Frederick Delius
Piano Concerto in C minor
DCW 11
RT VII/4
DCE 29a
Composer: Frederick Delius
Dedicatee: Théodor Szántó
The compositional history of the Piano Concerto is among the most complex of Delius's oeuvre. Originally a 'three-in-one'-movement Fantasy for Orchestra and Pianoforte, written in 1897, the first performance in 1904 was of a revised, three-movement version. Before publication and another performance by the dedicatee, Théodor Szántó, in 1907, further substantial revisions were made, creating a 'compromise', as Beecham saw it (RT.1986, 94). The 1907 version returned to the three-movements-in-one form, but kept the more classical key scheme of the three-movement version. It also incorporated a new final section, and extensive editing of the solo part by Szántó. Subsequently, further suggestions by Szántó were rejected by Delius, but minor amendments were incorporated into later editions.
Composition: Between 1897 and 1909.
The early manuscripts are dated 1897, with revisions taking place before 1904 and again in 1906-7 and 1909 (RT, 164).
Sources
Sketch material
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph]
Sketch material, mainly related to the earlier versions, in ink and pencil.
Notes
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph]
Notes for the work contained in a notebook of miscellaneous notes and sketch material for various works.
Fantasy for Orchestra and Pianoforte
Date: 1897.
Instrumentation:
Orchestra 2.2.2.2/4.2.3.1/timp./str.: 3 fl., 2 ob., 2 cl., 3 fg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 3 trb., tb., timp., str.
Soloist: pf.
Tempo: Allegro moderato
Sources
Autograph full score
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, score]
Title page: Fantasy for|Orchestra and Pianoforte|Fritz Delius.
The first page of score is marked 'Fritz Delius|1897'
The second item in MS Mus. 1745/1/10 is the solo piano part of this version of the work.
Three-movement version
Arranger: Julius Buths
Date: c. 1904.
Instrumentation:
Orchestra 2.2.2.2/4.2.3.1/timp./str.: 3 fl., 2 ob., 2 cl., 3 fg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 3 trb., tb., timp., str.
Soloist: pf.
Sources
Autograph score
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, score]
This manuscript contains i) sheets of drafts in score, mainly related to the 'Fantasy' version and ii) the autograph full score of the three-movement version, lacking the second movement, and with some conductor's markings (in crayon) and additions by Szántó and Delius.
Julius Buths's arrangement
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy, piano score]
Arranger: Julius Buths
Title page: Piano Concerto|Spring 1897
As well as Buths's arrangement of the three-movement version for two pianos, the manuscript contains the solo piano part for the 'Fantasy' version in a copyist's hand, with some additions by Delius.
Paris copyist's solo piano part
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy]
Title page: Concerto|for Pianoforte & Orchestra|Frederick Delius| Grez sur Loing|Seine & Marne
A later version of the piano part than that which forms part of 1745/1/10. The manuscript also contains a draft of the final cadenza, in the composer's autograph.
Two-piano score
[Classification: notated music, print, piano score]
Arranger: Julius Buths
Delius Trust, London 1990.
Title page: Piano Concerto in C minor|(hitherto-unpublished 3-movement version, as performed in 1904)|2-piano score by Julius Buths
Published full score
[Classification: notated music, print, score]
Editor: Thomas Beecham
Boosey & Hawkes, London 1997.
This source includes an informative introductory essay by Robert Threlfall on the genesis and history of the Piano Concerto.
Performances
| 24 October 1904 |
Stadthalle, Elberfeld (Elberfelder Konzertgesellschaft; conductor: Hans Haym; performer: Julius Buths (piano)). |
Final version
Editor: Théodor Szántó
Date: Between 1906 and 1909.
Instrumentation:
Orchestra 2.2.2.2/4.2.3.1/timp./str.: picc.fl., 2 fl., 2 ob., 2 cl., 2 fg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 3 trb., tb., timp., cym., gr.c., str.
Soloist: pf.
Tempo: Allegro non troppo
Sources
Grainger's conductor's score
[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy, score]
Title page: The first page of score is stamped 'From Percy Grainger|7 Cromwell Place|White Plains. N.Y. U.S.A.|
Grainger has also written 'Duration|18 minutes'
This is a photostat copy of a manuscript full score, in a copyist's hand, once belonging to Percy Grainger. Each page is marked 'Delius: Piano Concerto, Conductor's Score' by Grainger, and at the end of the score is a marking '1914, Wien'. The score contains many conductor's marks made before photographing, some in Grainger's hand. After photography the score was used by Beecham, and shows his blue pencil markings. This score shows substantial differences with the 1907 Harmonie-Verlag edition, but is in general agreement with the 1951 Boosey & Hawkes edition (see RL, 152).
Delius Trust 1745/1/41.
Harmonie Verlag, full score
[Classification: notated music, print, score]
Verlag Harmonie, Berlin 1907.
-
Delius Trust's annotated copy
This item reflects a transitional stage in the life of the final, published version of the work. It is in Universal Edition covers (UE no. 3901, 1921), but the interior is the 1907 Harmonie-Verlag edition, but with numerous pastings over and corrections which update the score to the definitive version. In addition, this copy contains numerous markings in pencil and blue pencil, the latter certainly, and the former probably by Beecham. Notes in the Delius Trust's Accessions book (by Threlfall) indicate that Universal never re-engraved the full score, but provided copies amended in this form.
Delius Trust MS Mus. 1745/1/41 (Acc. 329).
-
Second annotated copy
An additional copy of the Universal Edition 1921 full score, with pasted corrections and Beecham's markings in various pencil colours.
Delius Trust Accession 334/1.
Two-piano version by Otto Singer
[Classification: notated music, print, piano score]
Editor: Théodor Szanto
Verlag Harmonie, Berlin 1907.
Collected Edition
[Classification: notated music, print, score]
Editor: Thomas Beecham
Boosey & Hawkes, London 1990 [1951].
Otto Singer's version (revised)
[Classification: notated music, print, piano score]
Boosey & Hawkes, London 1975.
A re-engraving of Singer's reduction to incorporate Beecham's revision and editing.
Performances
| 22 October 1907 |
London (Queen's Hall Orchestra; conductor: Henry Wood; performer: Théodor Szántó (piano)). |
Documents
Letters:
| 25 January 1898 |
To Jelka Rosen (LC I, pp. 126-7)
|
| 19 June 1903 |
from Hans Haym to Frederick Delius (LC I, pp. 216-17)
|
| 20 September 1906 |
To Théodor Szántó (LC I, pp. 269-70)
|
| 28 September 1908 |
To Théodor Szántó (LC I, pp. 370-1)
|
| 15 October 1908 |
from Harmonie Verlag to Frederick Delius (LC I, pp. 372-3)
|
| 17 October 1908 |
To Théodor Szántó (LC I, pp. 373-4)
|
Last changed 2020-10-26T14:16:56+00:00
