Delius: Irmelin Prelude (issued 1967)

Frederick Delius - 1862-1934 - An English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce. He was sent to Florida in the United States in 1884 to manage an orange plantation. There he soon neglected his managerial duties, and in 1886 returned to Europe. Having been influenced by African-American music during his short stay in Florida, he began composing. After a brief period of formal musical study in Germany beginning in 1886, he embarked on a full-time career as a composer in Paris and then in nearby Grez-sur-Loing, where he and his wife Jelka lived for the rest of their lives, except during the First World War.
In his later years Delius became blind and severely disabled, unable to complete his life's work. In 1928 a music teacher and fellow Yorkshireman from Scarborough offered his services as an amanuensis to the blind and paralyzed composer. This was to allow a radiant Indian Summer in the final years at Grez.. Composing continued with the aid of Eric Fenby taking down the notes, offering his complete devotion to Delius. Fenby also enabled the completing, reshaping and promoting of so much of Delius' previous work. The story has been beautifully told in Ken Russell's iconic film 'A Song of Summer' available on this channel

On this video:-
Delius' Prelude to Irmelin
This was composed in 1890-2. The Opera was produced posthumously at Oxford's New Theatre in 1953. The libretto was by the composer, while the Prelude is a later work based on the opera's themes.
The images represent Delius' closeness to Mother Nature in virtually all that he wrote. The charming orchestral work is a short cameo of sweet and harmonic melody. It is set, on this video to scenes from the Yorkshire countryside of which Delius was very fond.

This recording from the 1950's was issued 1967, is well worn and in Mono, but this was my very first album of Delius' music and cost 12/6d.

Album Info:-
The Music of Delius.
Felix Slatkin and the Concert Arts Orchestra.
Recording released 1967 in 'Mono'
MFP 2065

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