Classical music: Record review
Delius: A Song of the High Hills; Appalachia; Summer Night on the River John Noble (baritone), BBC choruses, BBCSO / Rozhdestvensky, LPO / Groves, BBCSO / Pritchard (Recorded: 1967-1984) (IMP BBC Radio Classics 15656 91332)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.If ever a composer fell victim to the autonomy of a single interpreter, it was Delius. Beecham's magnificent recordings have dissuaded all but the most tenacious rivals, and it is high time we turned a willing ear to such sympathetic Delians as Ormandy, Slatkin and - if this CD is anything to go by - Gennadi Rozhdestvensky.
The Song of the High Hills is infused with the spirit of Grieg and the Russian's natural feel for Northern musical climes helps focus the more weathered aspects of this masterly score, its mists, breezes and vivid sense of space. Rarely has the weeping first theme been given with such poetic awareness. True, there are minor blemishes and the sound is not ideal, but the performance is in many ways remarkable.
Sir Charles Groves's Appalachia scores by dint of its physicality and expert pacing; again, the playing has its rough edges, but the climaxes have real weight. With Sir John Pritchard's aptly fluid account of Summer Night on the River as makeweight, this stimulating CD serves as proof that, as far as Delius is concerned, there is life after Beecham!
ROBERT COWAN
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments