Malcolm Arnold

[Paul Barasi]

Confession: I've come very late to Arnold.

Impression: Highly favourable! Well, from the Groves CD - not so much the 2nd but certainly 5th symphony and Peterloo.

BBC may have called him "a towering figure in the history of British music" but he still seems badly neglected. Where do you think he ranks among British 20th century composers? What other gems do you rate? What do you think of his film music?

[John H White]

Apart from those 2 symphonies you mentioned, I particularly like the overture Bechus the Dandiprat and his Grand Grand Overture written for one of Gerard Hoffnung's comic Music Festivals back in the 50's. Like his American contemporary, Don Gillis, Arnold was not afraid to let his hair down. He is certainly one of my favourite 20th Century British composers, but not quite up to the standard of his teacher Vaughan Williams.

[Alan Howe]

I too am a late convert. As for his ultimate standing, the jury may still be out. However, Symphony No.5 is a gem, and who can resist The Padstow Lifeboat or fail to laugh at A Grand Grand Overture?

[britishcomposer]

The same for me. His changes of mood in one and the same piece are quite disconcerting but highly characteristic. My favourite is the 1. Symphony. I am very intrigued by his last, though. It seems almost unfinished - stripped to the bare essentials. A very courageous piece!

[alberto]

None of the Symphonies appears to me negligible.
My favourite is decidedly the Ninth and last (and longest). In serious vein I like much also the Peterloo overture.
On a different dimension I like Beckus the Dandipratt and Tam O'Shanter overtures and the various sets of British Dances.
Very entertaining for me the Concerto for piano Three Hands.

[eschiss1]

I am not yet a fan but enjoy (to greater or lesser extents) some of the works I have heard including the 2nd string quartet (which I first saw, as a partial quote in a book or article about Arnold I think- an excerpt from its scherzo-like movement's odd juxtapositions... which have stayed in the memory ever since) and other works including probably several of the symphonies and a few of the overtures and concertos...

[mbhaub]

It's one of his lighter works, Four Scottish Dances, that I just love. Either in the original orchestral version or the brass band version it's just great music.

[albion]

Malcolm Arnold's extensive catalogue contains, I think, a great many really splendid works - thankfully most of his music is (or has been) available in excellent recordings. A very personal (and selective) list of stand-out pieces for me would contain -

A Sussex Overture, Op.31 (1951)
Concerto for piano duet and strings, Op.32 (1951)
Rinaldo and Armida - Ballet, Op.49, (1954)
Symphony No.3, Op.63 (1957)
Symphony No.4, op.71 (1960)
Concerto for two violins and strings, Op.77 (1962)
Concerto for two pianos (3 hands), Op.104 (1969)
Symphony No.7, Op.113 (1973)
Fantasy on a theme of John Field for piano and orchestra, Op.116 (1975)

It is a great shame that the three-volume (thirteen-disc) Decca Malcolm Arnold Edition is no longer easily available. This brought together many of the wonderful recordings previously on the Conifer label and included Vernon Handley's first-class survey of the symphonies. Volumes 1 (Symphonies, including the early Symphony for Strings and the late Symphony for Brass) and Volume 2 (no less than seventeen concertos) are essential for any Arnold collection and if you manage to come across them at a reasonable price, don't hesitate!

[Paul Barasi]

Really helpful on the extensive catalogue - suppose much has gone OOP from not selling well. What was the original John Field work?

[albion]

The work is based on Field's Nocturne No. 7 in C major. Despite the deletion of the Decca sets, luckily all three concertante piano works (including the Fantasy, although not listed on the front cover) are available on a very fine Naxos disc, which also includes the ebullient overture Beckus the Dandipratt (1945) -



NAXOS 8.570531

[Delicious Manager]

I have been an advocate of Arnold's for many years. I was privileged to work with him several times, including the very first performance of the 9th Symphony. I have to be blunt - I find the final symphony the music of a composer who is all written-out. Several conductors refused to lead the world premiere because they recognised that it was a piece not really worth performing - particularly the long last movement which is simply in two parts through out and very repetitive. I think commentators who praise its 'economy' and 'spareness' of texture are suffering from a case of the Emperor's New Clothes (I believe this of Schnittke's very last works too). It is just very poor movement and does nothing of credit to the rest of Arnold's symphonic canon. The other eight symphonies are excellent - particularly the disturbing 7th.

[Paul Barasi]

I think Arnold had a terrific and versatile talent for film music, from which my clear favourite is Hobson's choice, both in its own right and how it worked in supporting a great movie.

[scottm]

I also was a late convert to Arnold and got to know his symphonies through the Naxos cd's. I have all of them and would recommend his work to anyone who responds to other 20th century composers like Robert Simpson. My favorite is his 7th but would probably advise most newbies  to start off with something a little less dark (probably the 5th).  I can't compare the Naxos recordings to other versions but they are well recorded and they had my complete attention. Thumbs up from me.

[Mark Thomas]

Wecome, Scott.

[Alan Howe]

I also was a late convert to Arnold and got to know his symphonies through the Naxos cd's. I have all of them and would recommend his work to anyone who responds to other 20th century composers like Robert Simpson.

I can't imagine two symphonists less alike than Malcolm Arnold and Robert Simpson...