"History, Analysis and Performance Considerations of Gerald Finzi's ...

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65musicians who performed his works to take many liberties with them. 67 He was always open tomusical suggestion. Ferguson, with whom he met regularly, described this characteristic of Finzias being more a result of his self-doubt, than open-mindedness:He asked me my opinion an enormous amount. And in the early days when I toldyou he was incapable of putting dynamics in, I would put them in for him . . . . Heinvariably agreed with what one said. And right though his life, even when he gotbetter in that respect, he always asked someone’s opinion. I’d sit beside him andask him “is this a B-flat or an A,” and he’d ask what I thought. If I answered oneor the other, he’d say “all right.” He was extremely uncertain about practicalthings. 68David Willcocks provided this insight into a conductor’s relationship with Finzi:He was very trusting of other’s thoughts. He liked to have other people conducthis work. I found that he never interfered. His compositions were always set atjust the right speed, kind of like Vaughan Williams. Of course, Britten was muchmore dictatorial. It had to be exactly this way or exactly that way, whererasVaughan Williams and Finzi said that [tempo] depends on the building you areperforming in, how many people are taking part, etc. 69The source of his uncertainty set aside for the moment, it is nevertheless clear that the composervalued the recommendations and performance practices of his colleagues. Given thesestatements and sentiments, he has clearly entrusted us to approach this anthem with extra-scoreconsiderations that will lend themselves to a successful performance.PracticesSection AAs the organ prelude is comprised of three short statements of the “Sacrifice” theme andone reference to the “Wine” theme, tempo and breath should be used in such a way as todelineate these phrases. Finzi in fact, specifically included rests at the ends of measures 8, 11,67 Crutchfield, 107.68 Ibid., 167.69 Ibid., 160.
66and 16 to clarify structural punctuation. It is natural then to take a slight ritardando just prior tothese lifts or pauses. While there is also an eighth rest indicated at the end of measure 4, no suchtempo fluctuation should take place at this point as the resolution to E in measure 5, and elidedstatement which follows in measures 6-8, is an extension of this primary a material for which asense of continuation is necessary. In contrast, a slight lengthening of the final eighth rest inmeasure 11 will more clearly articulate the register shift and entrance of the new “Wine” themein measure 12.The subject of the choir entrance is dark, subdued, and brooding, and as such, the vocaltimbre should match. Vibrato would be out of place in this context. A lift (eighth rest) may begiven after the word “Lo,” drawing upon Crashaw’s comma and (like the word “look!”) pointingour minds more distinctly in the direction of the text to come. Another lift should also be placedafter the word “Sacrifice” in measure 21, as holding the dotted quarter rhythm its full value (anoticeable length of time at Adagio solenne) would likely give cause to crescendo when it is adiminuendo that is called for. The five alliterative [f]s should not be taken for granted inmeasures 20-25, with clear diction necessary to bring each one to poetic attention. A slightslowing and tenuto on each of the words “fix’t their eyes” properly closes this opening statement.Pushing the tempo slightly for “The ransomed Isaac . . .” makes the Finzi’s mixed metrical textquickening additionally effective. Another lift after the word “ram” in measure 25 followsCrashaw’s punctuation, and combines that subject with “Isaac” separately from “Manna” and“Lamb.” Word stresses on “ran-somed,” “I-saac,” “ram,” “Man-na,” “Pas-chal,” and “Lamb”should support the metrical stress placements discussed previously. As the initial text returns,elided in the alto and bass voices at measure 26, all performance considerations of the initial
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HISTORY, ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCECO
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. . . as surely as birds must sing,
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LIST OF FIGURESFigurePage1. Constru
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LIST OF TABLESTablePage1. Section A
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HISTORICAL OVERVIEWIt was the summe
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3Hussey suggested a Eucharist theme
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Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice was at
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7miniaturist is now generally recog
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9Hardy (agnostic fatalist), Wordswo
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11According to Christopher, his fat
Page 23: 14Examination of FormSection AThe a
Page 26 and 27: 17However the arrival of A major at
Page 28 and 29: 19Figure 7. Reduction of measures 1
Page 30 and 31: 21Stanford, being of his generation
Page 32 and 33: 23unique contour of these lines, a
Page 34 and 35: 25Figure 12. Rising major third key
Page 36 and 37: 27with the downward leap of a minor
Page 38 and 39: 29Figure 15. “O Let that love”
Page 40 and 41: Figure 16. “Jesu Master” organ
Page 42 and 43: 33Crashaw’s images of “Food”
Page 44 and 45: 35Harmony then, falls among every o
Page 46 and 47: 37Section CAn immediate resetting o
Page 48 and 49: Figure 21. “Weeping” organ gest
Page 50 and 51: 41another shortened verse and fitti
Page 52 and 53: 43unison/octaves. The preceding org
Page 54 and 55: 45Figure 28. “Stretch all thy pow
Page 56 and 57: 47Arriving at the word “love” a
Page 58 and 59: 49agogic stresses to achieve a fitt
Page 60 and 61: 51Table 4Section D - Thematic Struc
Page 62 and 63: 53famine, feeding its young with it
Page 64 and 65: 55global humanity en masse, but mor
Page 66 and 67: 57Figure 37. “And that long day
Page 68 and 69: 59Figure 39. Reduction of Section B
Page 70 and 71: 61sublime heavenly and musical asce
Page 73: PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONSPrinciple
Page 77 and 78: 68To add further contrast with the
Page 79 and 80: 70breath in the vocal part to compl
Page 81 and 82: 72pairings. A lift at the end of th
Page 83 and 84: 74for the tenor soloist be placed a
Page 85 and 86: 76the word “chase” followed by
Page 87 and 88: 78Finzi always had a sense that he
Page 89 and 90: 808 Lo the Bread of Life, this day
Page 91 and 92: 82_____ . The Composer’s Use of W
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