Music and Copyright: The Case of Delius and His Publishers

Delius was born in 1862, twenty-four years before the signing in 1886 of the Berne Convention, the international convention for the protection of literary and artistic works. During Delius's lifetime came the birth of the record industry, the development of exercising the performing right, the introduction of the mechanical right and the advent of films and broadcasting. Robert Montgomery and Robert Threlfall chronicle Delius's dealings with his publishers and the Performing Right Society (PRS) through his copious correspondence. This book provides a selection of translations of the letters, most of which have never been seen before, and offers a unique insight into how a leading twentieth-century composer earned his living from composition in the changing environment of the world of music.