sir Malcolm Arnold

Started by Thom, April 12, 2007, 10:28:13 AM

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mc ukrneal

Quote from: lescamil on April 21, 2016, 10:01:14 PM
Except that he wrote it 20 years before his death.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 22, 2016, 03:29:51 AM
But wasn't Arnold's mental state quite unstable for those remaining years? I seem to have read about this and that he had people that had to take care of him.
All true. He had a caretaker and I believe had dementia for at least 5-10 years before he died. In any case, his life was quite bleak at times  - he even attempted to commit suicide. So by the time he wrote this, I think we can safely say that his state of mind was not exactly upbeat about the remaining portion of his life. If I remember correctly, there are also parts of his ninth that refer to Mahler's ninth.
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

amw

Quote from: lescamil on April 21, 2016, 10:01:14 PM
Except that he wrote it 20 years before his death.
He suffered from a form of dementia (probably Alzheimer's); a "living death". His body certainly kept living for another 20 years, but his mind was already almost dead as far as I'm aware.

Re the Yates 7th mentioned above—I find it excellent at capturing the piece's mixture of lightness and insanity, perhaps even better than Gamba (though for me Gamba is preferable for its added weight). I generally prefer this faster approach to the slower one favoured by Handley, Penny or for that matter the composer ._.

Karl Henning

Quote from: amw on April 22, 2016, 03:45:42 AM
He suffered from a form of dementia (probably Alzheimer's); a "living death". His body certainly kept living for another 20 years, but his mind was already almost dead as far as I'm aware.

Well . . . did he anticipate this by writing a "farewell to all this we call life" symphony ahead of the dementia?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Heck148

Quote from: karlhenning on April 22, 2016, 04:38:35 AM
Well . . . did he anticipate this by writing a "farewell to all this we call life" symphony ahead of the dementia?

Hi, Karl - I did not go thru the entire Arnold Thread - but a favorite Arnold work of mine - is his
"Three Shanties for WW 5tet"
this piece is a real hoot - definitely Arnold in the humorous, extroverted, playful mode -
lots of great raspberries, hoots, blats, f#rts, belches..intentional "wrong" notes, grating minor 2nds, etc.

It's a real standard for WW 5tet - not that hard, but it has its moments, with some tricky rhythmic parts... It has to be played with an outrageous panache, a go for broke, melodramatic effect, making the most of the jokes and musical pranks...

Karl Henning

Quote from: Heck148 on April 22, 2016, 05:58:28 AM
Hi, Karl - I did not go thru the entire Arnold Thread - but a favorite Arnold work of mine - is his
"Three Shanties for WW 5tet"
this piece is a real hoot - definitely Arnold in the humorous, extroverted, playful mode -
lots of great raspberries, hoots, blats, f#rts, belches..intentional "wrong" notes, grating minor 2nds, etc.

It's a real standard for WW 5tet - not that hard, but it has its moments, with some tricky rhythmic parts... It has to be played with an outrageous panache, a go for broke, melodramatic effect, making the most of the jokes and musical pranks...

Don't think I've ever seen it, Heck.  The only Arnold I've played is the band transcription of the Scottish Dances, which is indeed good fun.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Heck148

Quote from: karlhenning on April 22, 2016, 06:03:34 AM
Don't think I've ever seen it, Heck.  The only Arnold I've played is the band transcription of the Scottish Dances, which is indeed good fun.

yes, Arnold wrote several suites of Dances - Irish, Scottish, English x2; Cornish...great stuff, very melodic and light-hearted...great light classical repertoire, they should be performed more often. in same vein as Dvorak Slavonic Dances.

André

Although this is a composer's discussion, not a recordings one, I suggest anybody still not knowing where to jump into the Arnold bandwagon could do far worse than to embrace almost all of it, as presented in this ultra cheap Sony set:



Youthful symphonies (1-3), "middle" symphonies (4-6) and "mature/late" symphonies (7-9), plus concertos, overtures, dances from all over the composer's life can be found and will provide hours of alterantely introspective and exuberant music.

vandermolen

Quote from: André on April 22, 2016, 09:51:28 AM
Although this is a composer's discussion, not a recordings one, I suggest anybody still not knowing where to jump into the Arnold bandwagon could do far worse than to embrace almost all of it, as presented in this ultra cheap Sony set:



Youthful symphonies (1-3), "middle" symphonies (4-6) and "mature/late" symphonies (7-9), plus concertos, overtures, dances from all over the composer's life can be found and will provide hours of alterantely introspective and exuberant music.
An excellent idea although these cheapo Sony boxes have no notes. I think that the odd numbered symphonies are best although I now rate No.6 very highly.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Scion7

#148


And he was "hip," too! Sometimes I miss 1970 radio London.  :-X

Ok, back to his own music after this obtrusive break in the proceedings.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

vandermolen

Quote from: Scion7 on April 22, 2016, 12:14:25 PM


And he was "hip," too! Sometimes I miss 1970 radio London.  :-X

Ok, back to his own music after this obtrusive break in the proceedings.
I have the Deep Purple CD too.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Scion7

#150
And he was "hip/cool" once more!



[asin]B000083OFF[/asin]

This is superior to "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" (slightly) and it was a one-off; Blackmore plays beautifully but this was not his type of music. (Blackmore in Guitar World 1978: "I like proper Classical - the Baroque ... more medieval music.")  Glad this was recorded but it took decades to convince everyone to release it.  Orchestra of the Light Music Society (!) conducted by Sir Malcolm Arnold w/Deep Purple performing Lord's Gemini Suite.
The studio album that Lord issued under his own name is good but not this good!
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Mirror Image

Getting back to Arnold and NOT wanting to turn this into a Deep Purple discussion, what would you guys say are your 'Top 5 Favorite Works' from this composer? I'd have to ponder for awhile with my answer, so the floor's completely yours. :)

Scion7

#152
Well, I am not familiar with the vast majority of his music - he was prolific, and most of this will not have been recorded anyway.

      chamber and solo instrumental                                                      Ballet
===============================                       ==============================
Wind Qnt, op.2, 1943,                                                                     Homage to the Queen, op.42, 1953
3 Shanties, op.4, wind qnt, 1943                                                      Rinaldo and Armida, op.49, 1954
Trio, op.6, flute, bn, va, 1943                            Solitaire, 1956 [= English Dances, opp.27, [Op.33 with added Sarabande and Polka]
Qnt, op.7, flute, bn, hn, violin, va, 1944                                           Sweeney Todd, op.68, 1959
Str Qt no.1, op.23, 1949                                                                 Electra, op.79, 1963
Phantasy for String Quartet 'Vita Abundans'  (1941)
Divertimento, op.37, flute, oboe, cl, 1953
piano Trio, op.54, 1956                                                                                Film Scores
oboe Qt, op.61, 1957                                                                    ===============================
Qnt, op.73, 2 tpt, hn, trbn, tuba, 1961                                                No Highway (H. Koster), 1951
Trevelyan Suite, op.96, 10 wind, 1967                                                It Started in Paradise (C. Bennett), 1952
Str Qt no.2, op.118, 1975                                                                  The Sound Barrier (D. Lean), 1952
Brass Qnt no.2, op.132, 1988                                                             Albert RN (L. Gilbert), 1953
Divertimento, op.137, wind octet, 1988                                               Hoboeson's Choice (Lean), 1953
Fantasy, op.140, rec, str qt, 1990                                                       The Belles of St Trinian's (F. Launder), 1954
Duo, op.10, flute, va, 1945                                                                  The Sea Shall Not Have Them (Gilbert), 1954
Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong, op.9, piano, 1946                          1984 (M. Radford),  1955
Sonatas no.1, op.15, violin, piano, 1947                                              I Am A Camera, 1955
Sonata, op.17, va, piano, 1947                                                           The Deep Blue Sea,  1955
2 Bagatelles, op.18, piano, 1947                                                         Tiger in the Smoke, 1956
Children's Suite, op.16, piano, 1948                                                    The Bridge on the River Kwai (D. Lean), 1957
Sonatina, op.19, flute, piano, 1948                                                     Dunkirk,  1957
Sonatina, op.28, oboe, piano, 1951                                                    Island in the Sun, 1957
Sonatina, op.29, cl, piano, 1951                                                         The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, 1958
8 Children's Pieces, op.36, piano, 1952                                               The Key, (Carol Reed), 1958
Sonatina, op.41, rec, piano, 1953                                                       The Roots of Heaven,  1958
Sonata no.2, op.43, violin, piano, 1953                                               Suddenly Last Summer, 1959
5 Pieces, op.84, violin, piano, 1964                                                      Whistle Down the Wind,  1961
6 Pieces, op.84, violin, piano, 1965
Fantasies: op.86, bn, 1966, op.87, cl, 1966, op.88, hn, 1966, op.89, flute, 1966, op.90, oboe, 1966, op.100, tpt, 1969, op.101, trbn, 1969, op.102, tuba, 1969, op.107, gui, 1971, op.117, hp, 1975
Duo, op.85, 2 cello, 1965
Sonata, op.121, flute, piano, 1977                                                                Brass Band
Fantasy, op.127, rec, 1986                                                                  ========================
Fantasy, op.130, cello, 1987                                                                     2 Little Suites, op.80, 1963
Duo, op.135, 2 clarinets                                                                                                 op.93, 1967
3 Fantasies, op.129, piano                                                                        The Padstow Lifeboat_March, Op.94, 1967
                                                                                                              Fantasy, Op.114a, 1974
                                                                                                               Little Suite Nr.3, Op.131, 1987
                                                                                                            HRH The Duke of Cambridge, march, op.60, 1957

    Orchestral works
=================================================================== 
Sym. for Str, op.13, 1947                                             Horn Concerto, Op.11, 1945
Sym. no.1, op.22, 1949                                               Clarinet Concerto (No.1), Op.20, 1948
Sym. no.2, op.40, 1953                                               Conc., op.32, piano 4 hands, str, 1951
'Toy' Sym., op.62, 1957                                               Oboe Conc., op.39, oboe, str, 1952
Sym. no.3, op.63, 1957                                               Flute Conc. no.1, op.45, 1954
Sym. no.4, op.71, 1960                                               Harmonica Conc., op.46, 1954
Sym. no.5, op.74, 1960                                               Concerto for Organ & Orchestra, Op.47, 1954
Sym. no.6, op.95, 1967                                               Serenade, op.50, guitar, str, 1955
Sym. no.7, op.113, 1973                                             Horn Concerto Nr.2, Op.58, 1956
Sym. for Brass, op.123, 1978                                       Guitar Concerto, Op.67, 1959
Sym. no.8, op.124, 1978                                  Grand Concerto Gastronomique for Eater, Waiter, Food and Orch, op.76, 1961
Sym. no.9, op.128, 1986                                              Violin Concerto for 2 violins, Op.77, 1962
                                                                                   Conc., op.104, 2 piano (3 hands), orch, 1969
Larch Trees, tone poem, op.3, 1943                              Conc. for 28 Players, op.105, 1970
Beckus the Dandipratt, comedy overture., op.5, 1943     Viola Conc., op.108, va, chbr orch, 1971
Divertimento no.1, op.1, 1945, lost                              Flute Conc. no.2, op.111, 1972
Festival Overture., op.14, 1948                                     Clarinet Conc. no.2, op.115, 1974
The Smoke, overture., op.21, 1948                               Fantasy on a Theme of John Field, op.116, piano, orch, 1975
Little Suite no.1, op.53, 1948                                       Philharmonic Conc., op.120, 1976
Divertimento no.2, op.24, 1950                                    Trumpet Conc., op.125, 1982
Serenade, op.26, small orch, 1950                                Conc., recorder, chbr orch, op.133, 1988
English Dances, set 1, op.27, 1950                               Shakespearean cello Conc., op.136, 1988
English Dances, set 2, op.33, 1951
Machines, sym. study, op.30, 1951
A Sussex Ov., op.31, 1951                                            Sym. Suite, op.12, lost
The Sound Barrier, rhapsody, op.38, 1952                      Little Suite no.3 (A Manx Suite), op.142, 1990
fluteourish for a 21st Birthday, op.44, 1953                    Roboeert Kett Ov., op.141, 1990
Sinfonietta no.1, op.48, small orch, 1954                        Tam o'Shanter, ov., op.51, 1955
Divertimento no.2, op.75, 1961                                     Carnival of Animals, op.72, 1960
4 Scottish Dances, op.59, 1957                                      Overseas, march, op.70, 1960
Commonwealth Christmas Ov., op.64, 1957                    Sinfonietta no.2, op.65, 1958
Little Suite no.2, op.78, 1962                                         Peterloo, overture., op.97, 1967
Sinfonietta no.3, op.81, 1964                                         4 Cornish Dances, op.91, 1968
Water Music, op.82, wind, perc, 1964                             Fantasy for Audience and Orch, op.106, 1970
A Sunshine Ov., op.83, 1964, lost                               Anniversary Ov., op.99, 1968
The Fair Field, ov., op.110, 1972                                    A fluteourish, op.112, 1973
4 Irish Dances, op.126, 1988                                        4 Welsh Dances, op.138, 1989
fluteourish for a Battle, op.139, ww, brass, 1990
A Grand Grand Ov., op.57, org, 3 vacuum cleaners, fluteoor polisher, 4 riflutees, orch, 1956
Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps, op.122, 1977
Salute to Thomas Merritt, op.98, 2 brass bands, orch, 1987

-- I have updated this list for new info I uncovered and will do so when I run across a correction.


All the symphonies that I've heard I liked pretty much.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

The new erato

Violin Concerto for 2 violins, Op.77, 1962

I've always had a weak spot for this. The way the two violins "chase" each other in the last movement (IIRC) is completely and utterly charming, and great fun. 

vandermolen

#154
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 23, 2016, 06:39:01 PM
Getting back to Arnold and NOT wanting to turn this into a Deep Purple discussion, what would you guys say are your 'Top 5 Favorite Works' from this composer? I'd have to ponder for awhile with my answer, so the floor's completely yours. :)

Ok John, my top five Deep Purple albums are...hahaha  8)

Back to Arnold:

Symphony 1
Symphony 5
Symphony 6
Symphony 7
Concerto for Piano (three hands)

I'm not that keen on the recent Dutton issue of Symphony 7. Vernon Handley's is my favourite here. I like Arnold's own very slow version of Symphony 1 although Hickox is terrific here too. I like both Arnold and Hickox's version of Symphony 5. I like all available versions of Symphony 6. Nothing wrong with the Naxos cycle either and I like their Symphony 9.



"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

Five of my Arnold favourites - don't know if they're my absolute favourites, and I love all of his orchestral music, both serious and light; at least they come up spontaneously:

Serenade for Guitar and Strings, Op. 50 (1955)
Guitar Concerto, Op. 67 (1959)
Symphony No. 5 (Op. 74, 1961)
Symphony No. 7 (Op. 113, 1973)
Symphony No. 9 (Op. 128, 1986)

... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

Quote from: Christo on April 24, 2016, 07:55:37 AM
Five of my Arnold favourites - don't know if they're my absolute favourites, and I love all of his orchestral music, both serious and light; at least they come up spontaneously:

Serenade for Guitar and Strings, Op. 50 (1955)
Guitar Concerto, Op. 67 (1959)
Symphony No. 5 (Op. 74, 1961)
Symphony No. 7 (Op. 113, 1973)
Symphony No. 9 (Op. 128, 1986)
Don't know the guitar works well but totally agree about the symphonies. I must listen to No.9 again soon - the mahlerian last movement is especially affecting.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

André

The guitar concerto is a small gem.

vandermolen

Quote from: André on April 24, 2016, 11:02:34 AM
The guitar concerto is a small gem.
Which recording would you recommend Andre? (Don't know how to do the acute accent on my computer).  :)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

André

I have two: Michael Conn and John Lubbock, label IMP,


and the compilation by Craig Ogden and Richard Hickox. on Chandos



I would say, go for the program !