Heinrich Finck (1444/45 - 1527)
| Homepage | Genealogy | Arty Stuff | Recorders | Penguins | Site Map |
| Life | | Music | | Recordings | | Finck Consort |
|
Born in 1444 or 1445, Heinrich Finck's unusually long composing life spanned the transition
between music which sounds 'medieval' to our ears and the later, smoother and more familiar
style of renaissance composers such as Josquin. Holding appointments in royal courts in Krakow, Vilnius and Stuttgart, with the Emperor Maximillian I and the Archbishop of Salzburg, Finck left behind a substantial musical legacy, and he retained an impressive reputation among the younger musicians of succeeding generations. Although by the time of his death, younger composers already found Finck's early pieces 'difficult' and old fashioned, they still recognised the merits of his music and felt it worth of study. Finck in his turn reacted to, and developed in his own right, the new polyphonic style pioneered by younger composers such as Isaac and Josquin - even into his old age. |
|
What sort of music did he write?
|
Finck's output included
seven or more large-scale mass settings, written throughout his 60 composing career, motets,
instrumental music and songs.
From a player's point of view, Finck's music is highly distinctive, often rhythmically challenging, energetic, vibrant and rewarding for all parts. |
Known recordings of Finck's music
Little of Finck's music seems to have found its way onto CD.
|
Tugend und Untugend Naxos 8.553352 contains two short pieces by Finck: "Greiner Zanner" (tenorlied - instrumental version) and "Gloria Laus" (instrumental version) played by Convivium Musicum, leader Sven Berger |
|
|
The Triumphs of Maximillian Signum SIGCD004 - songs and instrumental music from 16th Century Germany (Senfl and his contemporaries), with Musica Antiqua of London, directed by Philip Thorby. Includes Finck's four-part setting of "Ich stund an einem Morgen". |
Tenor part of Finck's "Mein herzigs G" pub Nurnberg 1536