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Frederick Delius

Irmelin

Lyric Drama in 3 Acts

DCW 1
RT I/2
DCE I/1

Composer: Frederick Delius
Librettist: Frederick Delius

Thomas Beecham identified the subject of the opera as based on the legends of The Princess and the Swineherd and Irmelin, a pairing that allowed Delius to combine the creation of a Turandot-like fastidious heroine with contemplation of nature (ThB, 56-58). Like The Magic Fountain, Irmelin remained unperformed in Delius's lifetime, and was resurrected by Beecham. Both the subject matter and motifs from the work were taken up again by Delius in subsequent compositions, hence the large number of related works.

Is related to:

Irmelin Prelude
Irmelin Rose
Cynara
Songs of Sunset

Composition: Between 1890 and 1892.

Instrumentation:

Orchestra: picc., 2 fl., 2 ob., cor.ingl., 2 cl., cl.b., 3 fg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 2 cnt., 3 trb., tb., timp., cym., trgl., glsp., arp., str., cor. (onstage - Acts I and III), pipe (onstage - Act III)

Roles: Irmelin, a princess (S.); The King, her father (B.); Nils, a prince, having lost his way, swineherd of Rolf (T.); Rolf, a robber (Bass-Baritone); Old Knight (Bar.); Young Knight (T.); Warlike Knight (B.); A Maid (MezzS.); The Voice in the Air (S.); Chorus of Robbers, Knights, Guests, Women, Wood-Nymphs, Girls and Boys, up to 8-part

Sources

Notebook

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, short score, sketch]

Contained within a notebook of sketches, this item is a pencil sketch for part of the prelude to Act III of Irmelin, headed 'Vorspiel'.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/1/38. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Notebook

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, short score, sketch]

A notebook consisting largely of short sketches for various sections of Irmelin.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/11/2. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Sketch material

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, short score, sketch]

Brief sketch material in one bifolium, alongside material for Folkeraadet.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/6. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Miscellaneous sketch pages

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, sketch]

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/7. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Miscellaneous sketches

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, short score, sketch]

This source contains (i) a 'Prelude 1st Act', with some material resembling the theme of the Prelude to Act III of Irmelin and (ii) a sketch of the 'Silver Stream' motive from Act II.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/10. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Autograph full score

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

This source was the score used by Beecham for the 1953 production, and contains his markings in blue pencil throughout. The item also contains the Irmelin Prelude (1931) in the hand of Eric Fenby, headed Prelude to the Opera Irmelin/Frederick Delius/1890. The score proper has no title page.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/12. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Florent Schmitt's vocal score

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, partly autograph, vocal score, fair copy, complete]

Arranger: Florent Schmitt

In this source, the voice parts, English words and stage directions are in Delius's hand and the piano part in that of Schmitt. An unidentified scribe has added German words in pencil throughout.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/3/1. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Dennis Arundell's vocal score

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, vocal score, complete]

Arranger: Dennis Arundell

1953.

This item is a dyeline copy of the vocal score prepared for Thomas Beecham for the first performance and publication. It is interleaved with paper containing many remarks relating to production; there are also annotations on the score. Threlfall reveals that Beecham made a number of modifications to the words in this version (DCE.RT, p. 29).

Embodiment: #source_a2b75bbd.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/1/42. Link to external resource

http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS040-002738160

Published libretto

[Classification: text, print]

Librettist: Frederick Delius

London 1953.

Vocal score

[Classification: print, vocal score]

Librettist: Frederick Delius
Arranger: Dennis Arundell

Boosey & Hawkes, London 1953.

This source is the published version of Arundell's manuscript vocal score. It contains a list of errata and modifications to Delius's text. Threlfall indicates that while the manuscript closely follows Delius's original, this edition includes extra dynamics, metronome marks, and phrasing, which Threlfall attributes to Beecham (DCE 1: Irmelin, Preface).

Published full score

Editors: Thomas Beecham, Robert Threlfall

Boosey & Hawkes, London 1992.

This volume forms part of the Collected Edition. It incorporates Beecham's editorial markings in the autograph score and some of his suggestions of replacements for archaisms in the libretto.

Performances

Documents

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

4-9 May 1953	New Theatre, Oxford (Oxford University Opera Club Chorus; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conductor: Sir Thomas Beecham; producer: Dennis Arundell; singers: Edna Graham; Thomas Round; George Hancock). This performance was broadcast on 22 November 1953 and televised on 6 December 1954.
12-13 July 1984	(BBC Concert Orchestra; conductor: Norman Del Mar; singers: Eileen Hannan; John Mitchinson; Brian Rayner Cook). This studio performance was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 18 December 1984.

3 March 1892	To Randi Blehr (LC I, pp. 62-3)
22 May 1894	from Léon Moreau to Fritz Delius (LC I , p. 80)