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The most popular works by Frederick Delius, like Summer Night on the River and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring are orchestral tone poems with a British tinge, seeming to offer a British counterpart to Debussy's Impressionism. Eine Messe des Lebens ("A Mass of Life") has little that is British about it at all unless it be a general commonality of mood with the vast spectaculars written for England's choral festivals. This work has had its champions, including Sir Thomas Beecham, but it has rarely been performed or recorded. The fact that it is in German is one impediment; the work sets texts from Friedrich Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra. Many readers of the day put a grandiose spin on that work; nowadays, it is seen more as lyrical and poetic. The Richard Strauss tone poem based on Also sprach Zarathustra reflects the former view, and so does the Delius work, although it has some almost static mystical passages. There are influences from English choral music, from Wagner, perhaps from Grieg. The work requires a double chorus and a large orchestra; this live performance from Bergen in 2022, with the Bergen Philharmonic, four soloists, and one Norwegian and one English chorus, must have been a logistical challenge. Eine Messe des Lebens (which is in no sense a mass) is something of a beast, but conductor Mark Elder makes a strong case for it. His handling of the large forces is lucid and moves clearly toward goal points, and he balances the choruses, soloists (the principal being baritone Roderick Williams, in fine form), and orchestra well; perhaps the prize should go to the LAWO Classics engineers who kept all these layers clear in a live concert situation. This recording may or may not rescue Eine Messe des Lebens from obscurity, but those interested in Delius, and for that matter in Nietzsche and his reception, should definitely hear it.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Bror Magnus Tødenes, MainArtist - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Claudia Huckle, MainArtist - Gemma Summerfield, MainArtist - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Bror Magnus Tødenes, MainArtist - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Claudia Huckle, MainArtist - Gemma Summerfield, MainArtist - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Bror Magnus Tødenes, MainArtist - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Claudia Huckle, MainArtist - Gemma Summerfield, MainArtist - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Frederick Delius, Composer - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Friedrich Nietzsche, Composer - Roderick Williams, MainArtist - Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Ensemble - Thomas Wolden, MasteringEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Vegard Landaas, StudioProducer, DigitalEditingEngineer - Sir Mark Elder, Conductor - Bror Magnus Tødenes, MainArtist - Edvard Grieg Kor, Ensemble - Claudia Huckle, MainArtist - Gemma Summerfield, MainArtist - Collegium Musicum Choir, Ensemble
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
Album review
The most popular works by Frederick Delius, like Summer Night on the River and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring are orchestral tone poems with a British tinge, seeming to offer a British counterpart to Debussy's Impressionism. Eine Messe des Lebens ("A Mass of Life") has little that is British about it at all unless it be a general commonality of mood with the vast spectaculars written for England's choral festivals. This work has had its champions, including Sir Thomas Beecham, but it has rarely been performed or recorded. The fact that it is in German is one impediment; the work sets texts from Friedrich Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra. Many readers of the day put a grandiose spin on that work; nowadays, it is seen more as lyrical and poetic. The Richard Strauss tone poem based on Also sprach Zarathustra reflects the former view, and so does the Delius work, although it has some almost static mystical passages. There are influences from English choral music, from Wagner, perhaps from Grieg. The work requires a double chorus and a large orchestra; this live performance from Bergen in 2022, with the Bergen Philharmonic, four soloists, and one Norwegian and one English chorus, must have been a logistical challenge. Eine Messe des Lebens (which is in no sense a mass) is something of a beast, but conductor Mark Elder makes a strong case for it. His handling of the large forces is lucid and moves clearly toward goal points, and he balances the choruses, soloists (the principal being baritone Roderick Williams, in fine form), and orchestra well; perhaps the prize should go to the LAWO Classics engineers who kept all these layers clear in a live concert situation. This recording may or may not rescue Eine Messe des Lebens from obscurity, but those interested in Delius, and for that matter in Nietzsche and his reception, should definitely hear it.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 01:34:17
- Main artists: Sir Mark Elder Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Roderick Williams
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Lawo Classics
- Genre: Classical
(C) 2023 LAWO Classics (P) 2023 LAWO Classics
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