Edmund Finnis: Shades Manchester Collective

• Edmund Finnis (b. 1984): String Quartet No. 2:
• 1 Finnis: String Quartet No. 2: I 03:15
• 2 Finnis: String Quartet No. 2: II 02:19
• 3 Finnis: String Quartet No. 2: III 03:59
• 4 Finnis: String Quartet No. 2: IV 03:32
• String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius":
• 5 Finnis: String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius": I 01:44
• 6 Finnis: String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius": II 04:00
• 7 Finnis: String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius": III 02:50
• 8 Finnis: String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius": IV Hymn (After Byrd) 04:03
• 9 Finnis: String Quartet No. 1 "Aloysius": V 04:00
• Total Runtime 29:42

Info zu Edmund Finnis: Shades

In ‘Shades’, we explore the next chapter of our ongoing collaboration with the British composer Edmund Finnis. The two string quartets presented here are focused and fragile investigations of sound. Ed’s writing frequently pushes our players to the very limit of what is possible – his music here is softer, more intimate, more bare. This material lives in the shadows, slowly shifting, finding form, and melting away.

The first quartet (presented second on this recording) is the more ghostlike of the two. The quiet haiku of the first movement melts into the gossamer of the second, delicate trills endlessly spiralling, catching the light. In the third movement short musical threads are deftly woven together, but this sense of momentum is quickly halted by the fourth – a hymn, composed after material by William Byrd. This music is some of Ed’s most beautiful, heart-breaking, and honest. Finally, the quartet gathers pace in the final, fifth movement, wheeling higher and higher, ecstatic and virtuosic.

The second quartet, this one commissioned by the Collective, is no less mysterious than the first. The outer movements were inspired by an unexpected act of discovery: in 2020, during a house move, Finnis uncovered a set of old minidiscs containing rough demo recordings that he had made nearly two decades earlier. Something of those forgotten songs lies at the heart of this quartet – the past, made real again.

There can be no doubt that there is biography in this music. In his own notes, Ed writes: “I think of these two quartets as some of the most personal and intimate pieces I have written. They are outcomes of my enduring need to communicate something that I’m incapable of fully expressing with words. I would if I could. I know that it has something to do with love.”

Manchester Collective
Rakhi Singh, violin, director

anchester Collective
is a new kind of arts organisation, built for a fresh and diverse musical world. We create intimate and intense human experiences inspired by the music that we love, for everyone.

We are the true believers. We passionately believe in the power of music to move us and to excite us. It doesn't matter to us if you're a seasoned concert-goer, or if it's your first time. All are welcome.

From the concert hall to the factory, from the recital room to the mill, the only thing we ask of you is that you open your ears and let yourself listen. Really listen.

And in return, we will create something extraordinary.

Known for their experimental programming and daring collaborations, the work of Manchester Collective has expanded at breakneck speed since their formation in 2016. They now play in concert halls, gig venues and factory spaces across Europe and the UK, performing a combination of cutting edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces, and staged work to a hungry, new audience.

New music is of vital importance to the Collective – in recent years, they have commissioned major works by artists including Edmund Finnis, Hannah Peel, Lyra Pramuk, and Laurence Osborn. Highlights include their Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the 2021 BBC Proms Festival; the creation of Dark Days, Luminous Nights, a daring audio-visual installation made under lockdown with Blackhaine and Simon Buckley; and Sirocco, the international sensation featuring South African cellist Abel Selaocoe.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet