*This post is part of a series on Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 for clarinet and string orchestra. Feel free to read the other posts, linked below!*
Clarinet Concerto, Op.31
I. Allegro vigoroso
II. Adagio ma senza rigore (post)
III. Rondo: Allegro giocoso (post)
Gerald Finzi was a 20th-Century British composer who is best known for his choral music. His music frequently centered around poetic texts, especially of Thomas Traherne and Thomas Hardy. In spite of the vast body of choral works he wrote, perhaps his best-known piece is the Clarinet Concerto of 1948-49 [1].
The Clarinet Concerto is scored for solo clarinet and string orchestra. I was initially unsure of whether such instrumentation would hold my interest, as most of the other concertos I have heard use a full orchestra (flutes, oboes, clarinet, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, and strings). I was immediately stunned and gripped by the ferocity of the opening bars.
Rather than a complete analysis as in my most recent posts, I'll share a walkthrough of the piece. The first movement of the piece is in sonata form. This structure includes:
1. an introduction,
2. an exposition (introducing the main themes or reinforcing themes from the introduction),
3. a development (which includes new material or reformulates earlier ideas),
4. a recapitulation (a transposed copy of the exposition, often with modifications), and
5. a coda (conclusion).
This performance by soloist Robert Plane with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Robert Griffiths conducting) is fantastic. The video includes the score, so you can follow along!
I. Allegro vigoroso
(0:01) The forceful opening on unison Cs bursts into the introduction, superimposing f minor (with the startling dissonance of D♭ against C) against the written key of c minor.
(0:07) The E♮ in the violins against the E♭ in the rest of the strings produces an even more jarring dissonance.
(0:11) This rhythm becomes a central motif of the first movement, reinforced with several repeated instances throughout the opening.
Three important motifs
(0:24) Finzi uses the note D♭ to propel f minor into c minor, using it in a Neapolitan sixth (N6) chord (major triad half step above the tonic; D♭ in c minor), leading to unison G. Now G is the unison note, so A♭ can provide the dissonance, establishing the new key of c minor.
(0:27) Opening figure repeated, transposed up a perfect fifth.
Restatement of introduction, up a perfect fifth
(0:43) The power of unison G played martellato (It. "hammering") is apparent.
(0:54) Clarinet entrance with the central melody of the first movement, which actually makes an appearance in later movements as well. This begins the exposition.
(1:05) The clarinet's stratospheric entrance and the ensuing phrase have a brightness that is irresistible.
(1:23) Prepare yourself for an incredibly unexpected modulation that Finzi pulls off flawlessly, from c minor to c# minor. In fact, given the F♭ (E♮; concert D) accidentals in the clarinet part, Finzi actually uses f# minor (a tritone away from c minor, literally the most distant key possible) to make that transition into the string tutti.
f# minor is the most distant key from c minor,
using the circle of fifths as a harmonic framework
(1:39) String tutti. See if you can spot all the places the above motifs appear over the rest of the first movement.
(1:48) Beautiful clarinet entrance leads to a new melody...
(2:10) ...here, in the clarinet part, passed on to the first violins and violas. I particularly like Finzi's use of the viola, which has the most similar tone to the clarinet of any string instrument (in fact, viola is sometimes used as a replacement for clarinet in chamber music).
(2:43) This transitional material has a similar tone to the opening with its multiple dissonances. See motif A reappear at 2:51. This marks the start of the development.
(3:05) Molto meno mosso (It. "with much less motion"): The clarinet opens with a motif seen in its first melodic entrance, making a slow sequential descent assisted by the second violins and violas. After a tense chord at 3:36, Finzi resolves to...
(3:43) ...D major, which quickly turns into b minor, making this section of the clarinet part a nearly exact repeat of the first entrance, down a half step. This marks the start of the recapitulation.
Exposition (top) and recapitulation (bottom) clarinet excerpts
(4:42) Finzi abbreviates the recapitulation by transitioning to the following theme earlier than in the exposition. When the strings pick up this part, Finzi gives it only to the violins, brightening the texture.
Exposition (top) and recapitulation (bottom) clarinet excerpts
(5:02) That textural change is appropriate for what happens here: you may recognize the viola part and upper split of the cello part.
(5:11) This transitional material, previously seen at 2:51, appears with extended passages in the lower strings featuring triplets.
(5:30) The recapitulation ends roughly here, leading to the coda. Clarinet reenters with the opening motif, and proceeds to ascend smoothly over a concert e♭ minor scale. Finzi uses the same transition between the two keys of the exposition and recapitulation in the clarinet part, leading to the last string tutti before the clarinet cadenza.
Repeated use of clarinet motif
(5:55) This strings-only passage makes extensive use of motif C, most noticeably at Pressando. The exact motif (with the same, or nearly same, intervals) is highlighted yellow-orange, motifs with the same contour but different intervals in blue.
(6:15) This orchestra crescendo up to Con furia (It. "with fury") is riveting. Finzi experienced considerable tragedy early in his life; such pain can be felt in moments of his writing like this one.
(6:38) Con furia. The return of unison G is even more powerful, with more note doublings on open strings and the addition of double bass cf. the opening.
(6:43) Clarinet cadenza. Finzi uses the bare minimum of introductory material to start off the cadenza. Though brief, the cadenza — with its wide skips and dynamic sensitivity, wonderfully performed by Robert Plane — is quite powerful.
In general, the purpose of a cadenza is for the soloist to display their skills and command of their instrument. It can also serve a musical purpose when the composer writes one in, as Finzi did here. Some composers leave the cadenza ad libitum to the performer, allowing them to improvise or write their own.
Since I play the clarinet, I'll make some comments here on what makes the cadenza difficult in spite of its brevity and apparent simplicity compared to other cadenzas for clarinet, e.g. that of Messager's Solo de Concours. I would guess that Finzi placed greater emphasis on — and was more interested in — musical virtuosity than technical virtuosity in this cadenza.
Cadenza by Messager, Solo de Concours
Cadenza by Finzi, Clarinet Concerto, Op.31
The opening two-octave jump (A3-A5) is difficult; you can hear the separation Plane uses between the notes. The D4-A5 jump is achieved on the clarinet using only the register key; you can hear how cleanly it comes off in Plane's performance. The downward slur (E5-G3) is much more difficult without rearticulation; pulling this off smoothly requires plenty of meticulous work.
In addition, Finzi scores different parts of the phrase in different registers of the clarinet very intentionally — clearly, this cadenza was specifically written for the clarinet. The sextuplet flourish puts each 'triplet' in a different register, changing the timbre (tone) in "modules;" while the descent is more chaotic.
The instability from that descent, paired with the falling accelerando Plane performs, is released on the sforzando-like attack on G#3 (end of the first line), which flares out like other loud notes in the chalumeau register of the clarinet.
The multiple triplet ascent moves smoothly between registers, ending on an augmented fourth (G#4). Throat G#, like other throat tones, naturally spreads and can become brash at loud dynamics. Plane pushes firmly into the timbre of that note without splitting it. The musical peak at the end of the cadenza, with its wide jumps played crisply by Plane, makes a perfect transition to...
(7:27) ...Maestoso — the final bars. The ensemble enters Phrygian mode through the ending, with concert C-D♭ trills in the clarinet leading the strings down sequential chords in f minor over a pedal tone C. The Neapolitan of f minor, G♭, in the fourth bar of Maestoso. An unusual N6/i—I resolution in c minor, driven by accelerating string rhythms and the clarinet flourish, concludes the first movement.
Thanks for listening and reading! If you enjoyed this piece, share this post! Check back later for more on the rest of this concerto.
All score excerpts taken from the Hawkes & Son (1953) edition (London) via IMSLP.org.
[1] Gerald Finzi - the composer's official website <geraldfinzi.com/biography/>.
