8 of 8 recommend this SA-CD
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Label:
   Membran - http://www.membran.net/
Serial:
   222828
Title:
   Delius: Orchestral Works - RPO/Seaman
Description:
   Delius: Brigg Fair, Koanga: La Calinda, Hassan: Intermezzo & Serenade, A Song Before Sunrise, On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring, A Village Romeo and Juliet: Walk To The Paradise Garden, Irmelin: Prelude, Over The Hills And Far Away

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Seaman (conductor)
Details:
  
Genre:
   Classical - Orchestral
Content:
   Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
   Hybrid
Recording type:
   PCM
Recording info:
  
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Related titles: 2
 
Reviews: 4 show all
Site review by Edvin March 7, 2006
Performance:  Sonics (MC):
Delius, I used to disappear after some fiften minutes. It all sounds the same. Well, it doesn´t, and yet it does. It all depends on how it is performed. My first encounter with Delius was a Barbirolli Lp from 1969, and of course I love it still. Since then I have read in Gramophone that Beecham is the greatest Delius interpreter ever, without agreeing.

I prefer the slower tempi from Barbirolli and the more romantic approach of his. Even so, I still used to think about other things after a while when listening to his music, no matter who the conductor was.

So here comes this budget price Membran sacd and my hopes were very low. More fool me, as this leads the RPO in full blooded performances that reeks of passion and sensitivity. Tempi are rather quick here and there, but the power of emotion and evocation is...oh yes. Seaman is the most sensitive Delius conductor ever, let´s argue over a detail here or there. But overall this takes a lot to be beaten. I play this sacd over and over again, a love affair.

Copyright © 2006 Thomas Roth and SA-CD.net
Review by raffells December 4, 2005 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:  Sonics (S):
Yes these are wonderfully atmospheric works and a very nicely recorded and played set of works,This is by Delius standards is a Very Large Orchestral version compared with some of the earlier versions.The conducter seems to cope with this my seemingly slowing down the performances and this leads to a pretty near half asleep first cuckoo in Spring.Interesting interpretation?.The Walk to Paradise Garden is similairly a slow romantic dreamlike quality.La Colinda gains a little in this way but I feel as though you have lost a nice bouncy theme in the process..Delius music hardly ever reaches great sonic intensity and only in the very early Over the Hills and Far away do we get any intensity to finalize the disc.Im not sure that putting his weakest stylistic work at the end is really a good idea.The skill is in the simplistic watercolour type music painting with subtle contrasting time shifts. Presented here in a luxury romantic style.As we are unlikly to get a deluge of Delius music on sacd which is a pity as theres plenty out there Then this is certainly worthwhile.At bargain price you certainly cannot really complain but for the serious Delius diehard consider this a slightly alternative version.Sonic quality is five star CTS studio recording...Boring cover and out of date but helpfull notes.

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Review by Allan1us September 22, 2005 (2 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:  Sonics (MC):
How wonderful to hear these atmospheric works in equally atmospheric surround sound. Another RPO-Membran bargain beautiful performances by the RPO at the top of its form with a young British conductor who does these works proud.

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