Finzi - Clarinet Concerto

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Clarinet : Robert Plane
Composer : Gerald Finzi
Conductor : Howard Griffiths
Orchestra : Northern Sinfonia
Violin : Bradley Creswick

Product Details

Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0730099456623
Label : Naxos
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : Music
Release Date : 1998-11-02
Running Time : 71minutes
UPC : 730099456623

ASIN : B00000HZXA

Track Listings for

Disc-1
1. Clarinet Concerto, Op. 31: Allegro vigoroso
2. Clarinet Concerto, Op. 31: Adagio, ma senza rigore
3. Clarinet Concerto, Op. 31: Rondo - Allegro giocoso
4. Five Bagatelles, Op. 23a: I Prelude- Allegro Deciso
5. Five Bagatelles, Op. 23a: II Romance- Andante tranquillo
6. Five Bagatelles, Op. 23a: III Carol- Andante semplice
7. Five Bagatelles, Op. 23a: IV Forlana- Allegretto grazioso
8. Five Bagatelles, Op. 23a: V Fughetta- Allegro vivace
9. Three Soliloquies From 'Love's Labours Lost', Op. 28: Soliloquy I: The Kings Poem
10. Three Soliloquies From 'Love's Labours Lost', Op. 28: Soliloquy II: Longavilles Sonnet
11. Three Soliloquies From 'Love's Labours Lost', Op. 28: Solilquy III: Dumaines Poem
12. A Severn Rhapsody, Op. 3
13. Romance In E Flat Major For String Orchestra, Op. 11
14. Introit In F Major For Solo Violin And Small Orchestra, Op. 6

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Customer Reviews

Up there with Elgar and Vaughan Williams (2007-06-13)

What a talent! Finzi is a marvel in 20th century British music. This cd is a wonderful collection, beautifully played, of some of this country's finest classical music. Perhaps Finzi is just too pleasing to the ear for the purest, but the accessibilty of his marvellous music is an absolute treat. Even the kids like this cd.

A neglected voice (2006-04-02)

Gerald Finzi's output of orchestral music is small, the concertos for clarinet and cello being his best-known. Finzi's style is tonal and melodic, and he represents a strand of English music that can trace its origins to the romantics, especially Elgar and Richard Strauss.

The performance of the Clarinet Concerto is robust and not overly sentimental, with the counterpoint within the string parts clearly defined. The other pieces are not his best but are still good for a summer afternoon in the garden. For further listening, try the Cello Concerto (Naxos 8,555766) which also includes the lovely Ecologue for Piano and strings.

My favourite classical album (2002-10-02)

Being a hard rock fan with a vague interest in medieval, baroque and rennaissance music I'm relatively new to this whole field of classical music, but I've always wanted to take the plunge and now I've gotten very much into it lately. Classical music is such a wide area, so for the uninitiated those "best of" releases (hated by long-time classical fans, I'm sure) may always be the best place to start. For me it was a case of hearing Bach's "Air" a little while back and being hooked right away, then discovering Handel (who's now my favourite of the old composers), and then stumbling over this Naxos release with Finzi one day. I can't believe he's not more known or respected, I think he's brilliant. I just can't stop listening to this CD, it's now my favourite classical album. Finzi's style is very interesting, almost like he was scoring a film when he wrote his music. The performances are all superb, and I defy anyone to say they don't like this music; I don't see how you can not. I have the other Finzi CD with the excellent Northern Sinfonia from Naxos, and I hope more will eventually come out.

Excellent (2001-02-12)

There is an awful reverse snobbery about English composers. They are looked down upon by critics, without any one actually giving a reason why, except, it seems, that everyone else says so. Just remember that it wasn't until Mendelssohn came along that JS Bach was appreciated as a great composer.

Finzi's great sin seems to be that he is a twentieth century composer that writes music you can listen to. If you like Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Delius, then you will like Finzi. He did not write large scale, heavyweight music, but that makes him no more a musical lightweight than it does Grieg.

I have no hesitation wholeheartedly recommending this CD. All the music is beautiful and played very well and, at a fiver, you cannot go wrong. Anyone that thinks that Finzi is a cowpat composer is a musical ignoramus.

Thank Goodness for Naxos (2001-02-04)

For the price of a cheap concert ticket you can risk buying a disc like this knowing if it isn't any good, you've not really lost more than an evening's listening.

And, if it is as good as this you've got a gem of a CD introducing you to a composer who you might otherwise never hear.

I won't make massive claims for Finzi: He is a Jane Austen of a composer - provincial, light, witty and entertaining. He isn't a Beethoven or a Brahms.

Having said that, there are moments of darkness, moments of depth, especially in the Clarinet Concerto (surely this recording should mean more live performances?), but the lasting impression is more of joy and, 'Englishness'.

Elgar lies behind this music, as does Vaughn Williams, Holst and Parry - and a whole host of English music teachers (all honourable!). Finzi isn't making cheap copies, he has a voice of his own, a voice with a very strong sense of place and time.

The performances are fine - Robert Plane's clarinet sings lyrically and the Northern Sinfonia under Howard Griffiths support well giving a breath of fresh air to this neglected repertoire.

(By the way - I like Jane Austen)

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