The Wykehamist
Gerald Finzi was part of the English Pastoral School, an extension of Tudor and English folk influences that included others such as Holst and Vaughan Williams. He wrote the Clarinet Concerto in 1948, guided by clarinettist Frederick Thurston, and it has since become his most popular piece.
Winston( Coll:, 22-) immediately struck me with his confident stage presence. Finzi is known for his sizeable choral output, and this particular lyricism was captured especially well by Winston in the 2nd movement. The song-like quality in his rubato and phrasing reminded me of choral music, beautiful soaring melodic lines enabled by his powerful projection and the clarity of his runs. Unwilling to be held back by the physical limitations of his instrument relative to the versatility of the piano, he squared up to his competitors by really pushing himself to the limits of his instrument, even if it proved to be dangerously close to breaking point at times— it is always exciting to see musicians pushing themselves and allowing their musicality to soar. Many would have performed the Concerto in a dull and repetitive manner, interpretations from which I am very glad he refrained. Nonetheless, I would encourage him to further introduce more coloration and distinct characters to the repeated ideas, which would have provided an even clearer sense of direction to the music.
In the last movement, the jovial and light, even slightly Mozartian theme was introduced with a wonderfully playful attitude. His top notes rang throughout the auditorium, and the various winding middle sections were carried out with an almost operatic attitude, bringing with them an immediately apparent sense of warmth, aided by the occasional relaxed vibrato. The various build-ups were also handled well, especially concerning the shifting interplay of dynamics. Finally, the ending, reintroducing the charming first theme for the last time, was articulate and played with a clear sense of direction. I would have liked for a more dramatic crescendo to lead into the last note, and the final ornament could have perhaps been cemented with less hurry, to end it all off with a grander gesture.
Up against the tough and somewhat unfair competition of two pianists, Winston shone where he could best. I loved the sense of unrestrained merriment in his storytelling, a passion that was superbly conveyed.
Overall, I must admit that I still find myself slightly inclined towards Coen’ s Ravel, as it was, indeed, the most enjoyable and exciting to listen to out of the three simply excellent performances. The Rachmaninoff, despite its initial appeal, does admittedly get rather boring after multiple listens. Much is already laid out by Rachmaninoff in the score, and this, combined with the enormous quantity of past recordings, provided Laurie with little opportunity for a unique or interesting interpretation— his third concerto or the Rhapsody on Paganini would have fared much better in this regard. I must also admit that I was, like Purser, previously unfamiliar with the Finzi, though I will agree that Winston’ s performance certainly did a fantastic job at introducing to us this wonderfully charming piece of English music. It is an area that I have much less experience in— though, of course, I am always open to suggestions.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening of music; especial praise must go to NAS for his extraordinary accompaniment and Toby Purser for adjudicating. Bravo to Laurie for coming out on top, with a title that he much deserves. Until next year …
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