The unusual harmonies and forms in the music of Frederick Delius (1862-1934) set the English composer's work apart from the main currents of musical influence. One of the most important figures in the revival of English music at the turn of the twentieth century, Delius composed original pastoral pieces. His distinctive compositions combine psychological and pictorial elements to offer studies of the effect of nature on the soul.
This edition provides music lovers with the opportunity to study and enjoy the scores of six of Delilus' most popular orchestral works. His brilliant stylizations of folk rhythms are evident in the title piece as well as in A Song of the High Hills and A Dance Rhapsody. Other works include In a Summer Garden, Summer Night on the River, and the well-known On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring. All of these pieces were reproduced from authoritative early editions.