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Frederick DeliusEnglish composer
Date of Birth: 29.01.1862
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Early Life and Influences
Frederick Delius: A Child of Bradford with German RootsFrederick Albert Theodore Delius was born on January 29, 1862, in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. His parents, Julius and Elise Pauline Delius, had migrated from Bielefeld, Germany, to establish a wool business in England. Frederick, known as "Fritz" to his family and "Fred" to his friends, was the fourth of their fourteen children.
Delius's musical talent emerged at an early age, but his father opposed his pursuit of music, envisioning him in the family business. Upon his son's insistence, Julius sent him to work on a grapefruit plantation in Solano Grove, Florida. Despite his farming duties, Delius continued his musical studies, meeting Thomas Ward in Jacksonville, who taught him the art of counterpoint and composition.
In Florida, Delius became captivated by Afro-American music. He wrote his first melody there and later incorporated his memories of the Sunshine State into the "Florida Suite," published in Leipzig in 1887. The house where he lived has since become part of Jacksonville University, which holds an annual festival in his honor.
Musical Education and European Influences
After Florida, Delius studied music in Danville, Virginia, and then moved to New York City. In New York, he reconciled with his father, who finally recognized his son's musical aspirations. Delius seized the opportunity to study at the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany.
At the conservatory, Delius met Edvard Grieg, who became a close friend. In 1897, he met the German painter Jelka Rosen, whom he married in 1903. The couple settled in the French village of Grez-sur-Loing, near Fontainebleau. They were forced to leave during World War I due to the approaching German army, but returned and lived in Grez for the rest of their lives.
Recognition and Legacy
In 1907, Delius met Thomas Beecham, considered one of the finest musicians in the English-speaking world at the time. Until then, Delius's work had primarily been performed in Germany.
Delius spent his later years in Grez, his health gradually declining due to untreated syphilis he had contracted in his youth. He lost his sight and became paralyzed, requiring the use of a wheelchair. Frederick Delius died in Grez on June 10, 1934, and was buried in the nearby cemetery.
Despite his lack of strong attachment to his native country, critics have consistently recognized a distinctly British spirit in Delius's compositions. His use of Afro-American melodies and the influence of European music shaped his unique and enduring musical legacy.
