Caprice and Elegy was written for Beatrice Harrison, and was one of the works dictated by Delius to Eric Fenby, who was still working with the composer when he made this recording. It is unfortunate that he made no further records as a conductor until half a century later. The performance is very expressive, very emotional and very moving.
Albert Sammons gave the first performance of the Violin Concerto, so here is another historically important recording. It would have been still more so if the producer Walter Legge had thought to engage Boult as conductor, for it was he who partnered Sammons at the premiere. Sargent was a loyal, sympathetic Delian, but his concert performances, while idiomatic, showed no particular insight. In the Violin Concerto his accompanying tends to be a little on the heavy side, which detracts somewhat from the soloist's efforts. Sammons gives an expansive, open-hearted interpretation of the solo part, and his playing is characteristically beautiful. The original 78s are difficult to reproduce satisfactorily, and there is quite a degree of surface noise in the transfer. Sargent's performance of the First Cuckoo is efficient and expressive, but again a bit on the heavy side—I wish we could have had Constant Lambert's beautiful HMV recording of this piece from 1938 instead.
The remainder of Lambert's recorded Delius is, however, included: a delicious, heart-easing La calinda, two elegantly shaped Hassan pieces, and his collaboration with Moiseiwitsch in the Piano Concerto. This uncharacteristic composition was written before Delius evolved his mature style and has its longeurs, although Moiseiwitsch liked the work very much and continued to play it until late in his career. He and Lambert give a strong, richly expressive performance which shows the work to its very best advantage—indeed, it is superior to a recording made in the same year for HMV by Beecham and his wife, Betty Humby Beecham (12/48—nla).
The Legende also pre-dates Delius's maturity, yet has a certain period charm, well-brought out by Gerald Moore and the Danish-born violinist, Henry Holst. This item completes an important and interesting collection of vintage, non-Beecham Delius. Transfers are good.'