Gerald Finzi

(Lyrita 1977/ 2007)

1) A Severn Rhapsody
2) Nocturne (New Year Music)

Three Soliloquies for small orchestra
3) Grazioso
4) Adagio
5) Allegretto

6) Romance for string orchestra
7) Prelude for string orchestra
8) The Fall of the Leaf: Elegy for orchestra
9) Introit for small orchestra
10) Eclogue for piano and string orchestra
11) Grand Fantasia & Toccata for piano and orchestra

Rodney Friend, violin
London Philharmonic conducted by Adrian Boult

Peter Katin, piano
New Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley

Free File Hosting - Online Storage; Upload Mp3, Videos, Music. Backup Files (http://www.peejeshare.com/files/363468694/1952.zip.html)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From booklet (enclosed) by Diana McVeagh

INTROIT (1952) was the second movement of a concerto for small orchestra and solo violin� Edmund Rubbra wrote of it having a �serene atmosphere and quiet confidence�. Indeed it has; and the play of line in imitation and extension, the shifts in stress, the simple �white-note� harmony� here is a musical personality of rare and grave sweetness� notice that after the reprise the violin falters, repeating its falling phrase four times in loss assurance; and notice the bleak emptiness of flute and double bass in unison, moving in canon with the violin.

Against such apprehension has serenity been won.

How lovely! Thank you Phideas1.

A great sampler from this underrated composer.
Thanks!

Thank you very much Phideas1!

Thank you

Lo! So many years ago when I first started to collect Finzi- and so little was on CD- there was much written about the 'infamous' Lyrita record collection of British composers. It took a long time for these recordings to appear and indeed they are amongst the finest. This recording of Finzi's work is remarkable- though I still have favorites on other labels.

I hope this continues to build interest in this man's beautiful music. Ears will be rewarded. ;-)

Thank you!!!

Thank you very much.

Thank you for introducing me to Finzi, Phideas. His music is... utterly beautiful and melodic. After listening to this, I took it upon myself to seek after his compositions and found this (http://www.amazon.com/Finzi--Years-Defaced-Violin-Concerto/dp/B000056KNH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359706156&sr=8-1&keywords=finzi+violin+concerto) and this (http://www.amazon.com/Finzi-Cello-Concerto-Clarinet/dp/B000OCZ1OO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359706224&sr=1-1&keywords=finzi+yo+yo+ma). While I doubt that you haven't listened to these albums, I can upload them here for you (if you haven't listened to them) and every Shriner. If you have these albums already, I would like your comment on these albums. :D

Thanks!
It's great to have more Finzi available!

Thank you, Akashi San, and the others in this thread that have enjoyed Finzi's work. It brings me so much joy that the work can resonate in all its beauty to 'virgin ears'. I remember those moments of discovery when I came across one treasure after another... knowing they would be finite, but content in knowing they existed and would always be there to revisit.

There is a Nimbus Centenary Collection featuring the English String Orchestra conducted by William Boughton that remains my favorite for the clarinet concert played by Alan Harker & Eclogue played by Martin Jones. My favorite version of the cello concerto is played by Raphael Walfisch conducted by Vernon Handley.

The Chandos Violin Concerto/In Years Defaced/Prelude/ Romance is a great curiosity. The majority of the work is Finizi's songs for piano. Contemporary composers orchestrated them for voice. 'In the years defaced' contain words that epitomize Finzi's melancholy concerning the brevity of life and the creative struggle but only 'When I set out for Lyonnesse is his orchestration. Do they work? Well, they are not Finiz 'cept the one. The Violin Concerto is one for the music historians. It was not considered a great success and Finzi withdrew it. He 'cut his losses'. Promoting only the lovely slow movement in 1935 as his 'Introit for violin and small orchestra.' I prefer it in that form

Though his songs for piano and voice brought great praise, I have never been able to connect. I wish I could. He often wrote that the music evolved out of the words, not the other way around. He had an amazing propensity to slip music into a drawer to gestate for years before finally finishing the piece. He had the time. It was only the cello concerto that was composed with any alacrity. It was his last work. It was the music he heard on the radio during it premier the night before he died.

So Akashi San, there is NO SUCH THING as too much Finzi. We may have our favorite performances but it is welcome to listen to other takes on his music. It is only his recording of Die Natalis with Wilfred Brown that you will never find a more passionate and clear voice; a singer who truly believes the words and lifts you to glory:


'The Earth, the Seas, the Light, the lofty Skies,
The Sun and Stars are mine; if these I prize...'

Thanks for your elaborate response. I posted the above mentioned Finzi recordings here (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f92/gerald-finzi-concertos-years-defaced-mp3-v0-126987/#post2264374). I couldn't find the right words to describe the content of those two albums (being extremely tired also made me skimp on writing detailed descriptions)... :)

Pleas reupload this recording! The link redirects away to a different site.