Delius: 'Dance for Harpsichord' arr. for flute.

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 the arrangement of Delius' ''Dance'' from 1919 and originally for Harpsichord was made in the early 1960's for the flutist Elena Duran. It is performed on this lovely double CD album with the Bornemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Eric Fenby.

Eric Fenby tells us:-
''Delius was induced to write the piece by the celebrated English harpischordist Violet Gordon Woodhouse, who claimed to be the first to have recorded her instrument. The archaic melodic charm and rich chordal flow of the dance prompted this arrangement for flute and strings''.
Enjoy the floral and leafy images that accompany this piece.

Album info:-
EMI Classics
British Composers Series
'Delius'
incl: violin sonatas 1-3 Five Little Pieces, La Calinda,
Air and Dance. and Dance for Harpsichord.
Elena Duran flute
Most arrangements by Eric Fenby.
The Bornemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Eric Fenby
Published 2006.
0946 3 70566 2

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

[johnreddington]

I’m a lover of delius`s music but I’ve never heard this piece before. It’s lovely and the pictures go perfectly. Thanks Jayne Ann.