A definitive Finzi recording at last on CD
alanwa...@aol.com
Finzi (1901-1956) I really urge you to investigate SRCD 238, released
as part of the second tranche of Lyrita recordings to make it to CD.
For those of us fortunate enough to have acquired this in the LP era
no recommendation will be needed but it occurs to me that there will
be a whole generation of music lovers who have not encountered this
performance of Finzi's largest work (in terms of forces and orchestral
size): Intimations of Immortality, subtitled Recollections of
Childhood and using the words of the poet William Wordsworth. It is
an Ode for tenor solo, chorus and orchestra..
The recording was made in 1975 and was partially funded by both the
RVW Trust and the Finzi Trust.
Please do not be put off by the "Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra"
which essentially was a base group but which, for important
engagements, hired the top freelances of the time out of the London
orchestras. Intimations is NOT a work for amateurs and certainly not
for a commercial recording. Gareth Morris (Klemperer's preferred
player) was first flute.
For effect, it is fascinatingly divided between the soloist, the
chorus and the orchestra - Finzi was no slouch at "balance" between
forces but this is surely his greatest triumph. However the weight of
the work falls, as the title suggests, on the tenor and chorus and
what a magnificent performance this is and, as with much of Lyrita, in
exemplary sound.
After the opening prelude, the seal is set upon this work by the entry
of the tenor Ian Partridge (one of my very favourite artists whom I
have known nearly all my life) just as Ionce I once heard Peter
Schreier transform a performance of Schmidt's Book of the Seven Seals
with his entry (whatever happened to that piece?)
I would suggest that you really do not know Intimations until you have
heard this performance.
It is coupled with an equally fine performance of Patrick Hadley's
Symphonic Ballad The Trees They Grow So High featuring more marvellous
singing (this time with the New Philharmonia) this time from Thomas
Allen (baritone) a long time before he became Sir Thomas Allen.
Full texts in English only for both works and detailed and informative
sleeve notes.
The whole conducted magnificently by Vernon Handley. I know that he
regards Intimations as among one of his better efforts. As he surely
should.
It was a triumph then. It is a triumph now.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
Matthew B. Tepper
forthcoming Lyrita CD which will contain the Clarinet Concerto and -- and --
oh, bloody hell, what's that other piece?
--
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Damian R
LPs I bought, from a charity shop in the Lake District, when I was about 16.
As a young (and not very good) clarinettist (as opposed to the older and
worse clarinettist I am now!) I'd played through Finzi's bagatelles, and was
aware of his concerto. So I saw this LP of a setting by the same composer of
a great poem and got it immediately. (The other 2 records I bought were
Horenstein's Vox account of Beethoven 9 and Erich Ridje conducting the
Boston National Philharmonic (pseudonymous, I think) in Beethoven 5.)
The Finzi was absolutely thrilling, from that lovely horn solo opening, to
Partridge's moving first entry, and such a variety of music (including some
wonderful stuff for percussion). Even having not listened to it for some
time, moments like the climax of "Shout round me", the liveliness on "child
of joy" are still in my mind's ear. It's an amazing work. It moved me to
write about it as part of my A level music dissertation, contrasting styles
of 20th century large scale choral settings. Carmina Burana got a look in,
too.
Since then I've bought Richard Hickox's 1988 recording with Philip
Langridge, and the recent Naxos account with James Gilchrist as soloist.
They're both good, but don't beat the intensity of this Lyrita version.
I'll be out hunting this down next weekend!
Damian
<alanwa...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1169929686....@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
alanwa...@aol.com
On Jan 27, 8:48�pm, "Damian R" <theseu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Alan, that's wonderful news. I still have the LP - it was one of the first 3
> LPs I bought, from a charity shop in the Lake District, when I was about 16.
> As a young (and not very good) clarinettist (as opposed to the older and
> worse clarinettist I am now!) I'd played through Finzi's bagatelles, and was
> aware of his concerto. So I saw this LP of a setting by the same composer of
> a great poem and got it immediately. (The other 2 records I bought were
> Horenstein's Vox account of Beethoven 9 and Erich Ridje conducting the
> Boston National Philharmonic (pseudonymous, I think) in Beethoven 5.)
>
> The Finzi was absolutely thrilling, from that lovely horn solo opening, to
> Partridge's moving first entry, and such a variety of music (including some
> wonderful stuff for percussion). Even having not listened to it for some
> time, moments like the climax of "Shout round me", the liveliness on "child
> of joy" are still in my mind's ear. It's an amazing work. It moved me to
> write about it as part of my A level music dissertation, contrasting styles
> of 20th century large scale choral settings. Carmina Burana got a look in,
> too.
>
> Since then I've bought Richard Hickox's 1988 recording with Philip
> Langridge, and the recent Naxos account with James Gilchrist as soloist.
> They're both good, but don't beat the intensity of this Lyrita version.
>
> I'll be out hunting this down next weekend!
>
> Damian
>
> <alanwatkin...@aol.com> wrote in messagenews:1169929686....@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
You wait until they get to the orchestral version of Let Us Garlands
Bring with John Carol Case, also conducted Vernon Handley.
Miguel Montfort
> For anyone interested in the music of the English
> composer Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) I really urge
> you to investigate SRCD 238, released as part of
> the second tranche of Lyrita recordings to make it
> to CD.
[...]
Thank you, Alan, I’m sure I’ll love it!
Miguel Montfort
vinyl1
> Finzi (1901-1956) I really urge you to investigate SRCD 238, released
> as part of the second tranche of Lyrita recordings to make it to CD.
>
You made me pull out my copy, Alan. It doesn't get much play for various
reasons, but it is a very fine LP.
One thing you're spot-on about is how fine a singer Ian Partridge is in this
piece.
The sound is very good, but not as great as some Lyritas. They captured
the sweetness of the strings, but bass and dyanmics are lacking. Of course,
it could be that my late EMI pressing is not so great. I picked it up in
the middle 80s, towards the end of the LP era.
Handel8
Thanks for the mention, Alan. There is also another Lyrita Finzi LP
that has been issued on cd. The one with Finzi's Introit, which was
originally a middle movement, I think, of a violin concerto. Sir
Adrian Boult was the conductor on this one. For those who have not
heard Introit, it is a very special piece that puts you in a mood that
I could not easily describe. Listeners must experience it for
themselves and come up with their own adjectives, if any, to describe
it.
Alan Prichard