The 7 Hymn-Tune Preludes by Michael Finnissy are based on Norwegian sacred folksongs and tunes from Sacred Harp worship, moving away from traditional liturgical functions.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded on two different organs: a J.W.Walker & Sons organ at Blackburn Cathedral in the UK, and two C.B.Fisk organs at Memorial Church of Harvard University in the USA.
Composer Biography
Michael Finnissy, the composer, was self-taught until age 18, learning by listening to Antony Hopkins' 'Talking about Music' on the radio and visiting libraries.
Composition History
Michael Finnissy decided to write four organ symphonies, like Brahms, while holidaying in the Norfolk village of Itteringham with his partner, Philip Adams.
Compositional Technique
Michael Finnissy's Organ Symphony No. 1 draws stylistic models from the late Baroque to mid-Classical period, notably Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, under layers of compositional modification.
Performer Biography
Forrest Eimold, the organist on this album, first gained notice at age 13 for performing Olivier Messiaen's two-hour organ cycle, 'Livre du Saint Sacrement'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Michael Finnissy's organ symphonies are an uncompromising response to Walt Whitman's challenge in 'Song of Myself' to 'habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life'.
