I've listened to both the Chinese Symphony (1914) and the Spenser Sonnet (1921) a few times in the past three weeks with a view to figuring out if they're high quality original stuff or merely experimental works by a clever eccentric.

The Chinese Symphony is about 35' in 8 continuous movements. 5 vocal soloists, chorus and (not large) orchestra. Text from Chinese poems translated into German by Hans Bethge. Written at a time when Van Dieren's style/language was unsettled. Generally the work inhabits a twilight zone between tonality + atonality, but there is a mixture of styles on show, within as well as between movements - strangely enough, this isn't bothersome.
I imagine some would find a problem with the generally "aimless" quality - there is a distinct lack of drama and decisive cadences or resolution of any sort. There are many instances of unsubtle major 9th chords (the whole work ends on one), although not to the extent found in the early Elegy for cello + orchestra or the later more tonal songs. The 4th is much in evidence as a harmonic component, especially in the 6th movement - originally a song with piano entitled "Die Trennung". The counterpoint is incessant but the scoring is economical, transparent even. The instrumental writing seems well-judged (especially that of the strings, but also in passages involving solo horn or bass clarinet), but there is no attempt at colourful attraction, grandiose gestures and only a couple of biggish climaxes. No orientalism here ! Flutes are often low-pitched and harp-writing rather unlikely-looking, but neither seem to suffer. The choral writing is sometimes reminiscent of Delius and certain instrumental moments are surprisingly Ivesian. But there's little to link Van Dieren with Schoenberg beyond an untypically impassioned passage near the end of the second movement, and the "chamber-music scoring" associated with both composers seems no more than coincidence. There's nothing much Germanic about the music - but neither is there much echo of composers (such as Berlioz and Busoni) whose influence one could reasonably expect.

The performance I have is the one conducted by Myer Fredman in 1973. (Earlier performances were undertaken by Constant Lambert in 1935 + 1937 - and there was a Holland Festival performance in 1983). The solo voices were pretty ropey some of the time - they have little support regarding pitching from the accompanying instruments (unlike the chorus which does) and there's quite a bit of mispitching and defensive wobble. The vocal lines can sound contrived as a result and the rather opaque rhythm (often the old criticism) which in reality is less of a problem than is suggested by the score, is more pronounced when solo voices are present.

I've had a good time with this unusual and unique piece, rather better than with the Spenser Sonnet (on which I'll post later).

I finally got van Dieren's book in the post last week, just stayed in bed reading it this morning; I have to say that I find him to be a much less endearing writer than Sorabji so far, having finished his lengthy essay on Busoni.  I was barely able to stomach his fawning adoration for that long; his writing style in general I  don't like that much (in much the same way I can't stick de Quincy).  I actually feel a bit ill now just thinking about it.  Uch.  Hoping the rest of it'll be a bit better.

This is all very interesting. According to my best recollections of a conversation about it with Keith Harvey, the cellist of the Gabrieli Quartet, their initial encounter with the work came a few years after 1965 and, although there was to have been a performance of it, this never happened and, to the best of Mr Harvey's recollection, the only airing of this work that ever took place was their recording for broadcast on BBC.

As to the possibility of a performance around the time of the quartet's composition or at some later date well before the time when the Gabrielis became involved, there really ought to be some evidence of parts having been prepared, so it seems all the more doubtful in view of the lack of any such evidence.

Best,

Alistair