Finzi: Cello Concerto; Grand Fantasia & Toccata; Eclogue

Finzi: Cello Concerto; Grand Fantasia & Toccata; Eclogue

Finzi: Cello Concerto; Grand Fantasia & Toccata; Eclogue
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CD Details

Composer: Gerald Finzi
Conductor: Howard Griffiths
Orchestra: Northern Sinfonia Chorus
Performer: Peter Donohoe
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2001-11-20
Music Label: Naxos
Soundtracks:
  1. Concerto for cello & orchestra, Op. 40: Allegro moderato
  2. Concerto for cello & orchestra, Op. 40: Andante quieto
  3. Concerto for cello & orchestra, Op. 40: Rondo: Adagio-Allegro giocoso
  4. Eclogue for piano & strings, Op. 10: Andante semplice
  5. Grand Fantasia & Toccata, Op. 38: Molto grave-Allegro vigoroso

Music reviews of Finzi: Cello Concerto; Grand Fantasia & Toccata; Eclogue

Music Review: Pastoral Lyricism - Good for the Soul
Rating: 5 Stars

Gerald Finzi seems to be coming into his own lately. He was a composer who I had never heard of during the 60s and 70s, though in the 80s he seemed to be more and more prevalent on the radio. The impression given by conventional musician's wisdom on the composer was that he was one of the last of the English pastoralists, too conservative to be even as interesting as Walton or Rubbra, just a passing blip on the the musical radar. But now the situation is much different. Chandos released several discs of Finzi orchestral material, and with this Naxos release, the composer should gain an even wider following.

The major work on this disc is the Cello concerto. Written late in the composer's career, right after his diagnosis with cancer, the work is dramatic, unsettled and ultimately extremely beautiful. Finzi's musical language is backward looking...resembling nothing so much as the Elgar concerto, and every bit as worthy of becoming a repertory staple as that piece. The first movement is dramatic and tense, with marvelous virtuoso cello writing, especially in the cadenza. The second movement is a wonder...Finzi had a knack for heartbreakingly lyrical slow movements and this one is no exception. The work concludes with a triumphant finale in a polonaise rhythm. This is a tremendous work and now that the post-war stylistic fights are over, perhaps the work can get it's due as one of the strongest concertos for the cello of the 20th century.

The second work on the disc is the Eclogue for Piano and Strings. Originally planned as the slow movement of a never finished piano concerto, this is my favorite work by the composer. It is reminiscent both of the slow movements to Bach's Keyboard concerti and to the Ravel Piano Concerto in G. The melodic lines form a slow, elegant arch, underpinned with simple but fresh harmonies. Each moment of the work is designed to break your heart, and if the piece doesn't, I seriously doubt you have a heart to break!

The final work on the disc is the Grand Fantasia and Toccata for Piano and Orchestra, originally meant to be the finale of the unfinished piano concerto. This is a bravura work, showing Finzi in a mode much closer to Walton than the Elgarisms of the concerto and the Eclogue. Though I don't find this work as lovely as the other two, it is well crafted and enjoyable and would make a great pairing with the Eclogue on a concert program.

Hats off to Naxos for once again making unfamiliar music accessible to everyone at a price that is hard to beat. If you like heartbreaking and melodic music, that is still fresh and original, I highly recommend this disc. It is unbeatable.

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