A bit more Messiaen:
And a late romantic nocturne by Lili Boulanger:
Don’t overlook his Tallis Fantasia. There’s a great passage from Thomas Pynchon’s Against the Day.
In September, Hunter would invite [Ruperta] to accompany him to Gloucester Cathedral, where as part of that year’s Three Choirs Festival, a new work by Ralph Vaughan Williams would be having its first performance. Ruperta, who despised church music, must have seen some irresistible opening for idle mischief, because she went along wearing a sportive toilette more appropriate to Brighton, with a hat she had always found particularly loathsome but kept handy for occasions just such as this. The composer was conducting two string orchestras set like cantores and decani facing each other across the chancel, with a string quartet between them. The moment Vaughan Williams raised his baton, even before the first notes, something happened to Ruperta. As Phrygian resonances swept the great nave, doubled strings sang back and forth, and nine-part harmonies occupied the bones and blood vessels of those in attendance, very slowly Ruperta began to levitate, nothing vulgar, simply a tactful and stately ascent about halfway to the vaulting, where, tears running without interruption down her face, she floated in the autumnal light above the heads of the audience for the duration of the piece. At the last long diminuendo, she returned calmly to earth and reoccupied herself, never again to pursue her old career of determined pest. She and Hunter, who was vaguely aware that something momentous had befallen her, walked in silence out along the Severn, and it was hours before she could trust herself to speak. “You must never, never forgive me, Hunter,” she whispered. "I can never claim forgiveness from anyone. Somehow, I alone, for every single wrong act in my life, must find a right one to balance it. I may not have that much time left.
2 Likes
That one is stunning indeed!!
1 Like
Anyone mentioned Tippett yet?
As in Sir Michael…
Not sure on dates, but I’ll thumbs up
Bartok Piano Concertos
Ravel String Quartet
George Crumb
1 Like
Wow… What a wonderfully evocative passage.
I do think in their lack of (ahem!) pomp and circumstance - RVW and FD summon up a more gentle and caring National pride that is increasingly distant. Visions of Laurie Lee and Wilfred Owen rather than Churchill and Brunel.
Some of my favorite modern composers here…
For Fratres, the version on Tabula Rasa (1984) with Gidon Kremer and Keith Jarret is in my top 5 of favorite classical performances of all time. Absolutely stunning. Apparently there is a remaster from 2015 which i haven’t heard:
Max Richter’s November on Memoryhouse is my favorite from him, the whole album is wonderful.
Olafur Arnalds i really like his Island Songs album with collaborations with other Icelandic artists, including vocalists, just beautiful:
3 Likes
What a lovely story (aside from the Sutcliffe connection, though that’s interesting in its own right).
Delius is one of my desert island composers. My curiosity was piqued back in the 80s when Kate Bush mentioned him as one of her inspirations. I think he’s very underrated, possibly because his lush, florid style is very out of fashion these days.
1 Like
Thanks! …it’s a strange connection between the two men and myself that’s for sure. It’s a lovely old house - from when Bradford (apparently) had more millionaires than any other city in the country.
The city has a strong history of German immigrants - the only real evidence of which remaining being the the multiple German street names. You don’t expect to find a “Hamm Strasse” in industrial northern England, but you do! …Delius came from this heritage, as his name suggests. He was born Fritz Delius - but that was probably a bit too close to a caricature, so changed it to better assimilate.
This is my Dads office and Delius Birthplace as it looks today. It’s not changed much at all.
The driveway up the side leads to the yard and alley where the third cast member in this story did what he did.
There was a pub next to the house which at one point changed its name to “Delius Lived Next Door” which I always thought was quite a nice reference to an important part of the cities history.
On the music - I agree - he’s lush and romantic. But somehow he can even make his Floridian inspired music sound English to my ears!
I can get the Kate Bush connection - she also has a whimsy and a pastoral nature underpinning her music. So I can absolutely see how Delius would have formed a part the subconscious development of that.
If you’ve not heard the Beecham recordings, these are unsurpassed in my view - I’ve listened to them for my entire life, and they still sound amazing and ethereal. Made in the late 50s at the very end of Beechams life - but you wouldn’t know it from the wonderful sound. Beecham himself was an interesting man - coming from a wealthy pharmaceutical family (Remember Beechams Powders?) and evidently a tremendous wit, most people will recognise some of his famous quotations. Brilliantly withering!
The recordings are available on various streaming services in different formats - but I have this CD, which I ripped and go back to regularly.
In fact - this sunny morning seems like a perfect morning for it!
4 Likes
Thanks for that extra info, and the photos. Beecham is my favourite Delius interpreter, and Beecham Conducts Delius is probably the recording I play most (I have the 2 LP HMV Greensleeve from the mid 80s). I have between 20 and 30 Delius records. My first was Fenby’s version of The Song Of The High Hills, which I still treasure. I’m still looking for a copy of Paa Vidderne (On the Heights), which is quite rare.
3 Likes
One of my favourite Beecham quotes is when a trombone player was asked his name by Beecham. “Ball, sir.” “How very singular” said Beecham.
The female cellist quote is barely repeatable. 
1 Like
Ah - yes! …aren’t those recordings wonderful!
I’ve never seen it in Vinyl, but will have a little search for it.
1 Like
He must have been tremendous company!
For a long time I thought that “Bagpipes are the missing link between music and noise” was him, but I’ve seen it attributed to a few people so I’m not so sure. If he didn’t say it he should have!
My favourite verified Beechamism is “Brass bands are all very well in their place – outdoors and several miles away.” …which I think we can all relate to!
1 Like
Wonderful, really admire Lili Boulanger
How about Delius and Sibelius?
3 Likes
Not sure about Delius and Sibelius, but Delius and Grieg were great friends. The theme of “First Cuckoo” is based on a Norwegian folk song also borrowed by Grieg. And “A Song of the High Hills”, perhaps my favourite Delius piece, was inspired by the mountains of Norway where in earlier times he would often hike with Grieg.
Roger
3 Likes
Very illuminating post. New info for me on both Delius and Beecham. Thanks for that Matt. Now you have just got to find yourself a decent second hand vinyl copies of some choice Beecham, Delius recordings to try first up on your incoming Solstice…
1 Like
I have been looking - Discogs is a wonderful thing!
It does make me reflect on how European we all are really….
Frederick Delius
Gustav Holst
…both as English as Elgar - and both wrote music that sounded quintessentially English in my view!
Can recommend the works of Ernst Reijseger - he collaborates with Werner Herzog regularly, and seems to be his Soundtrack composer of choice, with his otherworldly Cello compositions seemingly suiting whatever Hertzogian images are in the screen.
My favourite piece of his is for the wonderful Herzog documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” - with the track “Shadow” being the hypnotic highlight.
…on the Avant Garde side of modern classical, but with a strong melody at its centre.
1 Like
I saw that Herzog documentary at cinema in 3D - very trippy!! Great soundtrack
1 Like