Songs of Sunset

Sonnenuntergangs-Lieder

DCW 72
RT II/5
DCE 11a

Composer: Frederick Delius
Author: Ernest Dowson
Translator: Jelka Delius
Dedicatee: Elberfeld Gesangverein

This setting of verses by Dowson evidently went through considerable revision: the autograph full score is lost, yet an earlier version is extant bearing the title Songs of Twilight & Sadness, in which Cynara still formed part of the score. Dowson's poetry is taken from various collections, detailed by Threlfall (RT, 65-66). Though the work is not formally demarcated into movements, sectional divisions are discernible with the textual incipit and forces used as follows: 'A song of the setting sun!' (chorus); 'Cease smiling, Dear!' (soli); 'Pale amber sunlight falls' (chorus); 'Exceeding sorrow' (soprano); 'By the sad waters of separation' (baritone); 'See how the trees...' (soli and chorus); 'I was not sorrowful' (baritone); 'They are not long' (soli and chorus).

Like Cynara, this work takes up a four-note motif from Act III of Irmelin (RT, 23).

Is related to:

Cynara
Irmelin

Composition: Between 1906 and 1908.

Instrumentation:

Orchestra : 3 fl., ob., cor.ingl., 3 cl., 3 fg., sarr. or cfg., 4 cor., 2 tr., 3 trb., tb., timp., trgl., gr.c., arp., str.

Choir SATB: S., A., T., B.

Soloists: S., Bar.

Musical incipit for this work

Sources

Autograph score

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

This manuscript contains i) miscellaneous fragmentary sketches for the work in pencil; ii) the autograph score in ink, with overworking in pencil. The title page of the latter is notable both for the work title and Delius's specific requirements for performance:

'Songs of twilight & sadness|Frederick Delius 1906 Sept 1907 Jan|for Solo Soprano, Baritone, Mixed Chorus|& Orchestra'.

There is a note in pencil beneath: 'These songs must not all be played à la suite but in the following [that is, published] order'

GB-Lbl (British Library, London) MS Mus. 1745/2/13/4. Link to external resource

British Library source record

Copy, fragment

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy]

A copy of the soprano chorus part of 'See how the trees and osiers'.

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

British Library source record

Published score

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

F.E.C. Leuckart, Leipzig 1911.

Published in full score with English and German words (the latter by Jelka Rosen). A separate vocal score by Dagmar Juhl was issued in the same year, and the work was transferred to Universal in 1921. A sheet of errata in this edition is extant in GB-Lbl MS Mus. 1745/1/39.

Thomas Beecham's copy

Beecham's copy of a set of pull-plates for this edition bears many performance markings.

Delius Trust, London.

Collected Edition

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

Editor: Thomas Beecham

Universal Edition, London 1987.

This edition forms vol. 11a of the Collected Edition.

Performances

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