Proportion and the esoteric: Frederick Delius and his music

[Paul Ferguson]

"Studies in Delius’ social milieu during the 1880s and 1890s suggested that both Delius and his closest friends were pursuing aspects of esoteric knowledge influential on his early works. Thus the operas Irmelin and the Magic Fountain were each laid out as comprehensive alchemical allegories, and confirm that Delius had been strongly attracted to alchemical lore and symbolism sometime before he first met Strindberg."

Critchett, Clive Ian (2017) Proportion and the esoteric: Frederick Delius and his music. Doctoral thesis (PhD), The Royal Northern College of Music in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University. 

https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/622566/