Finzi, Gerald (1901 - 1956)

[gradus]

We also had Dies Natalis (the Wilfred Brown recording) on 28th thanks to Tom McKinney.
Chosen Hill was a favourite family walk and picnic spot when I was a small child. According to Wiki that cottage was (partly) the unwitting cause of Finzi's death on a later visit.

Tom McKinney corrected the widely-held misapprehension that Dies Natalis is a work about the birth of Jesus and thus linked to Christmas, apparently not, which I've always felt given Traherne's wonderful words and their meaning for any child.

[Historian]

I like the Finzi Cello Concerto but the equal of the Elgar it ain’t !

I see Raphael Wallfisch thinks it is better than the Elgar . I have both his and Tim Hugh’s versions and they don’t make me feel that way - perhaps I need to get the Yo Yo Ma?

For the sake of clarity, the piece I was referring to in my first sentence was the New Year's Music, not the Cello Concerto. The 'utterly distinctive' comment referred to Finzi's work as a whole (not sure if that was necessary but feel better for having done it).

I too prefer the Elgar Concerto to Finzi's but the latter is still a fine work.

[Edgy 2]

First Finzi piece I ever heard, on Radio Three over forty years ago. I remember listening rapt and wondering who had written such music. Not so easy to find out about composers in those days but searched out as much as I could and have never been disappointed. Had the great pleasure of hearing the Cello concerto in concert a couple of years ago. For me his work is utterly distinctive.

Glad Anton and Simon feel similarly about this piece. Thanks to you both.

I'm with you guys, although listening to it only once a year is not enough (LPO/Boult/Lyrita )
Also FWIW the Finzi Cello Concerto over the Elgar for me (as much as I love the latter)

[antongould]

I'm with you guys, although listening to it only once a year is not enough (LPO/Boult/Lyrita )
Also FWIW the Finzi Cello Concerto over the Elgar for me (as much as I love the latter)

Two wonderful concertos IMVVHO …….

[Barbirollians]

I'm with you guys, although listening to it only once a year is not enough (LPO/Boult/Lyrita )
Also FWIW the Finzi Cello Concerto over the Elgar for me (as much as I love the latter)

Will listen to Wallfisch again in a minute but if it is such a great concerto why , considering how small relatively their concerto repertory is , is it not played regularly by the top cellists. No sign of it in repertoire of Rostropovich, Tortelier or du Pre or nowadays Weilerstein , Mork etc . Did Yo Yo Ma play it in concert after his recording ?

[Edgy 2]

Will listen to Wallfisch again in a minute but if it is such a great concerto why , considering how small relatively their concerto repertory is , is it not played regularly by the top cellists. No sign of it in repertoire of Rostropovich, Tortelier or du Pre or nowadays Weilerstein , Mork etc . Did Yo Yo Ma play it in concert after his recording ?

I don't know

[gurnemanz]

I knew Finzi mainly as a song composer until I got to know the Cello Concerto via a recent download from Presto. I was very pleased to do so. Tim Hugh with the Northern Sinfonia under Howard Griffiths gives a riveting rendition. It is part of a wide-ranging Brilliant Classics collection where they have taken recordings from various sources - this recording was originally on Naxos. I hope to get around to following up other versions mentioned above.

Incidentally, the download represents excellent value for lovers of cello concertos with high quality recordings of some familiar but many less familiar works. FLAC is a mere £5.42 for 15 hours of music.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8512699--cello-concertos

[Barbirollians]

I don't know

It's a likeable piece but it is 40 minutes long and in places strikes me as rather rambling. I can't get the idea it is a better work than the Elgar - which is cogent , taut and full of far more memorable music.

[ardcarp]

I can well understand how Finzi might ramble a bit in a 40 minute cello concerto. But I wonder if lovers of the superb Dies Natalis for tenor and strings also know his Farewell to Arms, for tenor and small orchestra? It was on Essential Classics this morning, about 1hr 12mins from the start, with James Gilchrist sounding wonderful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00139mc

[oddoneout]

I can well understand how Finzi might ramble a bit in a 40 minute cello concerto. But I wonder if lovers of the superb Dies Natalis for tenor and strings also know his Farewell to Arms, for tenor and small orchestra? It was on Essential Classics this morning, about 1hr 12mins from the start, with James Gilchrist sounding wonderful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00139mc

I knew of it but cannot recall when, if ever, I have heard it. I agree about James Gilchrist - just the right voice for the music as far as I'm concerned, having been brought up on Wilfred Brown so to speak.

[ahinton]

It's a likeable piece but it is 40 minutes long and in places strikes me as rather rambling. I can't get the idea it is a better work than the Elgar - which is cogent , taut and full of far more memorable music.

Whilst I am convinced that the cello concerto is Finzi's greatest work by some distance, I would not much such a comparison with the wonderful Elgar concerto which is different in so many ways.

[ardcarp]

The cello concerto has somehow passed me by. I'll have to listen to it sometime. The clarinet concerto OTOH seems much better known. I've conducted a couple of times and clarinettists seem to love it. I wonder if any composer other than Finzi has such an instantly recognisable musical language? Another lesser-known work (to me anyway) is his Prelude and Fugue for string trio which I heard at a live concert only last year.

[oddoneout]

The cello concerto has somehow passed me by. I'll have to listen to it sometime. The clarinet concerto OTOH seems much better known. I've conducted a couple of times and clarinettists seem to love it. I wonder if any composer other than Finzi has such an instantly recognisable musical language? Another lesser-known work (to me anyway) is his Prelude and Fugue for string trio which I heard at a live concert only last year.

That's something I wonder about; I'm rubbish at identifying music/naming composers yet this morning I walked back into the living room, having missed the introduction to the piece, but immediately thought "that's Finzi I think", and became certain after a few more bars. It's also why I think I wouldn't choose to listen to more than one work at a time, regardless of length or forces used. A small complete package of pleasure, to be enjoyed at that moment but then stays and can be savoured for the rest of the day. No other composer has that effect on me to the same degree or in the same way, and I have no idea why. It does seem odd as I can recognise that he is not up among the greats in the composing pantheon.
Living up to my forum moniker I suppose.