British Music Information Centre, 21 March 2000
Reviewed in Delius Society Journal 128, pp40-42

Introduction and thanks by Richard Kitching

Part 1: 50′ 25″

Listen to Robert Threlfall: A Delius Miscellany – Part 1

In the first half of his talk, prompted by a question he was once asked by a relative: ‘Why Delius?’, Robert Threlfall takes his audience on a personal journey through many Delian milestones in his own life, beginning with the LPO’s first concert under Beecham in October 1932 which he attended to hear Ein Heldenleben rather than Brigg Fair.  Others were Appalachia in the 1946 Delius Festival, Sea Drift in 1949 at Beecham’s 70th birthday concert, Irmelin staged at Oxford in 1953, and a broadcast of the then unpublished Violin Sonata in B major, a work of which Robert was especially fond; it took him several years to track down a score.  He recorded the Sonata in 1975 with Davd Stone for Pearl Records.  Robert is later joined by fellow Delius Trust advisor, oboist Robert Montgomery, for live performances of works by Delius and Schumann, and the world première performance of a transcription that Robert had made of Delius’s Dance Rhapsody No 1.

The works performed were:

Delius	Violin Sonata in B major – opening (recording)	David Stone, Robert Threlfall	14’06”
Delius	Intermezzo from Fennimore and Gerda	Robert Montgomery, Robert Threlfall	30’15”
Schumann	Romance for Oboe No 1 Romance for Oboe no 3	Robert Montgomery, Robert Threlfall	34’42” 37’29”
Delius	Harmonic Variations from Dance Rhapsody No 1 (with cor anglais)	Robert Montgomery, Robert Threlfall	43’54”

Part 2: 42′ 39″

Listen to Robert Threlfall: A Delius Miscellany – Part 2

In the second half Robert investigates an early version of The First Cuckoo, playing first the Norwegian folk-song it is based on and looking at its various titles, from Spring to On Hearing the Cuckoo for the First Time in Spring.  Robert then reveals some sketched harmonisations of the same melody, and plays a pencilled first draft that Robert had ‘tidied up’ for publication.

The evening ends with Scenes from the Operas, taken from the piano reductions of the vocal scores of Margot la Rouge and Irmelin as arranged by Maurice Ravel and Florent Schmitt respectively.

Grieg In Ola Valley Op 66 No 14	7’46”
Brief example of Delius’s harmonisation	10’33”
Delius Original complete draft of First Cuckoo	16’17”
Delius, arr Ravel Margot La Rouge: Prelude and Duet	22’13”
Delius, arr Florent Schmitt Irmelin: Prelude to Act 2; Act 3 Scene 1; Interlude from Act 2; and Act 3 Duet and Finale	27’59”