Martyn Hill, Michael Collins, City of London Sinfonia & Richard Hickox - Finzi: Dies natalis, Clarinet Concerto & Farewell to Arms (1988/2021)

Gerald Finzi was a very original figure in the English musical world, heir of the “pastoralists” such as Vaughan Williams, though with a very distinctive manner. He somehow felt into neglect before coming back into favor at the end of the 20th-century, notably for his clarinet concerto which has become a standard of the modern repertoire. Performed by Michael Collins under the baton of staunch defender of Finzi’s music Richard Hickox, it comes with two youth vocal works after 17th-century English poetry, which Finzi was a refined connoisseur.