sir Malcolm Arnold

[Scion7]

Well, Arnold was a conductor-for-hire besides being a composer - I trust his conducting of his own works as far as realizing what the composer wanted.

[Mirror Image]

Difficult and interesting question. I think that they all have their strengths. Overall probably the Handley set but I love Hickox in No.1,5 and 6. No one would be disappointed with the Naxos cycle which was made in the presence of the composer.
As to individual symphonies my favourites are:
No1 Arnold/Hickox
No2 Groves
No3 Arnold (Everest)
No 4 Arnold (Lyrita) but I don't know the others so well
No 5 Arnold (EMI)/Hickox
No 6 Handley
No 7 Handley
No 8 Gamba (but I don't know the others so well)
No 9 Penny

Thanks, Jeffrey. For whatever reason, I haven't been too interested in hearing the composer himself conduct his own music. In fact, one of the recordings he conducted (I believe the one with his Symphony No. 4) received a 'CD From Hell' title from Hurwitz. Even though I don't care much for Hurwitz, we seem to share some commonality for the same kind of music.

[Maestro267]

The original manuscript of Arnold's 7th Symphony has been rediscovered by the composer's daughter on eBay.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/25/missing-symphony-by-one-of-englands-greatest-composers-discovere/

[Mirror Image]

The original manuscript of Arnold's 7th Symphony has been rediscovered by the composer's daughter on eBay.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/25/missing-symphony-by-one-of-englands-greatest-composers-discovere/

I read about this last night. Amazing! I'm sure preparations will be made to record it (or at least I hope they will).

[Mirror Image]

Forgive me for doing this, but I think some biographical information is needed in this thread since Arnold's music is seeing some interest lately around here:



Sir Malcolm Arnold's 60-year career has shown him to be perhaps the most versatile and prolific of the many British composers who emerged in the post-World War II era. Born in Northampton in 1921, Arnold was trained as a composer and trumpeter at the Royal College of Music from 1938 to 1941 (under Gordon Jacob for composition and Ernest Hall for trumpet), after which he won a trumpet position with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. After a promotion to principal trumpet in 1942, Arnold's career there was interrupted by two years of military service (1944-1945) and a year with Adrian Boult and the BBC Symphony (during the 1945-1946 season). Arnold returned to the London Philharmonic in 1946, but soon found that composition was exercising an increasingly strong hold over his musical attention. Upon receiving the Mendelssohn scholarship in 1948 (which, in addition to prestige, provided the young composer with funds to spend a year in Italy), Arnold resigned from the orchestra to devote himself to composition (and, later, conducting) on a full-time basis.

Arnold's output over the next 50 years was prodigious: nine symphonies, 20 concertos, five ballets (including a version of Sweeney Todd in 1959), and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of smaller pieces for all kinds of ensembles. A successful secondary career as a film composer resulted in over 80 scores, including the Academy Award-winning Bridge on the River Kwai. Arnold has been the recipient of many public and academic honors, including honorary doctorates from the universities of Exeter, Durham, and Leicester, and the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Services to British Music" in 1986. Named Commander of the British Empire in 1970, he was further honored in 1993 when his name appeared among those selected as Knights of the British Empire.

His resistance to identification with any of the various and ubiquitous "schools" of composition during the latter half of the twentieth century earned him the unbridled displeasure of many critics and fellow composers. On the surface, his music seems more intended to welcome audiences than to put his formidable technical skills on display, or to make musical or artistic "progress." While at times the overly accessible surface contours of his work (particularly the large-scale orchestral pieces) obscure the fundamental tensions that drive the music at a deeper level, Arnold's sense of craftsmanship -- an aristocratic pride that prohibits him from engaging in what he sees as vulgar twentieth century techniques, while also perhaps causing his music-making to fall short of its deeply expressive potential -- has resulted in an enviable consistency of output. Arnold named Berlioz as an inspiration; influence also came from a composer who provided England with its wartime anthem and who was always more popular in England than on the Continent -- the similarly anti-modernist and individualist Jean Sibelius.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

[vandermolen]

Interesting post John. Thank you. I finally listened to No.9 this morning. In the end I played the Gamba version as it was closest to hand. Had my attention gripped throughout an extraordinary work. The mahlerian last movement is incredibly moving as it is clear that, in it, Arnold is 'signing out' even though he had many more years to live. The last movement echoes that of Mahler's 9th Symphony although one section reminded me of the slow movement of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony. Been listening to his film music on my way to and back from work today.

[kishnevi]

I read about this last night. Amazing! I'm sure preparations will be made to record it (or at least I hope they will).

The music is known and recorded.  The hubbub is simply about the original autograph copy....unless someone notices important differences between the autograph and the published versions.

[Mirror Image]

Interesting post John. Thank you. I finally listened to No.9 this morning. In the end I played the Gamba version as it was closest to hand. Had my attention gripped throughout an extraordinary work. The mahlerian last movement is incredibly moving as it is clear that, in it, Arnold is 'signing out' even though he had many more years to live. The last movement echoes that of Mahler's 9th Symphony although one section reminded me of the slow movement of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony. Been listening to his film music on my way to and back from work today.

It certainly is an exhilarating symphony, Jeffrey. Glad you enjoyed yet again. I have Gamba's performance on the way, so it'll be interesting to compare/contrast his performance with Penny and Handley.

[Mirror Image]

The music is known and recorded.  The hubbub is simply about the original autograph copy....unless someone notices important differences between the autograph and the published versions.

Thanks for this, Jeffrey. I'm sure there aren't any differences between the version we know and the original, but, if there is, I'd love to hear his original thoughts.

[André]

Thanks, Jeffrey. For whatever reason, I haven't been too interested in hearing the composer himself conduct his own music. In fact, one of the recordings he conducted (I believe the one with his Symphony No. 4) received a 'CD From Hell' title from Hurwitz. Even though I don't care much for Hurwitz, we seem to share some commonality for the same kind of music.

A "CD from Hell" from Hurwitz is something that is either truly appalling or that shakes the hurwitzer to his foundations (anus sphincter contracting painfully). I have 2 Arnold discs where he conducts his own music: symphony no 3 (Everest) and the disc of Overtures (on Reference).


The latter is from his late years and is utterly different from other discs of his overtures. Be that as it may, it just happened to be my first ever disc of Arnold's music and it caught my attention instantly.

Therefore, forgive me for not believing Hurwitz' musical or physiological malaises to be of any import to my appreciation 

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks, Jeffrey. For whatever reason, I haven't been too interested in hearing the composer himself conduct his own music. In fact, one of the recordings he conducted (I believe the one with his Symphony No. 4) received a 'CD From Hell' title from Hurwitz. Even though I don't care much for Hurwitz, we seem to share some commonality for the same kind of music.

A "CD from Hell" from Hurwitz is something that is either truly appalling or that shakes the hurwitzer to his foundations...Therefore, forgive me for not believing Hurwitz' musical or physiological malaises to be of any import to my appreciation 

The Hurwitzer's bitch about Arnold's performance of the Fourth concerns the tempi:

"He stretches the first and third movements to a fairly ridiculous length, and the entire work takes more than 54 minutes, as opposed to a bit less than 40 from Handley (Decca/Conifer), Hickox (Chandos) or Penny (Naxos). Even the finale hangs fire, sounding labored, even tortured, rather than rhythmically taut and vigorous. The result, however interesting in terms of the instrumental detail that it reveals, materially misrepresents the music's rhythmic energy, urgency, and wit. Listening becomes a punishment..."


The main thing I took from that negative review is "instrumental detail." I love detail. And since I can usually appreciate broader interpretations of anyone's music, the review actually encouraged me to order the CD. (I also have trouble believing the composer "misrepresents" his own music.) That Jeffrey lists it as his favorite helped persuade me too.

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

A "CD from Hell" from Hurwitz is something that is either truly appalling or that shakes the hurwitzer to his foundations (anus sphincter contracting painfully). I have 2 Arnold discs where he conducts his own music: symphony no 3 (Everest) and the disc of Overtures (on Reference).


The latter is from his late years and is utterly different from other discs of his overtures. Be that as it may, it just happened to be my first ever disc of Arnold's music and it caught my attention instantly.

Therefore, forgive me for not believing Hurwitz' musical or physiological malaises to be of any import to my appreciation 

That is a great Arnold disc, Andre. I, too, own it. I need to give it another spin as it's been too long. Oh, I don't subscribe to a lot of what Hurwitz writes, but I just feel that sometimes I actually agree with him. Having not heard the Arnold conducted performance of his 4th, I can't say whether I believe him or not, but, at this juncture, I can say that I have a lot of Arnold in my collection and I really don't need anymore (not that you were suggesting I buy anything just a general comment).

[Mirror Image]

The Hurwitzer's bitch about Arnold's performance of the Fourth concerns the tempi:

"He stretches the first and third movements to a fairly ridiculous length, and the entire work takes more than 54 minutes, as opposed to a bit less than 40 from Handley (Decca/Conifer), Hickox (Chandos) or Penny (Naxos). Even the finale hangs fire, sounding labored, even tortured, rather than rhythmically taut and vigorous. The result, however interesting in terms of the instrumental detail that it reveals, materially misrepresents the music's rhythmic energy, urgency, and wit. Listening becomes a punishment..."


The main thing I took from that negative review is "instrumental detail." I love detail. And since I can usually appreciate broader interpretations of anyone's music, the review actually encouraged me to order the CD. (I also have trouble believing the composer "misrepresents" his own music.) That Jeffrey lists it as his favorite helped persuade me too.

Sarge

I'm pretty mixed when it comes to interpretations. On one hand, I do like a broader approach, but on the other hand, I don't want a conductor to get too bogged down in a passage where I feel doesn't need to be expanded by slowing it down. I can appreciate a lot of different kinds of interpretations as long as I believe the conductor knows what they're doing and yields results that make my ears perk up and allow me to feel the music along with them. It's all subjective really.

[vandermolen]

I think that Arnold's drawn out performance of Symphony 1 works well and is my favourite version. I need to listen to other recordings of Symphony 4 which is the one I know least.

[Mirror Image]

I think that Arnold's drawn out performance of Symphony 1 works well and is my favourite version. I need to listen to other recordings of Symphony 4 which is the one I know least.

I refer to Symphony No. 4 as Arnold's 'Barnum & Bailey' symphony, because the first movement really reminds me of circus music. The interesting thing about this first movement is towards the end the circus turns tragic and the clowns, acrobats, and ringmaster seem to be in some sort of mourning.

[Scion7]

The Oboe Sonatina Op.28 (1951)  is on one of the Nash CD's - correct?
I have the performace by Katsya Watanabe and David Johnson from 2009.

[asin]B003VY9WM4[/asin]

Oboe Sonatina, Op. 28
ARNOLD-Watanabe, Johnson
Leggiero-Andante con moto-Vivace
1951

NOT 1952, by the way - that is a mistake some references make that I've seen online.  According to Craggs 1998 book, Malcolm Arnold-A Bio-Biography, it was composed in 1951.

Strange piece - the opening is serious, but has a nice melodic feel.
The Andante is melancholy and has a haunting tune.  Hopefully the Nash folks took it at the same tempo as this performance did.  I can't imagine it slower or faster.
Then, it finishes off with a happy-go-lucky Vivace !


Arnold composed this sonatina, and also a concerto for oboe -
the Oboe Concertino is an orchestrated version of the sonatina by Roger Steptoe,
and it is therefore a hybrid work not entirely Arnold's - has Rafe elements to it.
I can see why Steptoe, like Ravel with Mussorgsky, saw the orchestrated potential for the piece.

[Mirror Image]

I don't know the Oboe Sonatina, but, yes, I do believe it's in the Hyperion series (w/ the Nash Ensemble) of chamber music. Arnold's chamber works are largely unexplored territory for me. I also felt that revisiting the symphonies (I only lack listening to Symphonies 1 & 2 again) that there was so much I missed from the previous listen. These are really complex works, but I found them immediately attractive. The concerti are still a blindspot for me in a way as I've heard so much of that music about six years ago, but haven't revisited it since, although I do believe I heard the Guitar Concerto not too long ago. Very nice work.

[Mirror Image]

Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread:

Now:



English, Scottish, Cornish, & Irish Dances
Excerpts from the ballet 'Solitaire'

The lighter side of Arnold is no less enjoyable. Enthralling disc.

Such an awesome recording. Does anyone else here own it?

[Heck148]

Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread:

Such an awesome recording. Does anyone else here own it?

Yes...I've had it for a long time - just today listening in the car...neat disc...really fun music...

[Mirror Image]

Yes...I've had it for a long time - just today listening in the car...neat disc...really fun music...

Indeed! It's been in my collection for a long time as well. I wish Thomson had conducted more of Arnold's music, especially the symphonies. Imagine Thomson in the 9th. I'm salivating just thinking about it.