Norman Del Mar (1919–1994)

Author of Anatomy of the Orchestra

About the Author

Norman Del Mar is an eminent conductor of wide experience. He has taught conducting at the Guildhall School of Music, 1954-60, at the Royal College of Music, 1971-90, and at a number of International Conducting Seminars. He has held posts in Leeds, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Gothenburg, and Aarhus and show more was Artistic Director of the Norwich Festival in 1979 and 1982; he made numerous appearances at the Promenade Concerts including three Last Nights. He holds Honorary Doctorates at several universities and was awarded the CBE in 1975. He is the author of the 3-volume definitive study of Richard Strauss and several books on the orchestra. show less

Includes the name: Norman Del Mar

Series

Richard Strauss: A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works

Works by Norman Del Mar

Popular Recent

Anatomy of the Orchestra (1981) 81 copies

Richard Strauss : A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works (Vol. III) (1972) 29 copies

Richard Strauss : A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works (Vol. II) (1978) 20 copies, 1 review

Richard Strauss: A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works (Volume I) (1978) 19 copies, 2 reviews

A Companion to the Orchestra (1987) 17 copies

Anchor Companion to the Orchestra (1987) 12 copies

Conducting Beethoven: Volume 1: The Symphonies (1992) 10 copies

Richard Strauss : a critical commentary on his life and works (1986) 7 copies

Conducting Brahms (1993) 6 copies

Orchestral Variations: Confusion and Error in the Orchestral Repertoire (Eulenburg books) (1981) 5 copies

Conducting Beethoven (1992) 3 copies

Conducting Beethoven : Volume 2: Overtures, Concertos, Missa Solemnis (Del Mar, Norman//Conducting Beethoven) (1993) 3 copies

Conducting Favourite Concert Pieces (1998) 3 copies

Conducting Berlioz (1997) 2 copies

Richard Strauss: a critical commentary on his life and works, 3 vols. 2 copies

Conducting Elgar (1998) 2 copies

Holst : Brook Green suite + The planets + Somerset Rhapsody {sound recording} {Davis/Toronto Symphony, Del Mar/Bournemouth Sinfonietta (1986) — Conductor [Brook Green / Somerset Rhapsody] — 2 copies

Richard Strauss (v. 1) 1 copy

Mahler's Sixth Symphony (1980) 1 copy

Bantock: Complete Omar Khayyam (2016) 1 copy

Delius: The Magic Fountain / Margot La Rouge (1993) 1 copy

Vaughan Williams : Flos Campi + Hymn-tune prelude no.1 + Hymn-tune prelude no.2 + Overture 'The Poisoned Kiss' + The Running Set {sound recording} (1977) — Conductor — 1 copy, 1 review

Strauss : Don Juan + Rosenkavalier {excerpts} + Thus spoke Zarathustra + Till Eulenspiegel's merry pranks {sound recording} — Conductor [Rosenkavalier] — 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op.28 [miniature score] (1999) — Foreword, some editions — 4 copies

Elgar : Cello concerto in E minor, Op.85 + In the south, Op.50 + Elegy for strings, Op.58 [sound recording] — Conductor, some editions — 2 copies

Beethoven : Triple concerto + Dvorak : Cello concerto + Elgar : Cello concerto in E minor, Op.85 + Tchaikovsky : Variations on a Rococo theme [sound recording] — Artist, some editions — 1 copy

Elgar : Cello concerto in E minor, Op.85 + Pomp and circumstance march no.1 in D, Op.39.1 + Pomp and circumstance march no.3 in C minor, Op.39.3 + Variations on an original theme… (1967) — Conductor [Pomp & Circumstance], some editions — 1 copy

Vaughan Williams : English folk song suite + Fantasia on Greensleeves + Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis + Five variants of Dives and Lazarus + Lark ascending + Norfolk… — Conductor [Dives and Lazarus] — 1 copy

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$12.00 (3) 780 composer (3) Albright (2) biography (8) books on music (3) Box JS (3) classical (2) Classical CD (1) classical music (4) composer (2) composers (2) conducting (2) D31 (1) Dirigering (3) FKL (3) might-read (2) music (42) music criticism (2) music theory (3) musical instruments (3) non-fiction (5) opera (6) orchestra (9) orchestration (10) Orkestrering (1) own (1) read and gone (3) reference (5) Richard Strauss (3) Strauss (1)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1919-07-31
Date of death: 1994-02-06
Gender: male
Occupations: conductor
Relationships: Del Mar, Jonathan (father)
Nationality: UK
Associated Place (for map): UK

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Reviews

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6 reviews

therebelprince 960 reviews

Richard Strauss: A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works, Vol. 1 by Norman Del Mar

It's surprising to see how little love this book has received on Goodreads; surely Del Mar remains one of the most important writers on Strauss, even sixty years after the volume's release? This is a history-cum-critical-commentary that details Strauss' early career as a composer up to the great opera Der Rosenkavalier in 1911. It is filled with delicate musical examples and criticism, as well as biographical tidbits. The book is introductory, that is anyone with an interest will be able to show more follow along.

A handsome series, and perhaps not bettered in the realms of generally accessible Straussiana. show less

Jan 26, 20261 other review

therebelprince 960 reviews

Richard Strauss : A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works (Vol. II) by Norman Del Mar

Based on the fantastic insights of Del Mar's first volume, I look forward to finding time to read this second, which covers (in my mind) the most interesting years of Strauss' career.

Jan 26, 2026

Dlsnyder65 21 reviews

Richard Strauss: A Critical Commentary on His Life and Works (Volume I) by Norman Del Mar