 July 1941: HMV C3273
Irmelin Prelude [5:03]
National Symphony Orchestra/Sidney Beer
8 June 1944: Decca K1834
Caprice & Elegy [6:43]
Anthony Pini, cello - Wilfrid Parry, piano
1955: Argo RG47
Air and Dance [4:33]
The Boyd Neel String Orchestra
20 October 1938: Decca X147
The Violet [2:32]
Joan Stuart, soprano - Gordon Watson, piano
1955: Argo RG46
Sweet Venevil [2:54]
Joan Stuart, soprano - Gordon Watson, piano
1955: Argo RG46
On hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring [6:18]
London Symphony Orchestra/Anthony Collins
23 & 25 February 1953: Decca LXT2788
Indian Love Song [3:12]
Maggie Teyte, soprano - Rita Mackay, piano
Decca LXT6126
To the Queen of my Heart [3:07]
Heddle Nash, tenor - Gerald Moore, piano
7 December 1934: Columbia SDX7
Love's philosophy [1:48]
Isobel Baillie, soprano - Gerald Moore, piano
31 May 1945: Columbia DB2178
Two Aquarelles (arr. Fenby) [3:49]
Hallé Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli
1 April 1948: HMV C3864
Three Preludes for piano [3:34]
Evlyn Howard-Jones, piano
4 April 1929: Columbia 5444
The Walk to the Paradise Garden [9:23]
[A Village Romeo and Juliet (arr. Beecham)]
Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra/Eugène Goossens
14 February 1946: RCA Victor 11-9493
Légende for violin & piano [8:40]
Henry Holst, violin - Gerald Moore, piano
7 August 1942: Columbia DX1094
A Song of Summer [11:02]
Hallé Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli
2 February 1950: HMV DB9609/70