Historic Delius Recordings from Sammons, Moiseiwitsch and Harrison, Plus Bonuses

The composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934) benefited from the impassioned advocacy of conductor Sir Thomas Beecham during his lifetime and until Beecham's own demise in 1961.

So pervasive were the conductor's efforts that it almost seems like he was Delius' only champion. But that is far from the truth. Notable early recordings of the composer's music included those by violinist Albert Sammons, cellist Beatrice Harrison, pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch and conductors Eric Fenby and Constant Lambert, none of which involved Sir Tommy. These form today's post, which is centered on a World Records Club LP from 1975, with the addition of several transfers from the original 78 issues.

Also today, we also have a bonus in the form of one of David Federman's much appreciated compilations, this one called "When Tourists Trod the Earth - A Farewell to Summer." Details below.

LP cover

The Violin Concerto with Albert Sammons and Malcolm Sargent

Albert Sammons by Alexander Akerbladh

Delius' concertos are not usually considered among his best or most characteristic compositions, although it is difficult not to enjoy these works in good performances. Here the Violin Concerto of 1916 is performed by its dedicatee, the eminent English instrumentalist Albert Sammons (1886-1957), who is also particularly associated with the Elgar concerto.

Malcolm Sargent

Sammons' was the first commercial issue of the Delius concerto. He, the Liverpool Philharmonic and its then-conductor Malcolm Sargent recorded the work in early July 1944 in Philharmonic Hall. Beecham followed up a few years later with his own version, done with violinist Jean Pougnet.

Sargent has been featured on this blog many times, including my transfer of his first Dream of Gerontius recording, with the Liverpool Philharmonic. Sammons has only appeared in a brief recording, that of Grainger's Molly on the Shore, which can be found in this compilation.

The Piano Concerto with Benno Moiseiwitsch and Constant Lambert

Benno Moiseiwitsch

The Russian-born British pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch was an ideal choice for Delius' Piano Concerto, which is more extroverted than much of the composer's oeuvre. It's been compared the Liszt's concertos; conductor Constant Lambert may have been an apt choice for the recording because of his affinity for the Abbé's music.

Moiseiwitsch was strongly associated with the Romantic repertoire, particularly Rachmaninoff and Schumann. To me, the Delius concerto is temperamentally more similar to the ruminative qualities of those masters than to Liszt's concoctions. The opening of Delius' work, for example, is directly indebted to Rachmaninoff. Moiseiwitsch is ideal in this music.

Constant Lambert

To record the work, the pianist, Lambert and the Philharmonia assembled in Abbey Road Studio No. 1 in August 1946. Depending on how you look at it, this was either the concerto's first or second recording. Beecham and his then-wife, pianist Betty Humby, had recorded it in late 1945, but that version was never issued. They remade the concerto in October-December 1946, and that was the one that HMV sent to market.

In 1946, Beecham sponsored a Delius Festival in London, recording a good number of the composer's works at the same time, including  the violin and piano concerto recordings mentioned above. I transferred these pieces for my own listening several years ago and can post them here if there is interest.

Delius also wrote a Double Concerto for violin and cello, which did not receive a recording until 1965, per the Delius Society discography. I also have that LP is anyone is interested.

The Caprice and Elegy with Beatrice Harrison and Eric Fenby

Beatrice Harrison

Today, perhaps the least known soloist in this set is the cellist Beatrice Harrison (1892-1965), another musician closely associated with Delius. Harrison and her sister May premiered the Double Concerto, which Delius wrote for them in 1915. Here she performs two works that the composer also wrote for her, the Caprice and Elegy, charming pieces that are lovingly played here.

The Caprice and Elegy recordings come from 1930, and are performed with small orchestra as scored and conducted by Eric Fenby. The latter was closely associated with Delius in the composer's last years, and is generally called his "amanuensis." That's a fancy term for scribe, but Fenby was far more than that. To my knowledge, he had only this one opportunity to conduct a Delius recording until many years later, when he produced a superb set for the Unicorn label.

Frederick Delius with Eric Fenby and Beatrice Harrison

The transfers of the Caprice and Elegy included here come from the original 78s, which have more immediate sound that the LP I used for the concerto transfers.

Bonus: Additional Delius Recordings from Constant Lambert

In addition to the Piano Concerto above, Constant Lambert also recorded Delius' On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, the Intermezzo and Serenade from Hassan, and La Calinda from Koanga. They have appeared here before, but I am including them in this package as well.

Bonus: When Tourists Trod the Earth - A Farewell to Summer

David takes us on a tour of the past in his latest 30-song compilation, "When Tourists Trod the Earth - A Farewell to Summer." As he says in his notes, "As befits escapist fare, this medley is heavily enriched with Hawaiian music and music played through the lens it provided musicians everywhere to gaze at the songs of their own homelands." But it also continues into the 70s, "as it makes room for the Brazilian paradise that replaced the Hawaiian one."

David makes note that, "One of my favorite songs of all-time, 'On a Little Street in Singapore,' is sung by Dick Stewart - an earnest voice who made only one album I know of." I have that album myself and may transfer it if I can find it.

Thanks, David, as always for your contributions!