Delius: Legende for Violin & Orchestra - Ralph Holmes

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

The violinist Ralph Holmes 1937 - 1984. An English Violinist who had a unique position among virtuosos of his generation but his early death in 1984 at the age of 47 left us with all too few mementos of his artistry.
His performances of various Delius works seemed to me to be the most sensitive and beautiful. Years ago at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall he played the lovely poignant violin solo in the Delius' Dance Rhapsody No.1 with Charles Groves and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. If was for me a magical and most memorable moment.

'Legende' was composed by Delius in 1895 It is fascinating sonata structure based upon two themes and tonalities a third apart. There is a reverse order recapitulation in the progress of the sonata in order to return to the tonic of E flat.
On this recording for violin and orchestra.

On this video. Delius was a nature poet in musical tones depicting Mother Nature in all her moods. The music suggests different moods and emotions reflected in the natural world, misty horizons, hidden valleys, secret woodlands with babbling becks beneath the trees.

Album Info:-
The Delius Collection - Volume 7.
published 1985.
Souvenir Series.
Unicorn Kanchana
UKCD 2077.

Apologies for any unintended infringement of copyright. In mitigation there is no element of profit or personal gain in the making of this video and any offence caused is totally unintentional

[ReyelBraz]

Lovely pictures and wonderful music plus a complete historical, pure culture! Thank you very much for your kindness, Jayne Anne Strutt!

[DavidMorganThomas]

Delius with the wonderful Ralph Holmes. I heard him play Mendelsohn in 1955 in Swansea. After the Magic Bow film success as a stand-in for Yehudi Menuhin. What gorgeous sound from Delius. Grateful thanks!! David