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Herman Finck
Herman Finck
Herman Finck
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Herman Finck (4 November 1872 – 21 April 1939)[1] was a British composer and conductor of Dutch extraction.

Key Information

Born Hermann Van Der Vinck[2] 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),[3] 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 - operettas (such as Decameron Nights), ballets (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.

Finck also conducted the first record album ever made (in 1909) of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.[4]

Cover of the sheet music for 'In the Shadows' (1910)

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.[citation needed]

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 died in 1916 when his parachute failed to open.[5][6]

Finck also conducted the first London stage production of Show Boat, in 1928.[7] This was the first production of Show Boat to include Paul Robeson in its cast.

His illustrated autobiography, "My melodious memories" was published in 1937.[8]

The Divine Art Recordings Group (UK and USA) released on its Diversions label, in February 2012, the first CD album dedicated to the music of Herman Finck, performed by the orchestra and principals of the Bel-Etage Theatre from 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.

In 2012, Divine Music CD label released The Finck Album, the first modern recording of Finck's music, performed by the principals and orchestra of the Bel-Etage Theatre in Tallinn, Estonia, conducted by Mart Sander.[9]

Selected filmography

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References

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Herman Finck

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Herman Finck (4 November 1872 – 21 April 1939) was a British composer and conductor of Dutch extraction known for his prolific contributions to musical theatre, light orchestral music, and popular songs in the early 20th century. Born Hermann van der Vinck in London on 4 November 1872 to Dutch parents, he anglicised his name upon enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He served as musical director at the Palace Theatre in London from 1900 to 1920, where he composed numerous dances, songs, and incidental music for revues and the Palace Girls, while also holding principal conductorships at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the Queen’s Theatre. Finck’s output included over thirty theatre works encompassing operettas, ballets, revues, and incidental music, alongside many songs, orchestral suites, military band pieces, and mood music for silent films. His best-known composition is the hugely popular "In the Shadows" (1910), originally written as an instrumental piece for the Palace Theatre and later fitted with lyrics. Other notable works include the patriotic song "Gilbert the Filbert" from the 1914 revue The Passing Show and the extended potpourri Melodious Memories, which combined dozens of melodies and became a staple in various arrangements. He conducted the first London production of Show Boat in 1928, featuring Paul Robeson, and was responsible for music at the inaugural Royal Variety Performance in 1912. Finck also pioneered early recordings, including the first full-length phonograph version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite in 1909. He published his autobiography, My Melodious Memories, in 1937 and died on 21 April 1939.

Early Life and Family

Herman Finck was born Hermann van der Vinck in London in 1872 to Dutch parents. He anglicised his name to Herman Finck upon enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Little additional detail is documented about his immediate family or early childhood in available sources.

Education

Herman Finck, born Hermann van der Vinck in London to Dutch parents, anglicised his name to Herman Finck upon enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He studied music there before obtaining his first professional position in 1892 as a violinist and pianist at the Palace Theatre in London.

Career in Wittenberg

Teaching and Academic Role

Hermann Finck held a teaching position at the University of Wittenberg from the mid-1540s onward, where he provided instruction in music as part of the university's curriculum. During this period, Wittenberg served as a central hub for Reformation-era scholarship and religious reform, with music education playing an important role in preparing students for service in Lutheran churches and schools. Finck's academic role focused on transmitting knowledge of music theory and practice, contributing to the development of Protestant musical traditions within the university setting. His teaching was documented as beginning in 1554 following his earlier matriculation at the institution in 1545, allowing him to leverage his education to instruct others in musical subjects until near the end of his life.

Organist Position

In 1557, Hermann Finck was appointed organist at the University of Wittenberg, a position associated with the Wittenberg Castle Church (Schlosskirche). This role came after his teaching activities at the university beginning in 1554 and marked his involvement in the musical life of Wittenberg during the late stage of his career. As organist, he contributed to the performance of liturgical music in this key center of Lutheranism. His tenure in the position was short, as he died in Wittenberg the following year on December 28, 1558. The section titled "Practica musica" in the provided text refers to the 1556 treatise Practica musica by Hermann Finck (1527–1558), a 16th-century German music theorist from Wittenberg. This work and its author are unrelated to Herman Finck (1872–1939), the British composer and conductor who is the subject of this article. The content appears to have been misplaced from an article on the Renaissance theorist. No further details on Practica musica belong in this article, as Herman Finck did not author any such theoretical work.

Compositions

Herman Finck was a prolific composer with over thirty theatre works, encompassing operettas, ballets, revues, and incidental music. He also composed numerous songs, orchestral suites, military band pieces, and mood music for silent films. His best-known composition is "In the Shadows" (1910), originally an instrumental piece for the Palace Theatre that became hugely popular and was later fitted with lyrics. Other notable works include the patriotic song "Gilbert the Filbert" from the 1914 revue The Passing Show and the extended potpourri Melodious Memories, which incorporated dozens of melodies from 1863 to 1913 and became a staple in various arrangements, including for brass bands. Finck's output also featured light orchestral pieces such as suites and marches, many of which have been recorded and arranged for modern ensembles.

Death and Legacy

Circumstances of Death

Herman Finck died in 1939 at the age of 67. No specific circumstances surrounding his death, such as an exact date or recorded cause, are detailed in available sources.

Posthumous Influence

Finck's popular compositions, including "In the Shadows" and the potpourri Melodious Memories, have endured beyond his lifetime. "In the Shadows" remains his best-known work, notably as one of the last pieces reportedly played on the Titanic. Melodious Memories has seen continued arrangements and recordings, with ongoing archival interest and research into his military band works more than 80 years after his death.
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