Delius: Brigg Fair

On this CD:

1. A Song Before Sunrise, for small orchestra, RT vi/24
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

2. Songs (7) from the Norwegian, for voice & piano, RT v/9 No.2, Heimkehr [The Homeward Journey]
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Marjorie Thomas
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

3. Songs (7) from the Norwegian, for voice & piano, RT v/9 No.3, Twilight Fancies
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Elsie Suddaby
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

4. Hassan, incidental music, RT i/9 Intermezzo
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

5. Hassan, incidental music, RT i/9 Serenade
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with David McCallum
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

6. A Dance Rhapsody (No. 1), for orchestra, RT vi/18
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with David McCallum
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

7. A Dance Rhapsody (No. 2), for orchestra, RT vi/22
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

8. Brigg Fair (An English Rhapsody), for orchestra, RT vi/16
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

9. Pieces (2), for small orchestra, RT vi/19 On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

10. Pieces (2), for small orchestra, RT vi/19 Summer Night on the River
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

11. Danish Songs (2), for voice & piano or orchestra, RT v/21
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Elsie Suddaby
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

12. Danish Songs (2), for voice & piano or orchestra, RT v/21
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Elsie Suddaby
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

13. Irmelin, prelude for orchestra, RT vi/27
Composed by Frederick Delius
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Introduction (Slow. Pastoral)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Theme & Variations 1-6 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: II. Interlude (Slow And Very Quietly)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Variations 7-12
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Variations 13-17 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Coda (Very Quietly)
In A Summer Garden
Eventyr (Once Upon A Time)
A Song Of Summer
Summer Night On The River - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Song Before Sunrise - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Village Romeo And Juliet: The Walk To The Paradise Garden - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Superb Music.......2005-03-20

This Classics For Pleasure CD is a new release of older material from two previous albums. Unlike previous releases this contains nearly 80 minutes of music so it is excellent value.

Delius is often described as a British composer, which is slightly inaccurate. He had German parents, he lived in the United States, travelled to France and Germany as well as other parts of Europe before settling in France. He was in many ways an International Composer. His music may seem curiously eclectic. Think of Debussy with a bit of a Grieg melody and Wagnerian drama thrown in. Yet his music seems all the more distinctive because of it.

Vernon Handley's interpretation of these pieces have often been regarded as a bit too emotional, much like other British Conductors like Barbarolli and Beecham who recordings are yardsticks which others are measured. Yet Brigg Fair has an incredible lyricism and the rare Eventyr combines the Debussian impressionism with drama. The use of percussion and the shouting voices, presumably from the orchestra itself, in the hands of Handley come across so vividly. This piece alone with Handley's direction brought Delius to my attention. I now enjoy Delius' music more than I do say Elgar, Holst and Vaughan Williams.

This is a great introduction to Delius' music and can be recommended with enthusiasm.

Average customer rating:

Delius: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: Paris, the Song of a Great City; Double Concerto; Cello Concerto
Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B00000IX80
Release Date: 1999-05-11

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:

Rapturous !

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:

Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: A Village Romeo and Juliet
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Delius: Koanga; The Song of the High Hills
Delius: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B000002S5L
Release Date: 1995-02-14

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:

THE SORT OF MUSIC THAT BOSTRIDGE'S VOICE WAS MADE FOR
Artistry beyond measure
Perfectly Enjoyable
Do Not Be Deceived By His Look Of Innocence
One of the best English-Song CD's available

Ian Bostridge - The English Songbook

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc
Ian Bostridge - Schubert Lieder, Volume II
Ian Bostridge - J.S. Bach: Cantatas & Arias / Biondi, Europa Galante
Perspectives
Ian Bostridge - Liederkreis Op. 24, Dichterliebe Op. 48 & 7 Lieder

ASIN: B00002CF0T
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

La Belle Bame sans Merci
Sleep
I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing
The Cloths of Heaven
To Gratiana Dancing and Singing
To Lucasta, On Going To The Wars
Twilight Fancies
Orpheus With His Lute
Jillian of Berry
Cradle Song
The Dance Continued
Linden Lea
Silent Noon
My Love's An Arbutus
The Death of Queen Jane
No Longer Mourn For Me
Since We Loved
The Sally Gardens
Rest, Sweet Nymphs
Come Away, Death
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal
Bold William Taylor
Brigg Fair
The Little Turtle Dove

Customer Reviews:

THE SORT OF MUSIC THAT BOSTRIDGE'S VOICE WAS MADE FOR.......2002-10-09

Ian Bostridge has one of the most beautiful voices on record, and he has consistently shown courage and wisdom in selecting material that will extend and develop his gifts. Not all of this material has been a perfect match for his young and soaring tenor voice, notably some of Schubert's more dramatic "lieder". In contrast, nothing could be more perfectly suited to his voice than this generous and beautiful collection of traditional English poetic settings by Britten, Finzi, Grainger, Warlock and others.

Bostridge brings more than just a beautiful tone and a subtle musical phrasing to these songs. The challenge any intepreter of English songs has to face is that, in contrast with the pure syllables of most continental languages, the complex vowels of "Southern British English" are formidably difficult to render attractively in song. It's not just a question of singing them prettily. Think how accurately the pronunciation of a word like "house" or "bath" can betray someone's geographical and social background; our vowels are a caste-mark as well as a means of communication. But somehow Bostridge himself, in his fruitful partnership with Julius Drake, manages to transcend our socio-linguistic divisions and deliver these songs in a way that places no barrier between the listener and the music.

The material is wonderful in its own right - a collection of lilting pastoral airs and occasional boisterous ditties. They are at one and the same time ancient and modern, embracing at once the mutual cross-fertilisation between classical and "pop" sensibilities that has always underpinned the best of English music. Even the most trivial of these songs (e.g. "Jillian of Berry") are memorable, and some of them (notably Sir Charles Stanford's chilling musical setting of the Keats' poem, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci") would not have been beneath Schubert himself.

It has been fashionable over the generations to belittle British classic music. "The land without song" England was dubbed, as the sleeve notes poignantly remind us. This CD is a healthy reminder that the global success of English popular music in the latter four decades of the 20th century did not appear out of nowhere; it was built on a solid foundation of past accomplishment that it was for too long fashionable to dismiss. Highly recommended.

Artistry beyond measure.......2002-09-20

This disk is a wonderful treasure. "To Gratiana Dancing and Singing" is an exquisite song that you should not go another day without hearing. I am speaking literally.

Mr. Bostridge's interpretation of Browne's song is amazingly compelling. His ability to express goes beyond that of most other singers - even some great ones. He notes the problems in singing in English (the "extra" vowels, the English vs. German approach to word painting, etc.) and I have to say he triumphs on this disk.

As he also notes, this is NOT a recording of a recital program nor are the songs "English" in nationality - the songs are just set to texts in the English language. I had not heard of some of these composers, but I am enthusiastic in saying that every song on this disk has something very nice to recommend it - at least at the voice and hands of Ian Bostridge and Julian Drake.

I must say a few words about Mr. Drake's playing. Overall he is simply incredible. He has a beauty of tone and a singing style that is not in anyway mere accompaniment. It really isn't even a partnership. It is a unity of artistry that creates this single entity, a song. There aren't many that can pull this off and Mr. Drake should be treasured for this ability. Just amazing artistry.

Please get every disk that Mr. Bostridge and Mr. Drake have done together. You will thank me for recommending this if you didn't know this already. Feel free to email me with your thoughts on this disk or any comments you have about Bostridge and Drake.

Perfectly Enjoyable.......2002-02-09

I already liked Ian Bostridge, but I thought "English songs" would be rather light and without substance. But I have fallen in love with this CD and never tire of it! I was already an admirer of Vaughan Williams, Britten, Finzi, Warlock and Delius, and I'm glad for this introduction to other composers as well. Also, much beautiful poetry is chosen, from Shakespeare, Yeats, Rossetti, Keats, and others, and each is treated with careful consideration by the composer, *partnering* music with poetry rather than simply enhancing or overshadowing the lyric. Bostridge seems to have the perfect voice for this music, light and charming when appropriate, heart-breaking at other times, always an engaging storyteller. He obviously understands intimately each word and note that he sings. The listener can hear his facial expressions and body language! The English Songbook is a beautiful collection of excellent craftsmanship, and one of the best CDs I have.

Do Not Be Deceived By His Look Of Innocence.......2001-10-14

Just look at Ian on the cover photo of this CD. He's sitting there looking coy, playing with his finger, hair a little mussed, with a very cute boyish smile, as if to say, "I didn't do anything wrong mommy, honest." Well he has done it this time.

This CD was my first exposure to Ian Bostridge. I bought it because I was very surprised to know that one of my favorite poems, the Cloths of Heaven by Yeats, was set to music. I spent 17 bucks for one song, and ended up cashing in on 23 others.

To Gratiana Dancing and Singing quickly became a favorite, as did Bold William Taylor. This last one was my first realization of Ian's gift of storytelling. Somehow he is able to make his voice sound like a woman, namely Sally Gray, and the narrator, and the macho Captain, all in the same song. The multiple personalities come out to play similarly in The Death of Queen Jane. I am lulled into quiet reflection and relaxation when Ian sings the Cradle Song.

Check out his CDs of Schubert Lieder, also accompanied by Julius Drake. Ian may be even more at home in German than he is in his native English! Julius is at home with Schubert, especially the water songs, and we are at home listening to this wonderfully weird, warm voice paired with masterful piano playing.

One of the best English-Song CD's available.......2001-09-12

Unlike the reviewer "A music fan from California, USA" I realize that this is not a recital program of music (as even noted in the liner). This is though, an unequaled collection of some of the most beautiful English Songs ever. Ian is on top of his game and J Drake plays, well, I don't have the words. He never fails to impress with his skills. Each key under each finger sings! Back to Ian. As a professional tenor, I am in awe of his voice. It is tender, moving, all the things you want in a good recitalist, and (unlike any of the opera tenors I can think of) it is note perfect. Yes, there are times when his voice seems a little light for the song he may be performing, but it is passionate and caries the pathos of each note/word he sings. BUY THIS CD - you will love it for ever!

Average customer rating:

landmark Delius recordings by his greatest conductor
A composer for a conductor!
A gramophone classic
Hard to top Beecham conducting Delius

Beecham Conducts Delius

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002ROJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Over The Hills And Far Away
Sleigh Ride
Brigg Fair - An English Rapsody
Florida Suite: Daybreak, Dance
Florida Suite: By The River
Florida Suite: Sunset, Near The Plantation
Florida Suite: At Night
Marche Caprice

Tracks:

Dance Rhapsody No. 2
Summer Evening
Two Peices For Small Orchestra: No. 1: On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring
Two Peices For Small Orchestra: No. 2: Summer Night On The River
A Song Before Sunrise
Fennimore And Gerda - Intermezzo
Irmelin Prelude
Songs Of Sunset

Amazon.com

Sir Thomas Beecham enjoyed a career-long association with the music of Delius. As Grieg provided the encouragement to Delius to keep composing, Delius in turn helped Beecham choose conducting as his path. In return, Beecham championed the composer's music as no other interpreter has or ever will. There is a delicacy in these sunny accounts, a lightness of touch and of texture that sets them apart. While one encounters occasional out-of-tune notes as well as ensemble problems in the playing by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the spirit of Sir Thomas easily carries the day. The performances were captured in good early EMI stereo, which, while it comes with some tape hiss, is eminently listenable and has a wonderful presence. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

landmark Delius recordings by his greatest conductor.......2006-12-09

Here you've got probably the most essential set of Delius recordings ever made. Thomas Beecham, the composer's ardent champion of many decades, made the most of this opportunity to record (and re-record) many key works in stereo. The playing of his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is exemplary, with some gorgeous woodwind soloing.

Delius is an elusive but highly original composer with a rhapsodic style; an acquired taste, he can definitely grow on one with repeated listenings. A kind of English impressionist (born the same year as Debussy), he was also a major inspiration to Duke Ellington. Here you'll find some of the finest short tone poems ever composed, such as "Summer Evening," "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring," "Summer Night on the River," and "A Song before Sunset"--all gloriously poetic evocations of the natural world and presented here in definitive interpretations. The early four-movement "Florida Suite" is another favorite, and it's recorded here, as are several other works, in Beecham's own editions.

The highlight, however, is the final and longest piece on this set, "Songs of Sunset," a choral work with baritone and contralto soloists that sets passages by Ernest Dowson (a short-lived and largely forgotten nineteenth-century English poet who contributed several immortal phrases to the language, including "days of wine and roses" and "gone with the wind"). Australian baritone John Cameron is wonderful with his rich, mahogany voice, and Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester is simply transcendent, as she is also in the classic Bruno Walter recording of Mahler's 2nd. The passage "and dream we shall lie,/ Red mouth to mouth, entwined" is ecstatic--pure aural magic.

As an introduction to Delius's music, this can't be topped. And for the true Delian, it's desert island material.

A composer for a conductor!.......2006-12-03

Delius was an eminent landscape painter musician if I may; he might be catalogued as late Impressionist. Temperament and lyric refinement are basically the most relevant features of his artistic profile.

To my mind there just have been three eminent conductors who have been able to capture with all fervor and slender elegance the magic of his compositions: Thomas Beecham, John Barbirolli and Anthony Collins.

The eulogizing devotion of Beecham to play the most of his compositions is worthy to admire, and in this sense he must be considered as the most genuine herald, pioneer and defender of his music, especially when Sir Edward Elgar seemed to cover practically all the spectral universe in the early decades of the XX Century.

Don't miss this album that will always keep for us the minim facets of that illuminated and talented composer.

A gramophone classic.......2000-05-29

This set has the power to bring back a sense of wonder to even the most jaded of today's listeners. Something of the magic of the early stereo era is conveyed. If the LP equivalents sounded half as good as this, they must have been some kind of landmark in the history of recording. I would love to have been there to experience the sense of revelation that these recordings brought to their first listeners.

Beecham was and is the undisputed master of this music. Following along with the score of "Brigg Fair", "A Dance Rhapsody" and "Two Pieces for Small Orchestra" as I listen to Beecham conduct them, I fully appreciate how complete Beecham's seduction of his players was. There is no feeling that an interpreter is imposing his will but rather of complete identification with the spirit of the music, a sense of fantasy and, again, wonder. It's as if Delius is speaking directly to us and surely that is the mark of a great performance!

Hard to top Beecham conducting Delius.......2000-05-26

Want to check out Delius? Start here. Ah, the days when conductors like Sir Thomas Beecham roamed the earth... Highly recommended.

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

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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

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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:

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

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Similar Items:

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

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:

Paris: Nocturne, The Song Of A Great City
Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody
Eventyr (Once Upon A Time)
Irmelin: Prelude
La Calinda (From Koanga)

Amazon.com

This is a very fine Delius disc. It contains several of his very best works, including Paris (which could have been subtitled "An Englishman in Paris"), Brigg Fair, and Eventyr. This last item is a Nordic "troll and goblin" piece that at one point actually requires that the members of the orchestra give a loud shout. The composer no doubt intended it to be terrifying, but most orchestras don't really give it the oomph it needs to really get your hackles up. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra does better than most. The conductor is well known as an English music specialist--LP collectors will remember a particularly fine Bax Symphony No. 2 on Lyrita--and his interpretations do the music justice. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2003-11-10

This is a must have for any admirers of British Music or Delius.

I think, especially, his great symphonic poem "Eventyr" is the best track of this CD.
This work was based on Asbjornsen's (as you know, the first famous poet) Norwegian Stories.

The theme of "La Calinda" was taken from Delius' first successful work "Florida Suite"

The performances are very good. I think, these are among the best performances of New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and they're actually a very good orchestra. (Another successful recording of is, the Symphonies of Stravinsky, available on Naxos).