Delius & Ireland: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 39)

Featuring

Piers Lane
David Lloyd-Jones
Ulster Orchestra
Frederick Delius
John Ireland

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Composer's Artistic Vision

John Ireland's Legend is dedicated to the mystical author Arthur Machen, whose house Ireland occasionally visited, and Machen is considered the key to understanding the work's program.

Composition History

Frederick Delius's Piano Concerto in C minor, presented on this album, is the original 1904 version, reconstructed from orchestral parts and surviving full score fragments.

Composition History

John Ireland's Piano Concerto was considered very modern at its 1930 premiere for its use of fiber dance band mutes by the trumpets, leading to comparisons with Gershwin.

Composition History

Both of John Ireland's works on this album, the Piano Concerto and Legend, were written for his pupil and protégée, the young pianist Helen Perkin, who also gave their first performances.

Compositional Technique

Recent research suggests that the main themes of Delius's Piano Concerto show the influence of Afro-American sounds, which deeply affected Delius during his time in Florida.

Composer Biography

John Ireland's parents were notable literary and intellectual figures; his father, Alexander Ireland, ran a rival newspaper to the Manchester Guardian and both parents authored books.

Composition History

The Delius Piano Concerto underwent significant revisions, including a complete rewriting of the solo piano part by Theodor Szántó (a pupil of Busoni) in a more virtuosic style.