Prom 41: Delius-'A Mass of Life', BBCSO&SC/LPC,J.Davis/Huckle/Philip/R.Williams/Elder

[LMcD]

My first two in situ this season, up from Cornwall. It was inspiring to watch again the Ken Russell and John Bridcut films on Delius last night on BBC4. Andrew Davis was in raptures!

[smittims]

I'm often picky about details in performances of works I know from one favourite recording , but for once I was thoroughly impressed and satisfied with last night's Mass of Life. It made me realise how hard it must be to get everyone together, and to balance all the solos and accompanying figures . I thought Mark Elder's interpretation (tempi,etc. ) most convincing , even if he was to some extent standing on the shoulders of giants before him. I loved the soprano solos and Roderick Williams excelled even his usual best. Well done everyone.

This is one of the most memorable Proms I've heard. And for anyone who missed it, it's on again this afternoon.,

[Keraulophone]

Delius’s A Mass of Life (Eine Messe des Lebens), sung in German, made a welcome return to the Proms last night after a break of nearly forty years. We are so used to turning up the wick on recordings at home that the ears initially had to adjust to the vast spaces of the Albert Hall, even with the huge forces of the BBC SO and two large choruses. Then one was engulfed in the ecstatic Animato con fervore of the opening, Delius perhaps conveying something of the life-enhancing excitement of one of his nights out in Paris. All the soloists were on good form, with Roddy Williams in especially fine voice, his beautiful baritone wafting towards the prommers. I wasn’t far away in row 1 of stalls H, but I suspect some of his quiet singing might have been lost to the gallery. In the opening of Part 2, ‘On the mountains’, an onstage horn was echoed by two others in the gallery on either side, a magical effect that could only be heard in the hall (Mark Elder had said it was the ideal venue for the work). After another rousing chorus (con vigore) the nature music was enhanced by superb woodwind contributions, particularly from the first oboe, although the chorus’s La, la, la-ing might have sounded a bit twee beside Mahler’s lighter moments. However, comparisons are fruitless when it comes to Delius; here, the beauty of sound that Beecham championed is matched by an emotional, even erotic (according to Bo Holten) fervour that is uniquely Delian and his celebration of life. Sir Mark Elder and his musicians conveyed all this to a wrapped audience with sincerity and affection.

[smittims]

Good to hear from someone who was there.

The antiphonal horns came over on Radio 3 very well, I thought, listening on headphones. Indeed,the stereo spread was excellent throughout. The engineers did well, the only thing I would have preferred was less forward balance for the soloists vis-a-vis the choir. But one doesn't want to carp on such a wonderful evening. . .

[Roger Webb]

Good to hear from someone who was there.

The antiphonal horns came over on Radio 3 very well, I thought, listening on headphones. Indeed,the stereo spread was excellent throughout. The engineers did well, the only thing I would have preferred was less forward balance for the soloists vis-a-vis the choir. But one doesn't want to carp on such a wonderful evening. . .

I agree with the above about the balance...the horns in the prelude to the second part made me smile, as the engineers had conveyed the impression that they were coming from different places - I guessed the gallery for the answering call.

Also, I agree that the soloists were too far forward especially Roddy Williams, as a close microphone seems to accentuate the beat in his voice...a problem I have noted before with this soloist, both live and on disc/radio.....I'm probably alone, but this irritates me more than most things with some singers.

The choir were good, but one reason why I haven't commented earlier is that I wanted to hear the replay this afternoon for another listen to the opening. I know it's really difficult but I wasn't keen on the sopranos - Delius doesn't make it easy, but they seemed a bit underpowered.....the female sub-chorus later on were lovely, woven expertly by Elder into the orchestral texture.....I said somewhere else, I thought the greatest moments are the quieter ones in Part 2, Dance Song and At Noon in the Meadows.

But overall a great Prom...including the interval talk....except, why do we always have to have an advert at the start of it....they've just done it again on the replay...with the added irritation of Alker.....for the replay we could, surely, have gone straight through!

[Maclintick]

A truly memorable evening, very well summed up by Keraulophone, although my acquaintance with the work is very recent, and I would need to listen again to this performance on Sounds, & also the pioneering recording by Sir Charles Groves, and of course to Daniel Grimley's interval conversation with Martin Handley, if I'm to convince myself that The Mass of Life is a masterpiece, rather than a fitfully-inspired sprawling monster. One stumbling block for me, one I've also experienced with some pieces by Bax, is that I have difficulty in following Delius's own brand of post-Wagnerian harmonic progression, in which it seems to me the chromatic stream meanders in a somewhat nebulous and directionless fashion. My bad, no doubt, as the regrettable contemporary usage has it.

Back to the performance. From the great choral tsunami of the opening agitato -- no lack of heft in any department, least of all sopranos, Roger -- through to the hushed ending, everyone gave of their best under Sir Mark, for whom this particular piece seems to be a cause célèbre -- excellent soloists headed by the incomparable Roddy Williams. On the journey there were plenty of well-signposted Wagnerisms, such as those tenorhorns calling from orchestra to gallery at the start of part two, but the composer reserved his most affecting inspiration for the gently soporific "noonday meadows" passage, weaving a uniquely Delian spell in the trio of oboe, cor anglais and bass oboe -- 5000 people falling into that special hushed concentration I've only experienced at the RAH.

[Roger Webb]

Back to the performance. From the great choral tsunami of the opening agitato -- no lack of heft in any department, least of all sopranos, Roger -- through to the hushed ending, everyone gave of their best under Sir Mark, for whom this particular piece seems to be a cause célèbre -- excellent soloists headed by the incomparable Roddy Williams. On the journey there were plenty of well-signposted Wagnerisms, such as those tenorhorns calling from orchestra to gallery at the start of part two, but the composer reserved his most affecting inspiration for the gently soporific "noonday meadows" passage, weaving a uniquely Delian spell in the trio of oboe, cor anglais and bass oboe -- 5000 people falling into that special hushed concentration I've only experienced at the RAH.

Sorry if my comments sounded too negative - overall it was a great performance. But, on playing back the opening I felt that the sopranos were a bit 'pushed'. Delius didn't write particularly sympathetically, and the very highest notes for the sopranos would tax any chorus.......similarly in Songs of Farewell, which even on recordings can be a bit painful!....and this from right at the end of Delius composing career!

As I said I'm very sensitive to any singer with a bit of a 'wobble'.......I understand some can listen to late Callas recordings without feeling any discomfort!

[gradus]

Yes, I have the three Strauss volumes, and his examination of Mahler 6th he did for Eulenburg, he conducted this symphony on one of his visits with the Bournemouth S O, and he was the main conductor for the orchestral concerts at the '85 Delius Festival....so much to admire - what stays in the memory was a stunning 'Enigma Variations', and his recording for DG is one often overlooked in reviews of the piece.

I remember being with the engineer in the cutting room when the mastertape of the Enigma was transferred to disc, it was initially released on a budget label which I still have somewhere.

[Roger Webb]

I remember being with the engineer in the cutting room when the mastertape of the Enigma was transferred to disc, it was initially released on a budget label which I still have somewhere.

Yes, it was on that short-lived Contour label, and later DG Privilege if I remember correctly.....how exciting to have been there, when it was cut, (where was 'there', by the way?....Germany, or was it mastered here...ie. UK?).

[edashtav]

Good to hear from someone who was there.

The antiphonal horns came over on Radio 3 very well, I thought, listening on headphones. Indeed,the stereo spread was excellent throughout. The engineers did well, the only thing I would have preferred was less forward balance for the soloists vis-a-vis the choir. But one doesn't want to carp on such a wonderful evening. . .

I have no doubt that the sound engineers have a ‘field day’ at this summers’s Proms and have used a large number of microphones with discrimination and flair. A real and needed improvement over recent seasons.

i just managed to listen through both parts of the Mass of Life due to the excellence of soli, choirs, orchestra and the cool, calm organisation and zealotry of conductor, Mark Elder. The score has pages, mostly quiet, of beguiling beauty marooned in acres of directionless, chromatic ,doodling. Delius rarely did ‘extended’ well. His shorter works showcase his talents to better effect. Nietzsche’s wayward philosophy held sway in second half of the 19th century in a manner that is difficult to understand in the 21st century. Delius, the godless, ultra-hedonist suffered a protracted, painful decline,;an unwarranted but unavoidable consequence of a moment of sexual ecstasy. When Delius wrote his pretentiously titled Mass of Life around 1905 he was in thrall to Nietzsche.I sometimes wonder whether Delius looked back in anger later in his life?

Yes, we need to hear Delius’s Mass of Life at the Proms more often than once every forty years, but I will happily settle for doubling its frequency. The work has many fans and they should encourage record companies to commit to disc, the interpretation heard at this year’s Proms..

[Maclintick]

i just managed to listen through both parts of the Mass of Life due to the excellence of soli, choirs, orchestra and the cool, calm organisation and zealotry of conductor, Mark Elder. The score has pages, mostly quiet, of beguiling beauty marooned in acres of directionless, chromatic ,doodling. Delius rarely did ‘extended’ well. His shorter works showcase his talents to better effect. Nietzsche’s wayward philosophy held sway in second half of the 19th century in a manner that is difficult to understand in the 21st century.
Yes, we need to hear Delius’s Mass of Life at the Proms more often than once every forty years, but I will happily settle for doubling its frequency. The work has many fans and they should encourage record companies to commit to disc, the interpretation heard at this year’s Proms..

I think we're on the same page, Ed. Your description of Delius' harmonic organisation chimes with what I characterised as the "chromatic stream meandering in a somewhat nebulous and directionless fashion" in #36, and the point about him being at his best in smaller forms is well made -- Brigg Fair being a good example. FWIW, having heard both the Elder/Bergen set and the pioneering Groves recording, which now shows its age, I wouldn't be surprised if Delians reckoned last night's performance the pick of the bunch.

[Roger Webb]

......................................having heard both the Elder/Bergen set and the pioneering Groves recording, which now shows its age, I wouldn't be surprised if Delians reckoned last night's performance the pick of the bunch.

But some might go for the Hickox/BSO on Chandos which has a very good list of singers incl. Peter Coleman Wight who was the soloist with Hickox when I last heard the work live at Gloucester Three Choirs in 2001 (actually it was Alan Opie!). This version also has the neglected Requiem on its two CDs and was reissued with a different cover.....the original caused great amusement in some quarters...and horror in others on release - mainly because William Haig was still around then!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/406007457827

[oddoneout]

The Guardian crit liked it

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/19/a-mass-of-life-review-royal-albert-hall-london-delius-bbcso-mark-elder-proms

[smittims]

I'm sorry to see that some still cannot appreciate Delius. I don't find his harmony 'directionless' at all, and I think he was a master of large-scale form, as shown in his operas particularly, but also long single-movements such as Sea Drift and Song of the High Hills.

It was a relief to hear the absence of inter-movement applause after the first outburst only five minutes in . I even wondered if the conductor had , with a dismissive gesture perhaps, signalled thme not to do it.

[Roger Webb]

I'm sorry to see that some still cannot appreciate Delius. I don't find his harmony 'directionless' at all, and I think he was a master of large-scale form, as shown in his operas particularly, but also long single-movements such as Sea Drift and Song of the High Hills.

It was a relief to hear the absence of inter-movement applause after the first outburst only five minutes in . I even wondered if the conductor had , with a dismissive gesture perhaps, signalled thme not to do it.

'Formless' used to be the charge....although that was easily dismissed by inviting those detractors to read Deryck Cooke's Delius and Form: A Vindication which appears in A Delius Companion pp 249-262 and was originally published in The Musical Times June/July '62.

'Harmonically directionless'......rather difficult to know what that means, as the most wonderful moments in the 2nd Part of the MoL are specifically written to suggest motionlessness, stasis, caught in the moment and savoured, the harmony delicious and poignant - this feeling is prevalent in many of Delius's works, and it's the harmony that 'moves' whilst suggesting a moment caught in time to savour....try In a Summer Garden....a work with perfect form, and its direction obvious, except for those without the sensitivity to see it!

Action (direction) is usually depicted with dance rhythms, and is so in the MoL. Nietzsche's poem demands it!

Delius's Mass of Life is a 'big' work, and like many such works requires a little studying, and several 'plays' before its great strengths are revealed.