Five Piano Pieces

DCW 54
RT IX/7
DCE 33

Composer: Frederick Delius

This brief work has a somewhat complex history, recounted by Threlfall in his preface to vol. 33 of the Collected Edition. At a time when Delius was unable to write at all, he dictated to Jelka what were originally intended to be seven pieces for Delius's god-daughter, Yvonne O'Neill, daughter of Adine O'Neill. However, due to the difficulty of the pieces as they unfolded, only no. 2 was sent to her, while two pieces were abandoned, and in the published score the final five pieces were dedicated to Evlyn Howard-Jones. No. 3 is a reworking of the earlier Valse (DCW A 14) .

Is related to:

Three Preludes

Composition: Between 1922 and 1923.

Sources

Authorised draft

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, score, draft]

A single folio containing one pencil draft of the 'Lullaby' in Jelka's hand, with amendments in Delius's hand.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/5. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Stichvorlage

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, score, engraver's copy]

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) Music Loan 54/1. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Fair copies, incomplete

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, score, fair copy]

Copies of nos. 1-4 by Jelka Delius.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/1/35. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Published score

[Classification: notated music, print, score, first edition, complete]

Universal Edition, Wien 1925.

The published score was transferred to Boosey & Hawkes in 1939, and reissued as part of the Collected Edition in 1988. No. 2 was included in Music and Youth X/4 (April 1930), p. 78, and the complete set of pieces was included in Boosey & Hawkes Album of Pianoforte Solos (1978).

Last changed 2020-10-26T14:17:05+00:00