Paris: The Song of a Great City
Encyclopedia
Paris: The Song of a Great City (full title: Paris, A Night Piece - The Song of a Great City) is a nocturne
for orchestra
composed by Frederick Delius
over the period of 1899-1900. Hans Haym
, to whom Delius dedicated the work, conducted the premiere on 14 December 1901 in Elberfeld
, Germany
. Sir Thomas Beecham
conducted the UK premiere of the work in Liverpool
on 11 January 1908. The critical edition of the score, published in the late 1980s, incorporated revisions by Beecham, and included editorial work from Eric Fenby
and Norman Del Mar
.
Whilst the work drew upon Delius' own memories of his residence in Paris, the work is not a literal depiction, but more "impressionist" in nature. Philip Heseltine noted this quality as follows:
Delius had a special fondness for Paris. He lived there from 1888 to nearly the end of the century. In 1896 he met his future wife there. And in 1899 he wrote "Paris: The Song of a Great City."
In his sketches for the piece, Delius wrote a series of impressions such as “mysterious city,” “city of pleasures,” “of gay music and dancing.” These images are painted in music with brushstrokes ranging from delicate to bold. The slow opening reflects the “mysterious city." This is followed by the teeming merry-go-round of Parisian nightlife, whioh is then interrupted by a lushly lyrical passage that may indicate the intimacies of love. Next, music from the café and music-hall are heard again, and the piece ends as the night ends, and the sounds of awakening streets can be heard as dawn slowly breaks and a new day begins.
Byron Adams has noted the stylistic influence of Richard Strauss
in the work.
Anthony Payne gave a mixed characterisation of Paris, noting that it "closes the early period and foreshadows the next in passages of contemplative beauty" and was Delius' "finest work" up to that time, but also saying that it lacked "the intense personal involvement of his great work". By contrast, Hubert Foss has characterised this work as "the first of the later masterpieces" of Delius.
Nocturne
A nocturne is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night...
for orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
composed by Frederick Delius
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...
over the period of 1899-1900. Hans Haym
Hans Haym
Hans Haym was a German conductor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As musical director in the town of Elberfeld he championed the works of the then unknown English composer Frederick Delius before that composer's works were heard in his native country.-Biography:Haym was born...
, to whom Delius dedicated the work, conducted the premiere on 14 December 1901 in Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. 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...
conducted the UK premiere of the work in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 11 January 1908. The critical edition of the score, published in the late 1980s, incorporated revisions by Beecham, and included editorial work from Eric Fenby
Eric Fenby
Eric William Fenby OBE was an English composer and teacher who is best known for being Frederick Delius's amanuensis from 1928 to 1934. He helped Delius realise a number of works that would not otherwise have been forthcoming....
and Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
.
Whilst the work drew upon Delius' own memories of his residence in Paris, the work is not a literal depiction, but more "impressionist" in nature. Philip Heseltine noted this quality as follows:
"For Delius, Paris is not merely a city of France, whose collective life is something to be studied objectively, from a place apart, much as an entomologist studies an ants' nest; it is a corner of his own soul.
Delius had a special fondness for Paris. He lived there from 1888 to nearly the end of the century. In 1896 he met his future wife there. And in 1899 he wrote "Paris: The Song of a Great City."
In his sketches for the piece, Delius wrote a series of impressions such as “mysterious city,” “city of pleasures,” “of gay music and dancing.” These images are painted in music with brushstrokes ranging from delicate to bold. The slow opening reflects the “mysterious city." This is followed by the teeming merry-go-round of Parisian nightlife, whioh is then interrupted by a lushly lyrical passage that may indicate the intimacies of love. Next, music from the café and music-hall are heard again, and the piece ends as the night ends, and the sounds of awakening streets can be heard as dawn slowly breaks and a new day begins.
Byron Adams has noted the stylistic influence of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
in the work.
Anthony Payne gave a mixed characterisation of Paris, noting that it "closes the early period and foreshadows the next in passages of contemplative beauty" and was Delius' "finest work" up to that time, but also saying that it lacked "the intense personal involvement of his great work". By contrast, Hubert Foss has characterised this work as "the first of the later masterpieces" of Delius.