NOTE: Many of these books are now out of print, but many colleges and libraries have copies. Ask your local public library to obtain your selection for you through the Interlibrary Loan Program. Do a WorldCat search (see search box below) to see what nearby libraries have the book you are seeking.
1. "Frederick Delius" by Sir Thomas Beecham (ISBN
0727800736)
READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
I like this one. It contains good biographical material, as well as
some musical insight by Delius's greatest interpreter. (JG)
2. "Delius: A Life in Letters" by Lionel Carley (Photo
of Lionel Carley, Archivist of the Delius Trust)
Vol I: 1862-1908 (ISBN 0674195701)
READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
Vol II: 1909-1934 (ISBN 0859677176)
This is the Delian "bible", for in its two volumes are all the
mysteries
of Delius revealed, I think. Straight from the horse's mouth, so to
speak.
Plus some superb background and footnote material from Carley, the
leading
Delius expert. (JG)
3. "Delius: A Life in Pictures" by Lionel Carley and Robert
Threlfall (ISBN
0193154374)
READ ON INTERNET
ARCHIVE
This is a collection of great photos and artwork associated with
Delius,
with some selected quotes and tidbits of information sprinkled about.
(JG)
4. "Delius: The Paris Years" by Lionel Carley (ISBN 0902070142)
A short and enjoyable book about those years when Delius was in his
20s and 30s and he was the most passionate about life and art (perhaps
TOO passionate!). His associations with the leading artists of the day
are given - a VERY interesting book. (JG)
5. "Delius as I Knew Him" by Eric Fenby (ISBN 048628042X)
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THIS LINK
The most famous of the Delius books, written by his ammanuensis of
his later years, when he was paralysed by advanced syphilis. Superb
classic
of musical literature, written from a lifelong devotee of Delius and
his
music, but in a very objective and honest tone. The book was made into
a British TV movie directed by Ken Russell. Much of the common
perception
of Delius as a misanthropic bitter old man comes from this book/movie,
which is unfortunate I think, because he was a life-lover and
befriender
of many when he was not ill. (JG)
6. "Delius" by Arthur Hutchings (ISBN 0837139589)
READ
ON INTERNET ARCHIVE
A musicological and critical biography of Delius. Although it is
interesting
to read, I don't necessarily agree with many of the conclusions or
emphases
derived by Hutchings. (JG)
7. "Delius" by Alan Jefferson (ISBN 0460031317)
READ ON INTERNET ARCHIVE
A very good biography, with little in the way of musicological info.
A fine listing of works is included. (JG)
8. "Delius: Portrait of a Cosmopolitan" by Christopher
Palmer (ISBN
0841902747)
READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
This is an EXCELLENT book, and is highly recommended for those who
are more musically inclined. A thorough musicological study of Delius
and
his various influences, both geographically- and culturally-derived, as
well as his influence on others. Superb! (JG)
9. "A Delius Companion", edited by Christopher Redwood (ISBN
0714538264)
READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
This is a very enjoyable, although frequently historically suspect,
collection of essays and articles on Delius and by Delius. Composers,
conductors,
musicologists, you-name-it, they are here, speaking their mind on
Delius,
the man and the composer. (JG)
10. "Frederick Delius" by Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) (ISBN
083717926)
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THIS LINK
An early Delius biography and musical analysis, written in 1923. Delius
read this book even! Of course, it is quite slanted in Delius' favor,
being
that Warlock worshipped him. But it is well-written, with colorful
language
and with some very interesting analyses of Delius's work to that point.
(JG)
First Edition: Cover
Title Page
Publisher
11. "Frederick Delius: Music, Art and Literature" by Lionel
Carley
(Ashgate Publishing, 1997)
(ISBN 1859282229)
Carley authors one of a dozen essays by international
contributors
reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Delius's life and music,
discussing
the mixed critical review of the debut production of (1897). Others
also
explore his critical reception, and
his
relationships with other artists in America, Germany, Norway, and
Grez-sur-Loing,
France. Most of the 55 b&w illustrations are from the Trust's
collections.
12.
"Frederick Delius: Memories of My Brother" by Clare Delius (1936)
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THIS LINK
This is an interesting personal memoir by one of the composer's
sisters,
written soon after Delius' death. Although it contains some
inaccuracies,
this book offers a unique perspective on Delius during his formative
years.
(BT)
Large
scan
of
dust
jacket
Front
flap
of
dust
jacket - Back
flap
of
dust
jacket
Inscription
by
Mrs.
Henry
L.
Richmond
(1939)
13. "The American Sources of Delius' Style" by Philip Jones (Garland Publishers, 1989) (ISBN
0824020146)
This book is both fascinating and maddening. It contains rich material
on how Delius was influenced by his sojourn in America, exploring many
of his early works in great detail and with many musical examples. Part
of the book is poorly photocopied from a thesis by the author, and the
reduced legibility of this section makes for difficult reading. The
unique
content makes it worth the effort. (BT)
FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE
ONLINE
AT
THIS
LINK
14. "A Catalogue of the Compositions of Frederick Delius" by
Robert
Threlfall
(Delius Trust, 1977) (ISBN 0851620280)
This is an indispensible guide to the works themselves, giving details
of scoring, different versions, publications, performances, etc.
Limited Edition of 500 copies. (BT)
FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE
ONLINE
AT
THIS
LINK
15. "A Catalogue of the Music Archive of the Delius Trust,
London"
by Rachel Lowe (Delius Trust, 1974) (ISBN 085162023X)
This complements the Threlfall book by giving more information about
the actual manuscripts and copies of Delius' works. (BT)
FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE
ONLINE
AT
THIS
LINK
16. "Frederick Delius: A Supplementary Catalogue" by Robert
Threlfall
(Delius Trust, 1986) (ISBN 0950265349)
Contains details supplementing, correcting and updating Threlfall's
1977 Catalogue of Compositions (#14 above), as well as descriptions of
further accessions to the Music Archive since publication of Lowe's
1974
Catalogue of the Music Archive (#15 above). Limited edition of
1000
copies. (BT)
FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE
ONLINE
AT
THIS
LINK
17. "Frederick Delius: Complete Works - Editorial Report" by
Robert
Threlfall
(Delius Trust, 1990) (ISBN 0950265373)
Discusses in detail the various manuscripts and copies which were
utilized
in publishing the Collected Edition of Delius' works. Provides insights
into how issues such as conflicting versions were resolved.
18. "The Search for Thomas F. Ward, Teacher of Frederick Delius"
by Don Gillespie (University Press of Florida, 1996) (ISBN
0813013984)
The amazing saga of Ward was pieced together heroically by Mr.
Gillespie
using some outstanding detective work! I was astounded to find that
Thomas
Ward's grave is only a few miles from my birthplace in Houston, Texas!
(BT) Google
Book
preview READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
19. "The Road to Samarkand: Frederick Delius and His Music" by
Gloria
Jahoda (Scribner, 1969) (ISBN
2452284564)
This is a sentimental favorite of mine, and is written with young
readers
in mind. In spite of some inaccuracies and "dramatization", I enjoyed
Ms.
Jahoda's focus on Delius' travels and adventures. (BT)
19a. "The Other Florida" by
Gloria Jahoda (Scribner, 1967) (ISBN 0912451041)
This book has two chapters on Delius.
Listen to MP3 audio files of Glorida Jahoda reading these two
chapters: Part 1 (28 MB) Part 2
(28 MB)
(NOTE: These readings were originally broadcast on
WFSU. Thanks to James Benjamin Roth for the audio files.)
20. "New World Symphonies" by Dr. Jack Sullivan (Yale University
Press, 1999) (ISBN
0300072317)
This author was the Fenby Lecturer at the
1998 Delius Festival in Jacksonville. His book explores the influence
of
American culture and literature on European musicians. Delius is
featured
prominently in the book, with particular focus on his "Indian" and
"Negro"
works and his Whitman settings. (BT)
Google
Book preview READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
21. "Fenby on
Delius", edited by
Stephen
Lloyd (Thames Publishing, 1996) (ISBN 0905210271)
This book is a treasure-trove of
information
on the music of Delius and also offers insights on the musical career
of
Eric Fenby. It consists of Fenby's collected articles,
interviews,
and record liner notes. Also included is a Fenby discography and
a Fenby works list. Indispensible addition to the Delius
bibliography.
(BT)
22. "Frederick Delius and Peter Warlock: A Friendship Revealed"
by
Barry Smith (Oxford University Press, 2000) (ISBN 0198167067) Here
are
at
last
is
the
collected
correspondence
of
these
two
unique
composers
and
friends.
Barry Smith authored the definitive biography of
Warlock,
and with these letters he leads us through the fascinating 20 year
relationship
between young Heseltine and the older Delius. (BT) Google
Book
preview
23. "Collected Writings of the German Musicologist Max
Chop
on the Composer Frederick Delius" edited by Philip Jones (Edward
Mellen,
2002) (ISBN 0773472940)
This book contains the earliest biographical studies of Delius, which
were published in Germany from 1907 and 1910. (BT) FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THIS LINK
24.
"Grieg and Delius: A Chronicle of Their Friendship in Letters"
edited
by Lionel Carley (Rizzoli Intl, 1993) (ISBN 0714529613) This
collection of letters focuses on the friendship between the composers
Edvard
Grieg and "Frederick Delius, a friendship that began in Leipzig
in1887
while Delius was a student at the Conservatory there. . . .{The book
includes
their} surviving correspondence until Grieg's death in 1907 and
continues
with correspondence between his wife, Nina Grieg, and Delius (and wife
Jelka) until Nina's death in 1935."
25. "Influence of African-American Music on the Works of
Frederick
Delius" by Derek Healey
(BPR Publishers, 2003) (ISBN 0615123643)
Fascinating musicological study of how many of Delius' musical traits
were influenced by his hearing the music of the black people in Florida
and Danville. Contains many musical examples.
Mr.
Healey gave the Fenby Lecture on this subject during the Delius
Festival
in Jacksonville in March 2004.
26. "Frederick Delius: A Guide to Research" by Mary L.
Huismann
(Routledge, 2004) (ISBN 0415941067)
This valuable and welcome reference work lists resources containing
information about Delius and his music. Includes a bibliography,
lists of articles and theses, discography, internet resources, and much
more. Click
here
for
more
information Google
Book
preview
Cover of Second
Edition
27. "A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE WITH CHECKLISTS OF THE
LETTERS
AND RELATED DOCUMENTS IN THE DELIUS COLLECTION OF THE GRAINGER MUSEUM,
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA" by Rachel Lowe (Delius Trust, 1980)
(ISBN 0950265322) 10x7. 233 pp. 7 b/w illus. Percy Grainger was
a great friend of the
composer Frederick Delius and worked tirelessly to make his friend's
music
known in Australia and around the world. This details the letters and
documents held in the
Delius holdings of the Grainger Museum, Australia.
28. "Flecker and Delius" by Dawn Redwood (Thames, 1978)
(ISBN
0905210069)
Background on how Delius came to write the incidental music for
Flecker's
drama "Hassan." Front
cover
29. "Warlock and Delius" by Fred Tomlinson (Thames, 1976) (ISBN 0905210050)
30. "Edvard Munch and Frederick Delius" by John Boulton
Smith (Triad Press,
1983) (ISBN
0902070266)
The friendship of the English composer Frederick Delius and the painter
Edvard Munch.
READ ON
INTERNET ARCHIVE
31. "Delius" by Eric Fenby (Faber & Faber, 1972) (ISBN
0571092969)
Volume in the "Great Composers"
series. READ
ON INTERNET ARCHIVE
Front cover Fenby autograph
32. "C.W. Orr, the Unknown Song Composer (Including the Complete Delius - Orr Correspondence)" by Jane Wilson (Thames, 1989) (ISBN 0905210581)
33. "While Spring And Summer Sang: Thomas
Beecham And the
Music
of Frederick Delius" by Lyndon Jenkins (Ashgate, 2005) (ISBN
0754607216)
Front
cover
Google
Book
preview
34. "Elgar: The Erotic
Variations, and Delius: A Moment with Venus" by Ken Russell (Peter Owen
Publishing, 2007, PB, 220 pp) (ISBN
072061290X)
BBC Magazine says that "The Delius novella deals more
with atmosphere than event, although its heart is the relationship
between Eric Fenby and the composer, already familiar from Russell's
classic film." Front
cover
36. "Frederick Delius" (Vol.
141/142 in the series
Musik-Konzepte, 2008) (paperback) Ulrich Tadday, Editor (ISBN 3883779520)
This is a German
anthology of essays on Delius.
Table of contents
and English abstracts of the essays
37. "Delius
and
his
Music" by Martin Lee-Browne and Paul Guinery (Boydell
Press, 2014) (ISBN 1843839598) Google
Books
preview
38. "A Quest for Innocence:
The Music of Frederick Delius 1885-1900" by Andrew J. Boyle (Doctoral
Thesis, Sheffield University, 1984) FULL TEXT
AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK
39. "Delius and Norway"
by Andrew J. Boyle (Boydell Press, 2017) (ISBN 178327199X)
Front Cover
Review
by
Stephen
Greenbank
40. "Delius in Danville"
by Mary Cahill (Danville Historical Society, 1986, 66
pp) FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE
AT
THIS
LINK
After leaving Solano Grove and Florida in 1885, Delius
headed north and arrived in Danville, Virginia in
September. He obtained a position as a music teacher at a
women's college there, and stayed until spring 1886, when he headed
north to New York and then back to Europe. Delius made a big impact on
the cultural community of Danville; when he returned to America in
1897, he stopped in Danville to participate in a concert and to visit
with friends. Delius continued to correspond with
several Danville friends for the rest of his life. (BT)
41. "The
Music
of
Frederick Delius: Style, Form and Ethos" by Jeremy Dibble
(Boydell Press, 2021) (ISBN 1783275774) Google
Books
preview
