New Cavendish Club, 21 October 2003
Reviewed in Delius Society Journal 135, pp51-53

(no music examples)

Part 1: 58′

Listen to Robert Threlfall in conversation with Paul Guinery – Part 1

In an extensive conversation with Paul Guinery, Robert gave a fascinating glimpse of a remarkable life.  On leaving school he worked in the printing business, an experience that was later to prove invaluable when Robert began preparing the Delius Collected Edition.  Meanwhile his father, wanting to give him the very best in teaching, took the bold step of arranging piano lessons with no less a person than Solomon.  Lessons with Solomon provided the solid grounding in piano technique that Robert had lacked and he then embarked on a parallel career as a concert pianist while at the same time pursuing his work in printing.  Perhaps his most noted achievement was giving the London concert performance of Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto (revised version) with the Modern Symphony Orchestra under Arthur Dennington.

Robert provided some insights into the performing styles of a wide range of pianists just before and after the Second World War, one of the most memorable concerts being the first London performance of Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Variations with the composer playing and with Beecham conducting.  He had memories too of the Queen’s Hall with its fine acoustics.

Part 2: 42′

Listen to Robert Threlfall in conversation with Paul Guinery – Part 2

Paul concluded the evening by asking Robert for his idea of a perfect, imaginary, all-Delius concert, using any musicians he wanted, past or present.  After some thought, Robert chose the following programme, to take place in Queen’s Hall (rebuilt in the Elysian Fields!):

Violin Concerto – Soloist: Fritz Kreisler
Piano Concerto – Soloist: Benno Moiseiwitsch
INTERVAL
Cello Concerto – Soloist: Pablo Casals or Emanuel Feuermann
Double Concerto – Soloists: Jacques Thibaud and Paul Tortelier
London Philharmonic Orchestra (as it existed in the late 1930s)
Conductor: Sir Thomas Beecham