BaL 5.03.16 - Delius: Sea Drift

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library: Daniel Grimley recommends a recording of Delius's Sea Drift, a setting for baritone, chorus and orchestra of words by Walt Whitman. In the poem, the speaker describes how, as a boy, he watched a pair of mocking-birds nesting, until one day the she-bird flew away and never returned. In this atmospheric work Delius marvellously conjures up the motion of the waves in the sound of the orchestra.


Available versions:

Gordon Clinton (baritone)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

John Brownlee (baritone)
London Select Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham

Bruce Boyce
BBC Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham

Dennis Noble (baritone)
Manchester Beecham Opera Chorus, Sir Thomas Beecham

Roderick Williams (baritone)
Hallé Choir and Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder

John Noble (baritone)
Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves

Bryn Terfel (baritone), Waynflete Singers, Southern Voices, Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Richard Hickox

Johan Reuter (baritone),
Aarhus Cathedral Choir, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Bo Holten

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Richard Hickox

Thomas Hampson (baritone)
WNO, Sir Charles Mackerras

Leon Williams (baritone)
The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay & The Florida Orchestra, Stefan Sanderling

Carlos Alexander (baritone)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Carl Schuricht (download)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That's more like it.

[Beef Oven!]

That's more like it.

Just like old times!

I have the Beecham and do not expect that I'll be needing a further recording.

[seabright]

Interesting to find a non-English version on You Tube, with Carl Schuricht conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus to a German translation. Is this from a commercial CD or a radio broadcast? ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4QTRhO4gqg

[visualnickmos]

Just like old times!

I have the Beecham and do not expect that I'll be needing a further recording.

This one? Bruce Boyce, BBC Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham

which I have for some reason! No idea when and where it came from..... it's a bit, well, aged!

and this one which was a charity shop bargain

BBC Music Magazine CD: Thomas Hampson, BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, The Bach Choir,
all under the direction of Richard Hickox. Superb performance and recording.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Interesting to find a non-English version on You Tube, with Carl Schuricht conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus to a German translation. Is this from a commercial CD or a radio broadcast? ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4QTRhO4gqg

Oops! I thought I'd included that one. List duly amended.

[Beef Oven!]

This one? Bruce Boyce, BBC Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham

which I have for some reason! No idea when and where it came from..... it's a bit, well, aged!

Yes - Hassan / Sea Drift / Arabesk

I can't put my hands on it right now, but I think it is on Sony Classical.

And yes, it is a rather aged recording!

[makropulos]

Thomas Hampson/Charles Mackerras/WNO (Argo/Decca) is still available on amazon, and certainly available as a download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delius-Sea-Drift-Florida-Suite/dp/B00000E4KQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456527940&sr=8-3&keywords=sea+drift+mackerras

It's a performance I like enormously - along with Boyce/Beecham on Sony.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Thomas Hampson/Charles Mackerras/WNO (Argo/Decca) is still available on amazon, and certainly available as a download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delius-Sea-Drift-Florida-Suite/dp/B00000E4KQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456527940&sr=8-3&keywords=sea+drift+mackerras

It's a performance I like enormously - along with Boyce/Beecham on Sony.

Thank you for that, makropulos. I saw it online, but it was unclear which of the various performers were responsible for each work.

[gurnemanz]

Charlie Groves and Hickox (Chandos/Terfel)

[BBMmk2]

Are not the Sir Andrew Davis(Teldec) available? Looking forward to this. I have the Hickox(Chandos) and Hampson and Mackerras, both which I must tuern to again soon

[Barbirollians]

One of my favourite works by Delius - I am looking forward to this too .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Are not the Sir Andrew Davis(Teldec) available?

No it aren't, Bbm - in fact, I don't think it exists: I can't find a Sea Drift anywhere in the conductor's discography?

[makropulos]

No it aren't, Bbm - in fact, I don't think it exists: I can't find a Sea Drift anywhere in the conductor's discography?

I don't know of a Teldec recording of Sea Drift by Andrew Davis - which is curious given that in an interview he listed it as one of his seven favourite pieces of music. Perhaps Chandos will get round to it in due course?

[Barbirollians]

A favourite of mine is Hampson's recording of it on the BBC MM disc .