The MusicWeb Message Board: Re: Delius Double Concerto (plus Alan Bush) on PRT- PVCD 8372

Hi Adrian,

Good to hear someone else listens to it too (!)

I think Philip's response (via David Patmore) hit the nail on the head in terms of what we know about its origins. The fine details may well be 'lost in the mists of time'.

Hope to see you again before too long.
Ian

Previous Message

I bought the LP mainly because I had recently read Beatrice Harrison's book the Cello and the Nightingales where she spoke of her disappointment when Felix Salmond gave the premiere of the Delius Cello Concerto which Miss Harrison had hoped to give.

Apparently the Double Concerto was seen as compensation. This may be apocryphal although I later met the last of the sisters who insisted the account was true. I must admit I enjoy the Double Concerto for that comment alone and if I am playing LPs,choose the Pye recording in preference to the EMI Menuhin version but that may be sentimental associations.

Adrianfalks@googlemail.com

Previous Message

Thank you Philip.
I met David a couple of times and he seemed to be a mine of information.
His assessment seems quite sound to me (no pun intended!) although any further details would be valuable.
Best wishes, Ian

Previous Message

I wonder if someone on MusicWeb or a regular reader of this message board might be able to add a little information and clarification about the above?

It features the Delius Double Concerto, with soloists Raymond Cohen and Gerald Warburg and the RPO under Norman del Mar. The coupling is a piano concertante work by Alan Bush, with soloist David Wilde. I believe it is a Mike Dutton transfer of an original Pye Golden Guinea LP of 1966.

I'm intrigued to know where it was recorded, and who the producer and engineer were. John Snashall features as the conductor of the Bush coupling. I have a recollection that he also acted as producer in the late 1950's and early-mid 1960's, and wondered if he may have masterminded the sessions ?

A colleague in the Delius Society recalls going to a concert, at the Odeon Theatre, Swiss Cottage (19/9/1965) by these artists, and believes the performance was committed to disc soon afterwards. More than that is a blank. He confirmed there is no further information on either the original PYE Golden Guinea mono or stereo LPs, and there is certainly nothing whatsover on my PRT CD.

Incidentally, using the Society's website I managed to see a review, by the late and much missed Lyndon Jenkins, in a contemporaneous Delius Society Newsletter. My goodness....Lyndon didn't have much time for it..not just as an LP... but as a piece of music !

After lengthy criticism, centering on the unwieldy and ungrateful nature of the 'cello part, he concluded,

"..if the cello part were to be excised completely and the violin part adroitly altered, the result might be a passable violin concerto.."

I haven't yet looked up subsequent Newsletters online to see if Mr Warburg responded. Considering, I understand, he paid for the recording, the results might be quite piquant !

As a former reviewer for Music Web I suppose I ought to know these details, but maybe 'anno domini' is catching up with me !!

Any ideas anyone? Grateful for any help.