Over the Hills and Far Away

Fantasia for Orchestra

Über die Berge in die Ferne

Fantasie Ouverture

DCW 27
RT VI/11
DCE 23a

Composer: Frederick Delius

While performed on a handful of occasions in Delius's lifetime, this work remained unpublished until an edition with Beecham's editing was produced by Schirmer in 1950. As Threlfall notes, the work shares a motif with the two works entitled Paa Vidderne (RT, 132). The autograph score is lost, and consequently the Collected Edition is based on Beecham's 1950 edition. This loss is also reflected in some of the discrepancies regarding the title. The second copy in MS Mus. 1745/1/9A is marked by Delius '"Over the Hills and Far Away"/Fantasia/for Orchestra', yet the composer also referred to 'my Fantasie Ouverture' (LC I, 126-7).

Is related to:

Paa Vidderne (melodrama)
Paa Vidderne (symphonic poem)

Composition: Between 1893 and 1897.

Instrumentation:

Orchestra : picc.fl., 2 fl., 2 ob., 2 cl., 3 fg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 3 trb., tb., timp., s.dr., cym., str.

Andante molto tranquillo

Musical incipit for this work

Sources

Sketch material

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

Motifs relating to Over the Hills and Far Away appear in the midst of a selection of sketch material for the incomplete work On the Moors (DCW A 9).

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/9. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Sketch material

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

This manuscript contains i) a 42-bar sketch of material for the work and ii) 1 folio of material headed 'Mountain Poem (Rhapsody)' marked in pencil by Eric Fenby 'rejected material - Over the Hills and Far Away'.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) Ms Mus. 1745/1/39. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Autograph score, two copies

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

This manuscript contains i) a copy in the hand of an unknown copyist, with emendations in Delius's hand and ii) a copy in the hand of the 'Paris copyist', with Beecham's markings throughout.

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/1/9. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Eric Fenby's copy

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

This manuscript contains, in addition to a photographic copy of the Stanford MS, another copy prepared by Fenby for Beecham, with numerous pencil additions reflecting Beecham's editing.

Delius Trust MS Mus. 1745/1/9B. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Stanford University copy

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

Editor: Thomas Beecham

This manuscript was made c. 1929-34 by Fenby for Beecham's use, when Delius was no longer able to write for himself (RL, 45).

US-STu (Memorial Library of Music, Stanford University) Item 260.

Published version

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

Editor: Thomas Beecham

G. Schirmer Inc., New York 1950.

This edition was reprinted with minor corrections in 1990 as Volume 23a of the Collected Edition.

Performances

Documents

Last changed 2020-10-26T14:16:53+00:00

13 November 1897	Stadthalle, Elberfeld (Elberfelder Konzertgesellschaft; conductor: Hans Haym).
30 May 1899	St James's Hall, London (conductor: Alfred Hertz).
16 May 1908	Queen's Hall, London (New Symphony Orchestra; conductor: Thomas Beecham).