Page "Frederick Delius" Paragraph 42

Delius's first orchestral compositions were, in Palmer's words, the work of " an insipid if charming water-colourist ".

The Florida Suite ( 1887, revised 1889 ) is " an expertly crafted synthesis of Grieg and Negroid Americana ", while Delius's first opera Irmelin ( 1890 – 92 ) lacks any identifiably Delian passages.

Its harmony and modulation are conventional, and the work bears the clear fingerprints of Wagner and Grieg.

Payne asserts that none of the works prior to 1895 are of lasting interest.

The first noticeable stylistic advance is evident in Koanga ( 1895 – 97 ), with richer chords and faster harmonic rhythms ; here we find Delius " feeling his way towards the vein that he was soon to tap so surely ".

In Paris ( 1899 ), the orchestration owes a debt to Richard Strauss ; its passages of quiet beauty, says Payne, nevertheless lack the deep personal involvement of the later works.

Paris, the final work of Delius's apprentice years, is described by Foss as " one of the most complete, if not the greatest, of Delius's musical paintings ".