COMPOSERS: Delius
LABELS: EMI
WORKS: Florida Suite; Sleigh Ride; Summer Evening; On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; Summer Night on the River; A Song Before Sunrise; La Calinda
PERFORMER: Bournemouth SO, Northern Sinfonia of England/Richard Hickox
CATALOGUE NO: HMV 5 68335 2 DDD (available HMV shops only) (1991/86)
Hickox’s Sleigh Ride captivates: jingling bells and trotting horses in a snowy landscape. His view of Delius differs from Beecham’s. Hickox’s Cuckoo, for instance, is strongly focused and tighter. Conversely he takes a broader view of ‘Sunset’ and ‘At Night’ in the Florida Suite, both appreciably slower than Beecham’s stereo recordings but to magical effect. It is interesting to compare Fenby’s concert orchestra arrangement of the lovely La Calinda with the leaner version in Florida. Ian Lace
Delius: Florida Suite; Sleigh Ride; Summer Evening; On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; Summer Night on the River; A Song Before Sunrise; La Calinda
Hickox’s Sleigh Ride captivates: jingling bells and trotting horses in a snowy landscape. His view of Delius differs from Beecham’s. Hickox’s Cuckoo, for instance, is strongly focused and tighter. Conversely he takes a broader view of ‘Sunset’ and ‘At Night’ in the Florida Suite, both appreciably slower than Beecham’s stereo recordings but to magical effect. It is interesting to compare Fenby’s concert orchestra arrangement of the lovely La Calinda with the leaner version in Florida. Ian Lace
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:33 pm