Search - Frederick Delius, Vernon Handley, Ulster Orchestra :: Frederick Delius: Florida Suite; North Country Sketches; On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; Air and Dance

Delius in Nature

Brett A. Kniess | Madison, WI | 11/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chandos has combined past recordings to put together an all Delius disk featuring music that depicts nature, a favorite subject of Delius. From 1983 are the two miniatures On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Air and Dance. Cuckoo is very famous, a calm depiction of spring with occasional outbursts by the clarinet. The Air and Dance begins with a solo violin which makes its way to a smart little jig. Both are charming and quaint pieces.



From 1985 are two much larger works, the 40 minute Florida Suite and the 30 minute North Country Sketches. The Florida Suite is in four movements (Daybreak-Dance, By the River, Sunset-Near the Plantation, and At Night). Daybreak is announced by a flourish of flutes eventually erupting into a folk dance. Delius musically depicts each of the movements with much pictorialism; the river properly burbles, the plantation echoes the spiritual hymns sung by the workers, and the nighttime with soft evening breezes as nature begins to settle down. The work is the height of English Impressionism. Delius is an expert at working the woodwinds, brass, and strings in contrast and in harmony with one another, with occasional percussion colorings. The music is lushly orchestrated, the themes are cinematic in nature and convey a natural sense of drama.



The North Country Sketches are also in four movements (Autumn, Winter Landscape, Dance, and The March of Spring). Autumn, with its gently shifting and falling chords is evocative of the French compositional school rather than the English. The starkness of winter opens with extremely high violin and double reeds oscillating in an uncomfortable harmony, one which never really settles. The dance is not courtly, nor is it raucous, but a simple country folk dance. The modal folk melody conjures thought of Bartok or Kodaly, but it is all Delius. The March of Spring is altogether more upbeat and fantastical, ending the work on a positive note.



Vernon Handley conducts both the Ulster Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra with great finesse. Delius' music is trickier than it would seem; often his music is played all too slow with no forward movement. While Handley succeeds, there are better editions (Beecham or Mackerras on London/Decca). The playing on this disk, however, is good. The recording is very warm and resonant, a delight to listen to and at a mid-price range. While I might point you to the other recordings first, this is a good supplement, at a budget price."

Gorgeous

T. Dimock | Ventura, CA United States | 02/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Florida Suite is a gorgeous exception to most of Delius' compositions (I'm not a big fan of much of his later work). The melodies are focused, the accompaniment perfect and simple. Listen to how Vernon Handley holds the high note in the string melody in "At Night" to get every achingly beautiful moment out of it. Whether you buy this CD or the William Boughton/English Symphony Orchestra version on Nimbus, you will not be disappointed. As another reviewer said, this is truly a "desert island" selection."

Beautiful music

Robert Heiniger | Glen Burnie, MD United States | 05/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording encompasses some of Delius' earlier works. I purchased it for the "Florida Suite" which I'd heard on the radio and liked. The disk proved to be a very pleasant surprise - every piece was beautiful and bore repeated listening. This is not your "sturm und drang" fare; it's more like "easy listening" but not in a pejorative sense. Ideal music for playing in your car or just relaxing at home. Highly recommended."