Finger, Gottfried (or Godfrey) (c. 1660–1730)

Moravian composer. Nothing is known of his career until he went to London, England, about 1685, working under the patronage of James II. He left in 1702, piqued at having gained only the fourth prize after John Weldon, John Eccles, and Daniel Purcell for the composition of William Congreve's masque The Judgement of Paris.

On leaving London he went to Berlin, where he entered the service of Sophia Charlotte, Queen of Prussia. Later he lived in the Palatinate and wrote some operas for Neuburg and Heidelberg.

Works Stage operas The Virgin Prophetess (Settle), Sieg der Schönheit über die Helden (1706), L'amicizia in terzo (in part); masques The Loves of Mars and Venus (Motteux, with Eccles) and The Judgement of Paris (Congreve, 1701); incidental music (some with D Purcell) for Lee's The Rival Queens, The Wive's Excuse, Love for Love and The Mourning Bride (both Congreve), Love at a Loss, Love makes a Man (Cibber), The Humours of the Age (Southerne), Sir Harry Wildair (Farquhar), and The Pilgrim (Vanbrugh).

Other concertos and sonatas for various instruments; pieces for violin and flute (with Banister), and other pieces.