Gerald Finzi - Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18 (1929-42)

Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 - 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata Dies natalis for solo voice and string orchestra, and his concertos for cello and clarinet.
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Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18 (1929-1942)
Dedication: Ralph Vaughan Williams
1. "Come Away, Come Away, Death" (Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene 4) (0:00)
2. "Who Is Silvia?" (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV, Scene 2) (3:29)
3. "Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun" (Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene 2) (5:04)
4. "O Mistress Mine" (Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene 3) (10:47)
5. "It Was a Lover and His Lass" (As You Like It, Act V, Scene 3) (12:28)
Roderick Williams, baritone and Iain Burnside, piano
Let Us Garlands Bring is a song cycle for baritone and piano composed by Gerald Finzi between 1929 and 1942, and published as his Op. 18. It consists of five settings of songs from plays by William Shakespeare. It was premiered on 12 October 1942 at a National Gallery lunchtime concert in London. That day was the 70th birthday of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the cycle is dedicated to him. Finzi subsequently arranged the work for baritone and string orchestra.
The title of the cycle is the last line of "Who Is Silvia?".

[@steveegallo3384]

O Precious Rare Gem.....Thank you!

[@ianwilliams2632]

I've never heard the whole song cycle. Thanks for putting it within our reach.

[@stephenmccarthy3072]

Thank you very much for uploading this score-video; I have been hoping for a long time that someone would do so! Finzi was one of the greatest English songwriters, and I have long thought that this cycle is the best introduction to his wonderful oeuvre (and so sensitively interpreted by Williams and Burnside). Few have set Shakespeare such that the words and music sound like they are meant for each other - when I first heard that "To her let us garlands bring", a smile broke out from ear to ear! I sincerely hope that your work brings his beautiful art to a wider group of listeners, and inspires them to seek out more of his wonderful song cycles. Many thanks again.

[@yuehchopin]

danke

[@hectorbarrionuevo6034]

Greetings Bartje and Stevee !! Yes, this is a vocal gem ! Finzi's music is so beautifully nostalgic and uplifting !

[@robinrubendunst869]

That was lovely!!! Thank you for posting!

[@nathanlaney1542]

I absolutely love Roderick Williams in this, there’s a purity and ease to his vowels and delivery. Too many sing overly affected, not understanding that simplicity can often be more effective. So many use an excessively ‘heroic’ tone in this English repertoire, which I don’t find appropriate for this music at all. Trilling the Rs ridiculously, pressing on everything, messing around with the embouchure too much. Comes off pretentious, unnatural and fake. Williams captures the melancholy in the first and third songs perfectly, and gives energy to the others without sounding annoying. One of the only recordings I truly enjoy.

[@derekcurtis9999]

I love this. I wonder if anyone’s made a cello transcription for this cause I would love to play it

[@PaulSmith-qs1es]

I have to skip this because I'm writing and it has English in it, but it seems really interesting, and I'm going to bookmark it so i can listen to it later. 🙂