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Fini Henriques
Children’s Poetry, opus 30 (1908)
1. The little Chinese Girl
2. Lullaby
3. March: Soldiers
4. Behind the Plough
5. The Jester
6. The Lonely Person
7. In the Ring
8. Evening
9. In a good Mood
10. The Minuet of Sorrow
11. Catch me if you can!
12. The Juggler
13. The Pantomime
14. A Walk through the Desert
15. Summer Game
16. Denmark
17. The Songbird
18. The Dance of the Wild People
19. It was only a Dream
20. The two elderly People
Melodic Album, opus 50 (1919)
21. Infantry
22. Hunt the Thimble
23. Sorrowful
24. In the Monkeyhouse
25. Queen of Hearts
26. Always happy
27. The Dunce
28. True as Gold
29. Quarrelsome
30. Russian Dance
31. Viennese Waltz
32. At the Grave
33. Artillery
34. The Smallest
35. The Chatterbo
36. Twilight
37. To the Scaffold
38. Dancing Bears
39. A Stranger
40. Mournful
41. Evening Song
42. The Night
Miniature Water-Colours, opus 21 (1900)
43. Hoppy de hop
44. Once one is one
45. Little Rogue
46. Anthem
47. Lullaby
48. The Cat after the Mouse
49. Doggy’s Death
50. In the Kindergarten
51. Will o’the Wisp
52. Melody
Fini Henriques ©
Fini Henriques (1867-1940) was in fact baptized Valdemar Finni Henriques, and the somewhat unusual Finni (later Fini) originates from his father, who after his birth as the family’s tenth child exclaimed that this could not go on – “Finis”! As a boy Fini was described as “an unruly fellow who only had a limited understanding of the sources of knowledge the school opened up to him”, but on the other hand he was also described as a “happy and creative soul”. Fini did not enjoy school, he was only interested in music, and his musical ability was apparent since his earliest childhood. At home, where musical activities held pride of place, his mother taught Fini the piano, and with her help he composed his first little piano pieces already at the age of seven. Later he continued piano lessons with the German-born music teacher Friedrich Hess. When he was eight, he began having violin lessons, and later it was this instrument that became his livelihood. Fini’s childhood and earliest youth remind one of the prodigy, even though his activities were confined to more private circles. His natural talent revealed itself at an early stage, and supported by his family, it became decisive for his future life. He was not only technically musically gifted, but he was also able to captivate and entertain with his infectious mind, which embraced both the virtuoso and the entertainer.
When the young Fini Henriques had to choose his education, he was advised not to apply for admission to Kjøbenhavns Musikconservatorium by its director Niels W. Gade (1817-1890). Gade knew the young man well and was extremely interested in his talent, but he did not think that the conservatoire which he had had a hand in establishing in 1867 was suitable for the young man. Instead Henriques studied privately with the violinist and teacher Valdemar Tofte (1832-1907), who was the leader of The Royal Danish Orchestra and a professor at the Conservatoire. His teacher in musical theory and composition was the composer Johann Svendsen (1840-1911), who had been the conductor of The Royal Theatre since 1883.
After studying for some years later Henriques went abroad when he was twenty in order to further his education. Valdemar Tofte had himself studied with the contemporary and very famous violinist Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) in Hanover, and Henriques began studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin where Joachim now taught. During the years 1888 to 1891 in Berlin he also studied with the composer Woldemar Bargiel (1828-1897), a former pupil of Gade in Leipzig, and with Peter Ludwig Hertel (1817-1899). As soon as Henriques returned to Copenhagen he again left to study, since using funds from a scholarship, Det Anckerske Legat, which he had been awarded in 1891, he travelled to Vienna, Dresden, Leipzig and Bayreuth.
When he returned home a year later he gained admission to The Royal Danish Orchestra, first as a viola player until 1895, later as a violinist until 1896. For several reasons he was only permanently employed as an orchestral musician for a few years. Reputedly a conflict with the conductor Frederik Rung was the direct reason for his resignation, but apparently Henriques found it difficult to work under such fixed limits demanded by membership of an orchestra. His disposition and character were far better suited to a free lifestyle as a composer, teacher and concert violinist, and in the course of a few years he made a career for himself and soon became a popular figure as a violinist and pianist.
As a freelance musician Fini Henriques worked hard for chamber music. He founded his own string quartet, Fini Henriques-Kvartetten, which enjoyed considerable prestige at that time, and in
1911 he established the chamber music society Musiksamfundet, of which he was the chairman until 1931 and of which his own quartet formed the nucleus. Although from time to time he
was engaged as a theatre conductor, Fini Henriques earned his living primarily as a soloist. Well known and loved, he gave solo recitals all over the country, and here he combined his equilibristic playing with various amusing features like a true entertainer. Henriques also mastered the great works in the concert repertoire, and he travelled as a concert soloist, chamber musician and conductor innumerable times in the Nordic countries as well as in Paris and Berlin.
In October 1940 Fini Henriques died without any preceding illness at a pavement restaurant in Copenhagen. Fini Henriques was a somewhat productive composer and wrote in most genres. For the stage he composed operas, ballets and incidental music. For the orchestra he wrote works including symphonies and smaller pieces. The series of works for various chamber ensembles focuses not surprisingly on the violin. He composed a number of works for solo piano as well as many fine songs and choral works. As a creative artist Fini Henriques’s breakthrough occurred around 1900, when his dramatic works in particular occupied a central position. In this field, however, his success was only short-lived and limited. On the other hand a number of short, aphoristic character pieces testify to something far more central in Henriques’ artistic personality, and the many short piano pieces with subjects from a child’s world became Henriques’ special domain. Henriques’ music has been described as open and accommodating. Stylistically he was in no way progressive or innovative, but predominantly stuck to a late-romantic idiom. The numerous new stylistic tendencies which at the beginning of the century and especially abroad unfolded at a rapid pace interested him less.
The programme on this CD represents a comprehensive selection of these piano pieces primarily composed for children and young people.
RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 2019
CATALOGUE NUMBER: DACOCD 840
EAN:5709499840009
