Customer Reviews

Delius: The Walk to the Paradise Garden

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Some people might sneer at Delius, but for a certain kind of atmospheric music with a very strong ability to create a bucolic mood he is a master.

This record does total justice to this composer.

There are three modern conductors that, for me, surpass the great Thomas Beecham: Charles Mackerras, John Barbirolli, and Richard Hickox. Of course there have been others, Malcolm Sargent, Vernon Handley, but in my mind the afore mentioned conductors turned Delius' pastoral, melancholic music into works of great sadness and made them exciting. I'm certainly not saying Thomas Beecham is a bad conductor, he was after all a champion of Delius' music, but his recordings were plagued by terrible audio, which was no fault of Beecham's, they did the best they could in the '30s and he recorded some more in the mid to late '50s.

That said, this is a beautiful recording. Hickox does a good job of keeping the music in forward motion, which in many cases, conductors let the music fall apart, which is easy to do because it's so delicate. It's tough for any conductor to keep this kind of music afloat, but Hickox does an admirable job and the performances from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra are top-notch.

Given the great conducting of Hickox and the performances from the Bournemouth Symphony, it would be hard not to pass this recording up. Highly recommended.

Edit: Those interested in Delius' music should also checkout Hickox's other two recordings on Chandos of Delius' choral works "A Mass of Life," "Sea Drift," "Songs of Farewell." I am sure these recordings will delight many classical fans as well.

They were great. Had a problem and they with no questions asked returned our money. Top rate company to deal with!