Delius: Norwegian Masterworks

Featuring

Bo Holten
Henriette Bonde-Hansen
John Kjøller
Helle Høyer Vedel
Aarhus Symfoniorkester
Aarhus Universitetskor

Hummerkoret
Aarhus Chamber Choir
Frederick Delius

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Recording & Production

This recording was made with assistance from the Delius Trust, an organization dedicated to the composer Frederick Delius.

Composition History

Delius's tone-poem 'Eventyr' was inspired by Norwegian folk and fairy tales collected by Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jorgen Engebretsen Moe, which he and his wife read during World War I.

Composition History

Delius's piano piece, Norwegian Sleigh Ride, was possibly composed for a Christmas Eve gathering with Edvard and Nina Grieg in Leipzig in 1887.

Compositional Technique

The wordless chorus in Delius's 'The Song of the High Hills' is an integral instrument, with instructions to 'Sing on the vowel which will produce the richest tone possible'.

Composer Biography

Frederick Delius's early trips to Norway, made while on his father's business in the early 1880s, instilled in him an awe and admiration for the country's scenic splendors.

Compositional Technique

In 'Eventyr', Delius unusually requires a 'wild shout' from '20 men's voices (behind) invisible', which is linked to an episode in a Norwegian folk tale about a troll.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Delius's 'The Song of the High Hills' aims to express the joy and exhilaration of the mountains, as well as the loneliness and melancholy of high solitudes, with human voices representing 'man in Nature'.