Sea Drift (Delius)
Encyclopedia
Sea Drift is among the larger-scale musical works by the composer Frederick Delius
. Completed in 1903-1904 and first performed in 1906, it is a setting for baritone
, chorus and orchestra of words by Walt Whitman
.
, Sea-Drift
, which contains several poems about the sea or the shore. The text is drawn from the poem Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, though it does not use the full text. In the poem, the speaker describes how, as a boy, he watched a pair of seagulls nesting, until one day the she-bird flew away and never returned. In a long section usually printed in italics, the he-bird, unable to leave in case his mate should return and find him gone, waits forever and calls his sorrowful song to the moon, the stars and the sea, which are heavy and drooping with his lost love.
The text employed by Delius closes with the gull's apostrophe, 'translated' by the boy, who seems to understand it, or projects it from his own awakening feelings. The poem however continues to explain how the boy's feelings suddenly burst out tumultuously, and he ran weeping down to the sea in the moonlight as the gull's call unlocked the questions in his own heart. Knowing that he will never escape the unknown want aroused in him, 'the sweet hell within', he begs for some word more of understanding. The unhurrying sea
The remainder the of the setting is from the text of the bird's song (somewhat edited), (beginning 'Soothe! soothe! soothe!') overlapping as the baritone sings 'Following you, my brother...': from this point on the baritone takes important sections of the gull's song ('You must know who I am, my love!'), with the chorus singing other parts of the text at the same time, interweaving, reinforcing, echoing and punctuating the singer's narrative. Love becomes the power which drives the effects of nature ('O madly the sea pushes upon the land,/With love, with love'). The choral phrases 'O rising stars! Perhaps the one I want so much will rise, will rise with some of you' pivots between two passages where despair alternates with the delusional hope for a glimpse or an echo of the beloved. This culminates in the fortissimo 'O in vain!', repeated by the chorus as the climax, and then the long coda, mainly sung by the baritone ('O I am very sick and sorrowful'), lamenting the loss of their life together ('We two together no more), and the words 'no more' echoed like the murmuring sea and wind by the choir, bring the work to a close.
By this blending of the narrator with the choir in the words of the gull's song, Delius has achieved the union of the boy's spirit with what he witnesses, in the way that is explained in the later part of Whitman's poem, and Delius does not have to tell us about the 'low and delicious word death.'
, and (at a time when Delius found it very difficult to obtain performances of his works in Britain) the first performance was given in 1906 at the Essen
Tonkünstler Verein (Composers' Society) in Germany, with Joseph Loritz as soloist and Georg Witte conducting. The first performance in England was given by the baritone Frederic Austin
, conducted by Henry Wood
, in autumn 1908 at the Sheffield
Festival. It was repeated, with the same soloist and with the New Symphony Orchestra and the North Staffordshire
Choral Society, under Sir Thomas Beecham
, at Hanley, Staffordshire on 3 December 1908 and at Manchester
on 4 December.
The first recording was made by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1928, for His Master's Voice, with the baritone Dennis Noble
, the London Symphony Orchestra
and the Manchester Beecham Opera Chorus. However the acoustics of the recording were inadequate and it remained unissued, though it has since been released on CD. The second recording, and the first to be issued, was sung by Roy Henderson for Decca in a pioneering effort in 1929, though the sound quality was compromised because the set was restricted to six sides of 78rpm, and there was a squeeze for groove-space. The choice fell on Henderson owing to his distinction in the Delius Festival under Sir Thomas Beecham in 1929. This was rapidly withdrawn (before 1936), possibly owing to a dispute over the contract of the conductor. The third recording was with John Brownlee
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
and London Select Choir, under Sir Thomas Beecham, in 1936, for the Delius Society (HMV), later reissued on vinyl for World Record Club
(Retrospect Series). Beecham made two later versions, first with the baritone Gordon Clinton, the BBC Chorus and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, in January 1951 (again unissued), and the well-known version with Bruce Boyce
(and the same orchestra and choir) in 1954. Argo produced a version in 1981 performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Richard Hickox
, with the London Symphony Chorus
and John Shirley-Quirk
(baritone) (ZRG 934). This recording also included a performance of Delius's Appalachia
.
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
. Completed in 1903-1904 and first performed in 1906, it is a setting for baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, chorus and orchestra of words by Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
.
The poem adaptation
Sea Drift takes its name from a section of Walt Whitman's poetical compilation Leaves of GrassLeaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman . Though the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass, revising it in several editions until his death...
, Sea-Drift
Sea-Drift
Sea-Drift is the title of a section of Walt Whitman's great poetic work Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855. It is a compilation of poems referring to the sea or the sea-shore....
, which contains several poems about the sea or the shore. The text is drawn from the poem Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, though it does not use the full text. In the poem, the speaker describes how, as a boy, he watched a pair of seagulls nesting, until one day the she-bird flew away and never returned. In a long section usually printed in italics, the he-bird, unable to leave in case his mate should return and find him gone, waits forever and calls his sorrowful song to the moon, the stars and the sea, which are heavy and drooping with his lost love.
The text employed by Delius closes with the gull's apostrophe, 'translated' by the boy, who seems to understand it, or projects it from his own awakening feelings. The poem however continues to explain how the boy's feelings suddenly burst out tumultuously, and he ran weeping down to the sea in the moonlight as the gull's call unlocked the questions in his own heart. Knowing that he will never escape the unknown want aroused in him, 'the sweet hell within', he begs for some word more of understanding. The unhurrying sea
'Lisp'd to me the low and delicious word death,
And again death, death, death, death,
Hissing melodious, neither like the bird nor like my arous'd child's heart,
But edging near as privately for me rustling at my feet,
Creeping thence steadily up to my ears and laving me softly all over,
Death, death, death, death, death.'
The setting
Throughout the work, which lasts about 25 minutes, the motion of the waves is suggested by the orchestra. The chorus opens (the beginning of the poem, 'Out of the cradle...' is omitted) at 'Once Paumanok, when the lilac-scent was in the air...', two sections weaving the words to suggest the two birds. Then the baritone is the narrator, and tells ('And every day...') how the boy went and watched, and the chorus responds with the gulls singing together ('Shine! shine! shine!'). The baritone interrupts ('Till of a sudden...') to tell how the she-bird disappeared, and the he-bird was left. The chorus gives the gull's cry, and the baritone responds with the lyrical passage describing how the boy listened to the song, 'Yes my brother, I know: The rest might not, but I have treasured every note...'The remainder the of the setting is from the text of the bird's song (somewhat edited), (beginning 'Soothe! soothe! soothe!') overlapping as the baritone sings 'Following you, my brother...': from this point on the baritone takes important sections of the gull's song ('You must know who I am, my love!'), with the chorus singing other parts of the text at the same time, interweaving, reinforcing, echoing and punctuating the singer's narrative. Love becomes the power which drives the effects of nature ('O madly the sea pushes upon the land,/With love, with love'). The choral phrases 'O rising stars! Perhaps the one I want so much will rise, will rise with some of you' pivots between two passages where despair alternates with the delusional hope for a glimpse or an echo of the beloved. This culminates in the fortissimo 'O in vain!', repeated by the chorus as the climax, and then the long coda, mainly sung by the baritone ('O I am very sick and sorrowful'), lamenting the loss of their life together ('We two together no more), and the words 'no more' echoed like the murmuring sea and wind by the choir, bring the work to a close.
By this blending of the narrator with the choir in the words of the gull's song, Delius has achieved the union of the boy's spirit with what he witnesses, in the way that is explained in the later part of Whitman's poem, and Delius does not have to tell us about the 'low and delicious word death.'
Performance and recording
Sea Drift was completed by Delius between 1903 and 1904, not long before his A Mass of Life. It was dedicated to the conductor Max von SchillingsMax von Schillings
Max von Schillings was a German conductor, composer and theatre director. He was chief conductor at the Berlin State Opera from 1919 to 1925....
, and (at a time when Delius found it very difficult to obtain performances of his works in Britain) the first performance was given in 1906 at the Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
Tonkünstler Verein (Composers' Society) in Germany, with Joseph Loritz as soloist and Georg Witte conducting. The first performance in England was given by the baritone Frederic Austin
Frederic Austin
Frederic Austin was an English baritone singer, a musical teacher and composer in the period 1905–30. He is best remembered for his restoration and production of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch, and its sequel, Polly, in 1920–23...
, conducted by Henry Wood
Henry Wood
Henry Wood was a British conductor.Henry Wood may also refer to:* Henry C. Wood , American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient* Henry Wood , English cricketer...
, in autumn 1908 at the Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
Festival. It was repeated, with the same soloist and with the New Symphony Orchestra and the North Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
Choral Society, under Sir Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
, at Hanley, Staffordshire on 3 December 1908 and at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on 4 December.
The first recording was made by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1928, for His Master's Voice, with the baritone Dennis Noble
Dennis Noble
Dennis Noble was a noted British baritone and teacher. He appeared in opera, oratorio, musical comedy and song, from the First World War through to the late 1950s. He was renowned for his enunciation and diction, and for the metallic timbre of his voice...
, the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
and the Manchester Beecham Opera Chorus. However the acoustics of the recording were inadequate and it remained unissued, though it has since been released on CD. The second recording, and the first to be issued, was sung by Roy Henderson for Decca in a pioneering effort in 1929, though the sound quality was compromised because the set was restricted to six sides of 78rpm, and there was a squeeze for groove-space. The choice fell on Henderson owing to his distinction in the Delius Festival under Sir Thomas Beecham in 1929. This was rapidly withdrawn (before 1936), possibly owing to a dispute over the contract of the conductor. The third recording was with John Brownlee
John Brownlee (baritone)
John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee was an Australian operatic baritone.-Biography:John Brownlee was born in Geelong, Victoria. As a boy, he became a junior naval cadet in the Royal Australian Navy, serving during World War I. Following service, he studied accounting...
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
and London Select Choir, under Sir Thomas Beecham, in 1936, for the Delius Society (HMV), later reissued on vinyl for World Record Club
World Record Club
The World Record Club Ltd. was the name of a company in the United Kingdom which issued long-playing records and reel to reel tapes, mainly of classical music and jazz, through a membership mail-order system during the 1950s and 1960s....
(Retrospect Series). Beecham made two later versions, first with the baritone Gordon Clinton, the BBC Chorus and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, in January 1951 (again unissued), and the well-known version with Bruce Boyce
Bruce Boyce
Bruce Boyce was a prominent Canadian baritone singer of opera, oratorio and lieder, who made his post-war career in Britain and became a professor at the Royal Academy of Music.- Early career :...
(and the same orchestra and choir) in 1954. Argo produced a version in 1981 performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
conducted by Richard Hickox
Richard Hickox
Richard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
, with the London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Chorus
The London Symphony Chorus is a large symphonic concert choir based in London, England, consisting of over 150 amateur singers, and is one of the major symphony choruses of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1966 as the LSO Chorus to complement the work of the London Symphony Orchestra...
and John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk CBE is an English bass-baritone.He was born in Liverpool, England, and sang in his high school choir. He played the violin and was awarded a scholarship. While studying chemistry and physics at Liverpool University, he studied voice with Austen Carnegie...
(baritone) (ZRG 934). This recording also included a performance of Delius's Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
.