Finzi, Gerald (1901-1956)

English composer. He was professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London, 1930-33, and afterwards went to live in the country to give his whole time to composition. His output includes concertos for clarinet and cello, and a wide range of vocal works, including settings of Milton and Shakespeare.

Finzi was born in London. He studied privately with Edward Bairstow and Reginald Morris.

Works Orchestral Introit for violin and small orchestra (1925), New Year Music for orchestra (1926), Romance for strings (1928), concerto for clarinet and strings (1949).

Vocal festival anthem (Crashaw), Thomas Hardy song cycles By Footpath and Stile for baritone and string quartet (1922), A Young Man's Exhortation for voice and piano (1926-29), cantata Dies Natalis for high voice and orchestra (Traherne; 1926-39), two sonnets by Milton for tenor and small orchestra (c. 1928), Earth and Air and Rain, songs (1936), Intimations of Immortality for chorus and orchestra (Wordsworth, about 1938, revised 1950), three Elegies (Drummond; 1926) and seven part songs (Robert Bridges; 1934-37) for unaccompanied chorus, Let us Garlands Bring, five Shakespeare songs (1942), Farewell to Arms for tenor and small orchestra (Ralph Knevet and George Peele; 1945), For St Cecilia for chorus and orchestra (Edmund Blunden; 1947), Before and After Summer (1949).

Chamber Interlude for oboe and string quartet (1933-36), prelude and fugue for string trio, five bagatelles for clarinet and piano.

Other incidental music for Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.