Finzi: Song cycles

**Pulcinella** · 21-03-20, 10:19

Here are the recordings I have of these cycles.

Opus 13a: Roberts/Benson (Hyperion), Williams/Burnside (Naxos)
Opus 13b: Ainsley/Burnside (Naxos), Gilchrist/Tilbrook (Linn), Partridge/Benson (Hyperion)
Opus 14: Ainsley/Burnside (Naxos), Gilchrist/Tilbrook (Linn), Roberts/Benson (Hyperion)
Opus 15: Riches/Tilbrook (BBC MM), Varcoe/Benson (Hyperion), Williams/Burnside (Naxos)
Opus 16: Varcoe/Benson (Hyperion), Williams/Burnside (Naxos)
Opus 18: Terfel/Martineau (DG)
Opus 19a: Ainsley/Burnside (Naxos), Gilchrist/Tilbrook (Linn), Hill/Benson (Hyperion)
Opus 19b: Varcoe/Benson (Hyperion), Williams/Burnside (Naxos)

In addition, I have the following:

Opus 2: By footpath and stile (6 songs for baritone and string quartet)
Williams/Sacconi SQ (Naxos)

Arrangement with strings of Opus 18
Lemalu/BBCSO/van Steen (BBC MM), Varcoe/CLS/Hickox (Chandos)

In years defaced (6 songs arranged for voice and orchestra)
Ainsley/CLS/Hickox (Chandos)

**Pulcinella** · 21-03-20, 10:23

Other sources of background material that I have:

Gerald Finzi by Stephen Banfield
Gerald Finzi by Diana McVeagh
Parry to Finzi by Trevor Hold

**gradus** · 21-03-20, 10:35

Earth and Air and Rain was introduced to me last year. I was especially taken with the sweetly moving To Lisbie Brown.

**Historian** · 21-03-20, 10:45

What a wonderful way to use your 'extra time'. The piano accompaniments would be well worth getting to know I think. I've just sent off for the Hyperion 2 CD set of Opus 14, 15, 16 and 19 a and b. It is a favourite of mine but I have lost my original copy. It's available from Hyperion directly for a very reasonable price. As you say these songs are 'very special'.

**gurnemanz** · 21-03-20, 11:25

I've only quite recently concerned myself with these songs, partly prompted by happening by pure chance upon Finzi's house. On a lovely summer's day a few years ago we had been on a bracing Sunday walk up Beacon Hill near Newbury and decided to visit the nearby Ashmansworth church. There is a beautiful engraved memorial window in the porch and the house right next door has a commemorative blue plaque.

I already had several individual recordings from Janet Baker and Bryn Terfel but then got the 2CD issue on Hyperion dyad. At only £6.50, it is a snip and a wonderful way to have 43 of the 50+ songs. There are useful sleeve notes and full song texts. I have loved getting to know them and have just bought Parry to Finzi by Trevor Hold, mentioned above, to assist me in this. I certainly now have time to do full justice to them and your post has given me a timely nudge.

**Historian** · 21-03-20, 12:16

Originally posted by gurnemanz View Post

I already had several individual recordings from Janet Baker and Bryn Terfel but then got the 2CD issue on Hyperion dyad. At only £6.50, it is a snip and a wonderful way to have 43 of the 50+ songs. There are useful sleeve notes and full song texts.

That's the one: quite a bargain. Thank you for the reminder that I need to head on a pilgrimage to West Berkshire one of these days.

**Sir Velo** · 21-03-20, 13:20

Originally posted by Historian View Post

I need to head on a pilgrimage to West Berkshire one of these days.

Which will leave a nice long walk back to Ashmansworth in North Hampshire.

**gurnemanz** · 21-03-20, 13:30

Originally posted by Historian View Post

That's the one: quite a bargain. Thank you for the reminder that I need to head on a pilgrimage to West Berkshire one of these days.

Our posts crossed with comments on the Hyperion discs, which I suppose emphasises what a good buy it is.

**LeMartinPecheur** · 21-03-20, 14:49

I'm a Finzi enthusiast too, especially the songs. The abovementioned Hyperion box and the Williams/ Burnside Naxoses are on the shelves but my excellent introduction came back in the 70s via a couple of Lyrita LPs, SRCS 38 and 93. These are still available, 1st and 5th in this listing, so I'll give them a plug https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=finzi+l...ref=nb_sb_noss And these days you get extras

PS Now 1st and 6th in the listing. So either they've moved it or I can't count

**Nick Armstrong** · 21-03-20, 15:53

Originally posted by LeMartinPecheur View Post

I'm a Finzi enthusiast too

Me too! (The only composer of whom I have a small bronze bust at home

)

As mentioned on the ‘what are you practising?’ thread, a friend and fellow Finzi fan (also an occasional poster here) who is a fine tenor suggested that I work on Till Earth Outwears with a view to performing the cycle together at some point in future. Going over the songs note by note and learning to play them (a process not yet complete

) has been a revelation, even to a confirmed Finzian. What a gorgeous cycle!!

Incidentally, comparative listening led me quite quickly to the conclusion that the Gilchrist/Tilbrook recording is by a long way my favourite (but then, I do have allergies to the voices of Ainsley and - even more so - Hill, so it wasn’t a hard choice). Even so, James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook get them just about perfectly to my ears.

**LeMartinPecheur** · 21-03-20, 16:14

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

Other sources of background material that I have:

Gerald Finzi by Stephen Banfield
Gerald Finzi by Diana McVeagh
Parry to Finzi by Trevor Hold

It may possibly cover the same ground as his Finzi biography but Banfield's Sensibility and English Song is excellent, not least for its very detailed work-lists (127pp!) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sensibility...FCE2A1821896D3

It has a 26-page chapter called 'Time and destiny: the Hardy songs of Gerald Finzi'.

**Pulcinella** · 21-03-20, 16:17

Originally posted by Caliban View Post

Me too! (The only composer of whom I have a small bronze bust at home

)

As mentioned on the ‘what are you practising?’ thread, a friend and fellow Finzi fan (also an occasional poster here) who is a fine tenor suggested that I work on Till Earth Outwears with a view to performing the cycle together at some point in future. Going over the songs note by note and learning to play them (a process not yet complete

) has been a revelation, even to a confirmed Finzian. What a gorgeous cycle!!

Incidentally, comparative listening led me quite quickly to the conclusion that the Gilchrist/Tilbrook recording is by a long way my favourite (but then, I do have allergies to the voices of Ainsley and - even more so - Hill, so it wasn’t a hard choice). Even so, James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook get them just about perfectly to my ears.

You must have bigger hands than me!
Foolish of me to think that I could tackle the piano part.

The first chord in bar 4 of the first song in Till Earth Outwears is (from bottom up) LH F-C-A flat, RH D-C-E flat, and my poor little hands just don't stretch that far.

**Nick Armstrong** · 21-03-20, 16:40

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

You must have bigger hands than me!
Foolish of me to think that I could tackle the piano part.

The first chord in bar 4 of the first song in Till Earth Outwears is (from bottom up) LH F-C-A flat, RH D-C-E flat, and my poor little hands just don't stretch that far.

At least (as my friend said when making the suggestion) they are all pretty slow! Otherwise, I’d be nowhere

**teamsaint** · 21-03-20, 17:24

Originally posted by Historian View Post

That's the one: quite a bargain. Thank you for the reminder that I need to head on a pilgrimage to West Berkshire one of these days.

If you do, be sure to head to Walbury Hill just south of Hungerford for truly wonderful views , apparently it’s the highest spot in South East England.
A very special place that I discovered by accident.

Anyway, great thread Pulcers, I have some of Roderick just downloading, got to be great with him singing.

Only heard him once live, singing the Sea Symphony. Really ought to try to hear him in a recital.

Finzi: Song cycles

Finzi: Song cycles

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