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Finzi, Gerald

FINZI, GERALD (1901 - 1956)

Gerald Finzi (1901-56) decided to become a composer at the age of nine. He studied first with Ernest Farrar, whose death in the First World War deeply affected him, then with Edward Bairstow, master of the choristers at York Minster. During the twenties he was taught counterpoint by R.O. Morris and came to notice with works like the orchestral miniature A Severn Rhapsody (1923), and a song-cycle to poems by his favourite poet Thomas Hardy, By Footpath and Stile (1921-2). After his marriage to the artist Joyce Black in 1933, he moved to the countryside near Newbury, settling at Ashmansworth, high on the Hampshire Downs.

Finzi’s reputation grew during the 1930s with performances of his Hardy song-sets A Young Man’s Exhortation (1926-9), and Earth and Air and Rain (1928-32), and was consolidated with the premiere in 1940 of his cantata for high voice and strings Dies natalis (mid 1920s, 1938-9). During World War II Finzi worked at the Ministry of War Transport and founded a fine, mainly amateur orchestra, the Newbury String Players. Two of his most popular works appeared during the war, the Five Bagatelles for clarinet (1938-43) and his Shakespeare settings, Let us Garlands bring (1929-1942).

Among Finzi's works from the post war years are the festival anthem Lo, the Full, Final sacrifice (1946), and the ceremonial ode For St Cecilia (1946-7). During this time he became associated with the Three Choirs Festival where the premieres took place of his Clarinet Concerto (1948-9) and Intimations of Immortality for chorus and orchestra (late 1930s, 1949-50). Although the final years of his life were lived under the shadow of an incurable illness, he completed a Magnificat (1952), the Christmas scene In terra pax (1954) and the Cello Concerto (1951-2, 1954-5).

In September of 1956, Finzi contracted chicken-pox, which in his weakened state led to a swelling of the brain. On the 26^th he was admitted to hospital and his wife arranged for him to listen to the first broadcast of the concerto that night. It was the last music he heard for he died the following day.

September 2001

Discography
Image	Title	Price	Release Date	Label
	FINZI (THE BEST OF)	$8.99	Jun 24, 2008	Naxos Classics
	FINZI, Gerald: Dies Natalis / Farewell to Arms / A Servern Rhapsody	$8.99	Apr 29, 2008	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: Young Man's Exhortation (A) / Till Earth Outwears / Oh Fair to See (English Song, Vol. 16)	$8.99	Jun 26, 2007	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: Earth and Air and Rain / To a Poet / By Footpath and Stile	$8.99	Jul 25, 2006	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: Intimations of Immortality / For St Cecilia	$8.99	May 16, 2006	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: I Said to Love / Let Us Garlands Bring / Before and After Summer	$8.99	May 17, 2005	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice / Magnificat / Unaccompanied Partsongs, Op. 17	$8.99	Jan 1, 2003	Naxos Classics
	FINZI: Cello Concerto / Grand Fantasia and Toccata / Eclogue	$8.99	Nov 1, 2001	Naxos Classics
	FINZI / LEIGHTON: Cello Concertos	$14.99	Aug 1, 2001	Chandos
	FINZI: To A Poet a Thousand Yeats Hence / Earth and Air and Rain	$16.99	Jul 1, 2001	CBC Records
	FINZI: Songs / Prelude / Romance / Violin Concerto	$18.99	Jan 1, 2001	Chandos
	FINZI: Dies natalis / Clarinet Concerto	$16.99	Nov 7, 2000	CBC Records
	FINZI: Clarinet Concerto / Five Bagatelles / Three Soliloquies / Romance	$8.99	Jan 1, 1999	Naxos Classics
	BRITTEN / FINZI / HOLST: Sacred Works	$18.99	Oct 1, 1991	Chandos
	FINZI: Choral Works	$18.99	May 1, 1991	Chandos
	FINZI / HOROVITZ / RICHARDSON / IRELAND / ARNOLD / HARVEY: Works for Clarinet and Piano	$18.99	Jun 1, 1987	Chandos

Composer also appears in: (11)
Image	Title	Price	Release Date	Label
	English Clarinet Music	~~$8.99~~ $6.99	Jul 29, 2008	Naxos Classics
	HEAR MY PRAYER - Hymns and Anthems	$8.99	Apr 18, 2006	Naxos Classics
	ENGLISH CHORAL MUSIC	$17.99	Mar 22, 2005	Naxos Classics
	VARIOUS: Green and Pleasant Land	~~$8.99~~ $6.29	Nov 1, 2003	Naxos Classics
	Classical Chill	~~$17.99~~ $10.79	May 1, 2002	Naxos Classics
	English String Miniatures, Vol. 3	~~$8.99~~ $6.29	Oct 1, 2001	Naxos Classics
	BRITTEN / RAWSTHORNE: Piano Concertos	$16.99	Jul 1, 2001	CBC Records
	MUSICA INTIMA: Clear	$16.99	Nov 1, 1999	ATMA Classique
	Discover the Classics, Vol. 3	~~$9.99~~ $6.99	Feb 26, 1999	Naxos Classics
	Songs of Praise	$8.99	Apr 16, 1998	Naxos Classics
	ENGLISH ORCHESTRAL SONGS	$18.99	Aug 1, 1989	Chandos

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