The musical compositions of
Frederick Delius (1862–1934) cover numerous genres, in a style that developed from the early influences of composers such as
Edvard Grieg and
Richard Wagner into a voice that was uniquely Delius's. He began serious composition at a relatively advanced age (his earliest songs date to his early twenties), and his music was largely unknown and unperformed until the early 20th century. It was a further ten years before his work was generally accepted in concert halls, and then more often in Europe than in his home country, England. Ill-health caused him to give up composition in the early 1920s and he was silent for several years, before the services of a devoted amanuensis,
Eric Fenby, enabled Delius to resume composing in 1928. The Delius-Fenby combination led to several notable late works.[1]
Chronological list of principal works
The "principal" works are those identified as such by
Eric Fenby.[2] A division of Delius's work into phases such as "apprentice" and "middle period" has been suggested by many commentators, notably
Anthony Payne in "Delius's Stylistic Development" (1962).[1]
1930: Songs of Farewell (setting of poems by Walt Whitman)
List of works by genre
A definitive catalogue of the works of Delius was produced by Robert Threlfall in 1977, and a supplement to it in 1986.[4] It is abbreviated as RT. The Threlfall sectioning is a
categorization where works are assigned
nominal numbers according to a roman-numeric genre
numbering scheme. For example, A Village Romeo and Juliet is, according to Threlfall's counting, the sixth piece of dramatic work Delius composed. Thus, the piece is in Section I, number 6, so is designated RT I/6.[5]
Libretto: Delius, after
Gottfried Keller. The orchestral interlude between Scenes 5 and 6, "The Walk to the Paradise Garden", is often performed and recorded separately.
Songs to words by Heine: 1. "Mit deinen blauen Augen" (With your blue eyes); 2. "Ein schöner Stern geht auf in meiner Nacht" (A shining star appears in my night); 3. "Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen" (I hear the sound of singing); 4. "Aus deinen Augen fliessen meine Leider" (From your eyes flows my song)
Lieder nach Gedichten von Friedrich Nietzsche (Songs after poems by Fredrich Nietzsche): 1. "Nach neuen Meeren" (By New Seas); 2. "Der Wanderer" (The Wanderer); 3. "Der Einsame" (The Lonely One); 4. "Der Wanderer und sein Schatten" (The Wanderer and his Shadow)
^Harrison, May (Autumn 1985) [March 1945]. Lloyd, Stephen (ed.).
"The Music of Delius". The Delius Society Journal (87): 37. (originally appeared in the Journal of the Royal Musical Association, vol. 71, 1944,
pp. 43-48)
The musical compositions of
Frederick Delius (1862–1934) cover numerous genres, in a style that developed from the early influences of composers such as
Edvard Grieg and
Richard Wagner into a voice that was uniquely Delius's. He began serious composition at a relatively advanced age (his earliest songs date to his early twenties), and his music was largely unknown and unperformed until the early 20th century. It was a further ten years before his work was generally accepted in concert halls, and then more often in Europe than in his home country, England. Ill-health caused him to give up composition in the early 1920s and he was silent for several years, before the services of a devoted amanuensis,
Eric Fenby, enabled Delius to resume composing in 1928. The Delius-Fenby combination led to several notable late works.[1]
Chronological list of principal works
The "principal" works are those identified as such by
Eric Fenby.[2] A division of Delius's work into phases such as "apprentice" and "middle period" has been suggested by many commentators, notably
Anthony Payne in "Delius's Stylistic Development" (1962).[1]
1930: Songs of Farewell (setting of poems by Walt Whitman)
List of works by genre
A definitive catalogue of the works of Delius was produced by Robert Threlfall in 1977, and a supplement to it in 1986.[4] It is abbreviated as RT. The Threlfall sectioning is a
categorization where works are assigned
nominal numbers according to a roman-numeric genre
numbering scheme. For example, A Village Romeo and Juliet is, according to Threlfall's counting, the sixth piece of dramatic work Delius composed. Thus, the piece is in Section I, number 6, so is designated RT I/6.[5]
Libretto: Delius, after
Gottfried Keller. The orchestral interlude between Scenes 5 and 6, "The Walk to the Paradise Garden", is often performed and recorded separately.
Songs to words by Heine: 1. "Mit deinen blauen Augen" (With your blue eyes); 2. "Ein schöner Stern geht auf in meiner Nacht" (A shining star appears in my night); 3. "Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen" (I hear the sound of singing); 4. "Aus deinen Augen fliessen meine Leider" (From your eyes flows my song)
Lieder nach Gedichten von Friedrich Nietzsche (Songs after poems by Fredrich Nietzsche): 1. "Nach neuen Meeren" (By New Seas); 2. "Der Wanderer" (The Wanderer); 3. "Der Einsame" (The Lonely One); 4. "Der Wanderer und sein Schatten" (The Wanderer and his Shadow)
^Harrison, May (Autumn 1985) [March 1945]. Lloyd, Stephen (ed.).
"The Music of Delius". The Delius Society Journal (87): 37. (originally appeared in the Journal of the Royal Musical Association, vol. 71, 1944,
pp. 43-48)