Herman Finck
Encyclopedia
Herman Finck was a British composer of Dutch extraction.
Born Hermann Van Der Vinck in London, he began his studies training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
and established a career as the musical director at the Palace Theatre
in London (from 1900 until 1920), with whose orchestra he made many virtuoso recordings. During these decades, he was also a principal conductor at the Queen's Theatre, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
and at Southport. Finck was a prolific composer throughout the 1910s and 1920s. He composed around thirty theatre shows of most types - operetta
s (such as Decameron Nights), ballet
s (like My Lady Dragon Fly), incidental music, revues (annual revues Round the Map and The Passing Show were especially popular), plus songs, "mood music" for the silent cinema
and many light orchestral pieces - suites such as Vive La Danse and Marie Antoinette, marches such as Pageant March, Guards Parade March, Splendour and Victory and the individual genre movements Dancing Daffodils, Dignity and Impudence, Land of Roses, Penguin Parade and Queen of the Flowers.
The Palace Theatre was famous not only for its orchestra, but also for the beautiful Palace Girls, who had many dances composed by Finck in their honour. In 1911 the Palace Girls performed a song and dance number, which was originally called Tonight, but became hugely popular as a romantic instrumental piece In The Shadows. This is the most enduring composition of Finck, largely because In The Shadows was one of the last numbers played on the Titanic and has thus made its way into several Titanic-collections.
Another popular song during the World War I
was Gilbert the Filbert (also called The K-Nuts). It was performed in The Passing Show of 1914 by the popular Basil Hallam
, who became Captain B H Radford and was killed in 1916 when he fell to his death because his parachute failed to open.
In 2007, Divine Art label in the UK intended to release the first album dedicated to the music of Herman Finck, performed by the orchestra and principals of the Bel-Etage Theatre in Estonia
, conducted by Mart Sander
. In addition to Finck's most popular tunes Gilbert the Filbert and In The Shadows (vocal version), this CD also includes several popular dances, patriotic World War I songs and hits from the revues and musicals, as well as two full orchestral suites - My Lady Dragonfly and the magnificently symphonic Decameron Nights, which had not had a revival since 1923. However, the label is still unable to release the cD as it is waiting for material but hopes to do so in 2010.
In The Shadows will be performed live by the Croydon Orchestral Ensemble on 27/03/10.
Born Hermann Van Der Vinck in London, he began his studies training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
and established a career as the musical director at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
in London (from 1900 until 1920), with whose orchestra he made many virtuoso recordings. During these decades, he was also a principal conductor at the Queen's Theatre, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
and at Southport. Finck was a prolific composer throughout the 1910s and 1920s. He composed around thirty theatre shows of most types - operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s (such as Decameron Nights), ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s (like My Lady Dragon Fly), incidental music, revues (annual revues Round the Map and The Passing Show were especially popular), plus songs, "mood music" for the silent cinema
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and many light orchestral pieces - suites such as Vive La Danse and Marie Antoinette, marches such as Pageant March, Guards Parade March, Splendour and Victory and the individual genre movements Dancing Daffodils, Dignity and Impudence, Land of Roses, Penguin Parade and Queen of the Flowers.
The Palace Theatre was famous not only for its orchestra, but also for the beautiful Palace Girls, who had many dances composed by Finck in their honour. In 1911 the Palace Girls performed a song and dance number, which was originally called Tonight, but became hugely popular as a romantic instrumental piece In The Shadows. This is the most enduring composition of Finck, largely because In The Shadows was one of the last numbers played on the Titanic and has thus made its way into several Titanic-collections.
Another popular song during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was Gilbert the Filbert (also called The K-Nuts). It was performed in The Passing Show of 1914 by the popular Basil Hallam
Basil Hallam
Basil Hallam was an English actor and singer. He created the character of Gilbert the Filbert for The Passing Show, the original revue of that title by Herman Finck, produced at the Palace Theatre, London, on 20 April 1914...
, who became Captain B H Radford and was killed in 1916 when he fell to his death because his parachute failed to open.
In 2007, Divine Art label in the UK intended to release the first album dedicated to the music of Herman Finck, performed by the orchestra and principals of the Bel-Etage Theatre in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, conducted by Mart Sander
Mart Sander
Martin Laurent Sander is an Estonian singer, actor, director, author and television host.-Life and career:...
. In addition to Finck's most popular tunes Gilbert the Filbert and In The Shadows (vocal version), this CD also includes several popular dances, patriotic World War I songs and hits from the revues and musicals, as well as two full orchestral suites - My Lady Dragonfly and the magnificently symphonic Decameron Nights, which had not had a revival since 1923. However, the label is still unable to release the cD as it is waiting for material but hopes to do so in 2010.
In The Shadows will be performed live by the Croydon Orchestral Ensemble on 27/03/10.