Vernon Handley

Gerald Finzi: Cello Concerto / Kenneth Leighton: Suite "Veris Gratia" Op. 9 - Raphael Wallfisch / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley

Gerald Finzi, Kenneth Leighton, Vernon Handley
Gerald Finzi: Cello Concerto / Kenneth Leighton: Suite "Veris Gratia" Op. 9 - Raphael Wallfisch / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
1. Cello Concerto Op. 40: I-Allegro moderato
2. Cello Concerto Op. 40: II-Andante quieto
3. Cello Concerto Op. 40: III-Rondo: Adagio-Allegro giocoso
4. Suite 'Veris Gratia' Op. 9: I-Lento sostenuto
5. Suite 'Veris Gratia' Op. 9: II-Allegro molto e con brio
6. Suite 'Veris Gratia' Op. 9: III-Andante semplice
7. Suite 'Veris Gratia' Op. 9: IV-Epilogue: Sostenuto ma con moto

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CD Details

All Artists: Gerald Finzi, Kenneth Leighton, Vernon Handley, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Raphael Wallfisch, George Caird
Title: Gerald Finzi: Cello Concerto / Kenneth Leighton: Suite "Veris Gratia" Op. 9 - Raphael Wallfisch / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Chandos
Release Date: 10/28/1992
Genre: Classical
Styles: Forms & Genres, Concertos, Instruments, Strings
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 095115847121

Synopsis

Amazon.com

The works of Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) and Kenneth Leighton (b. 1925) are generally not known outside Great Britain. They should be. They're both in a late-romantic vein, but both are darker than most other British composers. Finzi's Cello Concerto (1955) is completely non-traditional, starting with a strange turbulent mood, shifting back and forth to a peculiar pizzacato-introduced last movement. Kenneth Leighton's Suite "Veris Gratia" is a 1950 tone poem that trades off harmonies between the oboe, the cello, and the rest of the orchestra. The usual Chandos warmth is here along with their industry- standard sonics. Fans of British music will find much here to like. --Paul Cook

CD Reviews

A wonderful tribute to Finzi.

Ed Brickell | 11/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finzi's Cello Concerto doesn't bring to mind the usual placid stereotypes of the so-called British "pastoral school" of composers (as he is invariably categorized). It's a darker, more powerful, and more emotionally complex piece than his delightful clarinet concerto -- although all ends happily enough. The musical shadows cast over the cello concerto remind us that Finzi was all too aware of his own impending death while composing the work; he died from cancer only about 12 months after the concerto was premiered in 1955. It is beautifully orchestrated music in the finest Finzi manner, and Raphael Wallfisch plays the solo part as if it had been written for him.Wallfisch is joined by oboist Malcolm Stewart in the companion piece on the disc, Kenneth Leighton's 4-part orchestral suite "Vers Gratia." It's an especially appropriate coupling to the Finzi concerto, as Leighton dedicated it to Finzi's memory. A lovely piece featuring extended solo parts for both the cello and oboe, it's in the best British pastoral tradition, with many humble bows to its dedicatee.A total of 66 minutes of the highest quality British music, recorded in warm, spacious Chandos sound with perfect balancing of the solo instruments against the full ensemble. I warmed to this disc very quickly and find myself listening to it frequently."

One of the best cello concertos ever !

John van Maris | Rotterdam Netherlands | 02/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the last years of his life, as he already knew that he would die of cancer, Finzi wrote this cello concerto. This is a cello concerto which may lack a uniform structure, but the way the music is giving food to moods and thoughts is enormous."