Frederick Delius (1862-1934)

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Written by Nurel Javissyarqi
Translated by Agus B. Harianto

Fritz Theodor Albert Delius was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England January 29, 1862, and his parents from Bielefeld, Germany. He learnt to play violin and piano until be expert before his teenager. He went to Bradford Grammar School (1874-1878), two years in the International College London, an apprentice in his father’s business. March 1884, he persuaded his father to his cultivation of oranges in Florida, United States. At there, he played the piano and found a local source of theory to learn for, and an organ Jacksonville named Thomas Ward influenced him. He absorbed the song of Negro workers, documented in Florida Suite (1886-1887). Just one and a half years left before he went to Danville, Virginia confidently to teach music. Followed his son to go to music school, and listed his son in the Leipzig Conservatorium, where Delius had ever studied (1886-1888). To Paris almost a decade, moving from small-scale writing of instrumental music, opera, orchestral pieces of Irmelin opera (1890-1892), The Magic Fountain (1894-1895), Koanga (1895-1897). Bigger scale of orchestra with solo voice, Paa Viderne (1888), Sakuntala (1889), Maud (1891), and in 1889 he finished symphonic poem Life’s Dance (first version). The eclecticism of the works is proved by his inspiration from English literature, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, Middle Ages, North American Indians and Negros, Florida landscaping and mountainscape of Scandinavia. With all his incredible work had done, Frederick Delius died in Grez-sur-Loing June 10, 1934. His wife lived one year longer, both buried in Limpsfield, Surrey, England. (Summary of http://www.delius.org.uk/g_biography.htm)

People say that his music rhythm is slow, but its harmony is smooth and compelling. Delius music takes us to quiet places, where people are alike in the Debussy sink into it. Forever, Delius is as if wrapped in atmospheric haze, the air in nature. The poet of music lived for years in any loneliness in Florida, the place of poetic cherished by Chateaubriand and Longfellow. So many days did not see people; it more closely to him became the sounds of nature. Although wrote a String Quartet, a special form for the sake of absolute music, Delius could not detach himself from the depiction of nature, and named the parts that are slow with Late Swallows. Delius music especially speaks to our senses, have something wiped like Keats’ poetry. Orchestra onto him could rekindle the color and also smells or even sounds. There is no other musical poet who could be like Delius, duplicated from wooden tools, colorful green and hot dark red, which we can find in landscapes of turner and Constable. And he could liven like Shelley. Delius, in his last years, isolated him self in a small village in Long (Seine), France. He became blind as Bach, but in his music he saw beautiful sights fully color and also there are no other capable to conjure up the colors from the sound of his music.
(J. Van Ackere, books Musik Abadi (Eternal Music), translation by J. A. Dungga, Djakarta, Gunung Agung, n.y., its original title Eeuwige Muziek, published by NV Standaard-Boekhandel, Antwerpen, Belgie, which in retranslation into English would be more or less like above).
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I
Slow rhythm of Delius’, creeps the skins of body to the bottom of feelings.

Subtle consciousness engages, with harmonies fulfilled with the color of flower of admiration.

Explored the quiet imperceptibly, solemn senses to devout in the soul.

Everything seemed into spacious, but none touched, like the womb of the night without edge.

The clear shadows are meaningful, through the most polite manhood fingers can be traced.

Rise up the understanding, when dissolved in the arms of silence; seriousness with no other hope.

The self that wanted to reach the soul, begged as wide as the sky to open the veil covering the universe.

Or cavity of the ocean incarnated to be musical intercourse, personal voices was opened its preclusion.

At the peak of bright stars is hardly affordable, but it has stuck with the heart of Wanderer.

The soul settled into the haven of peace, at home for long, comfortable in throne of romance.

When the rhythm embracing each other, crossed bad intentions, only the willingness left.

Submission reached the form, signed in the inner of soul to explore the joy and sorrow.

The silence came closer; it was clearly the body mixture melt into unrecognized nature.

But indeed, the dreams came very real, woke up slowly;

blood, flesh, bones, breaths of ancient swelled to broadcast thirsty.

Delius was bandaged by softest air scent, which was born by the cool light spirit to emit the comfort.

By treating the song of his soul would obtain the values of poetic, on the reflection of nature colors of thousands quantity.

Suck all powers, sailed the question drove the alive and smiling situation.

Tinkling of wave’s sound on the chuckled lips, the passion of wave swept over to whole ownership.

Oh, the poet of music, which had conferred clarity of view, the light of colors can be sorted.

Its fragments were flown by grand style of song. No breath would get there, unless drowned in the depths.

The nature delivers the praises, improved the grade of smell beyond the staring.

Willingness to be infatuated in bodily wriggling, its grace was crazy about certitude.

How comforted his soul, capable to distinguish the fragrant of flowers, in almost a pulling of life.

It transformed to be millions of explanation, which attended the seriousness from something secret.

Like the listener shivers, onto the dancing that hard to be placed.

Always trembles so many eyes. Completeness of life, meant the life would not be completed.

Although so many lines of reincarnation of knowledge, always unable to be clarified, but the Delius music performs the relief of seekers.

The listeners seemed unwilling to spend the breath of voice, as long as struggling for intimacy.

Even asleep was not unwilling to be intended, unless entered smooth covering, the gently nature teasing the cavity of soul.

Or when he took a brilliant rhythm, was unconscious processing the breath.

Unity of consciousness, the dropping drizzle was immature, the seconds of age attain maturity easily.

For days in intimacy, no breath’s cavity expelled uselessness. Gently palm of hands climbed up the mountain of the music of eternity.

To him, the most beauty natural flocked to wear silky dress with shawl of rainbow;
mature dawn, late afternoon in the mountain water immersion.

The afternoon completed the twilight with stretched wings, towards the horizon of the world behind in the mist was still buried.

Delius soul entered into the water bubbles on the breathing had been taken into account, slowly raised up to be equaled with the full moon, when sun was illuminating the understanding.

Pure breathing was casting the light into the bottom of the night, by blinded noon.

There was a floating musical circles; vacuum in the emptiness of life.

Horsehair brush on the side of tropical nature of the virgin; no other music than supreme spirit taken slowly.

Moisture grains willed to create at any time; it does not have to wait for maturity of periods.

On the skin of feeling of musical poet, the whole time incarnated the song.

The nature stood on its knelt to smother intelligence, not sullied by malice or reward of selfhood.

If only the theater building on fire devoured by the fire spread. The listener would never realize, leaching in the joy of resignation.

The totality of his music soul recites the song fulfilled the feeling, as the pulpit of the church in front of god.

Here, arrogance collapsed, similar utterances R. Ng. Ronggowarsito;

Sura dira jayaningrat lebur dening pangastuti (greed will dissolve with a gentle manner).

II
If novel is dictionary of the author’s life, and special for the reader to retrace the plot of storytelling.

The music is soul repertoire, in order to find the meaning of feeling, which was rising up in sadness, lonely and too excited as well.

Delius performed color to brush the inner, waved softly to hypnotize the listener.

Meet the senses far into the depth, grains dropped by flying rhythm.

Flying and floating, without tired to sink, though it was discontinued.

The sound of everlasting memory, testimony of the birth of creation from the days of eternity.

Prosperity to obey the story of reached live, vacated certainty. Stretched the consciousness, as far as the sky of views.

Those are Delius evoke the nature of voices, the scent of flowers reflected to the bottom hearts.

The echo of texts grandeur that can paint, the music performed orchestra on the stage of beauty.

He passed events for event was not about to leave away, the motivation of his heart always explored.

Wandered bolls of poetic, touched every feeling, then compelling harmony was granted.

And the grade a level of age is such as grass stairs of rice plant.

On the mountain breaths of achievement, classical music popped the image of painting.

Wood texture growth similarly trees give the around breath.

He changed like magician the broken and dry stalks into green rhythm.

There was the maturity of mental, when the souls are willing to struggle the determination to learn and completed by sense.

He sailed imagination to burst inner to play music, lead to world that ever seen.

Retraced the possibility of happening; drama trembling the pulse, vomit everyday grudges.

Be far away to the untold lands, unmarked regions. But it was found the sphere of hearts of certitude.

Sometimes, forming bridges to across the rivers that have heavy current and mysterious.

III
Although Delius was not figure of painter, but he had been able to develop an ancient memory.

When he had blindness, recording of colors been more subtle;

longing for the light deeply reflected, its rhythm absorbed into the recesses of beings whom was crazy about peace.

There are he got more than before, the black of fate pressing and cornered the hearing of distance.

Beyond the voices of past ages to staging of the world.

This can not be attained in their resignation, rose up the color of soul from the buzz of grace.

His music depicts panorama of glory, into every sight.