Richard Arnell (1917-2009)

[Harry]

Thanks Harry, that is a good enough recommendation for me. I was bowled over so to speak by Moeran's Symphony in G minor when I first heard it not so long ago.

I have to listen to it again Thom, but the fact that I have it, and kept it must mean something...

[Thom]

My Dunhill/Arnell cd arrived today



I like the Lord Byron symphonic portrait by Arnell. I am beginning to recognise his sound, it really is great listening. Tomorrow it is Dunhill again, I must say also promising.

Th.

[Thom]

There supposedly is also a sixth symphony by Arnell. Is there a recording of his 6th? Google didn't find one.

There is now a new recording of the 4th and 5th:

RICHARD ARNELL: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 - MusicaNova Orchestra/Warren Cohen - Con Brio Recordings

See: http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=4210

Thom

[Dundonnell]

There supposedly is also a sixth symphony by Arnell. Is there a recording of his 6th? Google didn't find one.

There is now a new recording of the 4th and 5th:

RICHARD ARNELL: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 - MusicaNova Orchestra/Warren Cohen - Con Brio Recordings

See: http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=4210

Thom

There is indeed a sixth symphony. It is subtitled 'The Anvil' and was written between 1992-94. According to the highly informative(if frequently contentious) Dr. David Wright on Musicweb the symphony begins with a piano chord and a clang on the anvil, the third section uses the piano in a concertante style and the last section draws on the ode to Joy from Beethoven's Choral Symphony" The symphony was premiered in a broadcast by the BBC Philharmonic under Adrian Leaper in 1995. Wright says that it is a compelling piece but that, unlike the others, it does display "striking dissonances". I have no idea how long the symphony lasts but presumed that it would be coupled with the Symphony No.1(sometimes called the Chamber Symphony) and would be issued by Dutton in due course. I cannot imagine that Dutton will not record these works-indeed they may already have done so!

Yes, I too noticed the Con Brio recording of Nos. 4 and 5. This is the first instalment of the cycle which was originally intended to be released by Toccata Classics but perhaps that rather odd company(well their releases are rather an odd lot, I mean!) pulled out after Dutton started its release programme? The more Arnell the better but the MusicaNova Orchestra? Hmm!

[Thom]

The more Arnell the better

Thanks Dundonnell. I now completely agree! Arnell was my big discovery in 2007.

Th.

[vandermolen]

There supposedly is also a sixth symphony by Arnell. Is there a recording of his 6th? Google didn't find one.

There is now a new recording of the 4th and 5th:

RICHARD ARNELL: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 - MusicaNova Orchestra/Warren Cohen - Con Brio Recordings

See: http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=4210

Thom

I have the new Arnell no 4 and 5. Very different from the Dutton but just as good.

[Dundonnell]

Dutton have just announced the release of another CD in their Arnell series!

I had hoped that the next one would be Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6(oh dear, I am so obsessed by symphonies ) and was rather disappointed to find that the new CD contains two Arnell Ballets-"The Great Detective"(Sherlock Holmes) and "The Angels".

However, according to the Dutton website, Arnell himself has said that "The Angels is an abstract, symphonically structured work. The form is intricate and is as carefully considered as if the work had ben designed for the concert hall. It is, in fact, a symphony"(ahha, cheers!). The website also says that "The Angels" is squarely in the idiom of Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 and that the slow movement is one of Arnell's greatest.

That sounds good to me! Another purchase beckons!

Jeffrey, when you return from your walking hols in Austria, here is one for you too

[Thom]

I ordered it immediately. Arnell is Arnell. Still waiting for the delivery.

Th.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I am going to listen to this later today:



Edit: I'll download/listen to No. 5 first.

[vandermolen]

Dutton have just announced the release of another CD in their Arnell series!

I had hoped that the next one would be Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6(oh dear, I am so obsessed by symphonies ) and was rather disappointed to find that the new CD contains two Arnell Ballets-"The Great Detective"(Sherlock Holmes) and "The Angels".

However, according to the Dutton website, Arnell himself has said that "The Angels is an abstract, symphonically structured work. The form is intricate and is as carefully considered as if the work had ben designed for the concert hall. It is, in fact, a symphony"(ahha, cheers!). The website also says that "The Angels" is squarely in the idiom of Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 and that the slow movement is one of Arnell's greatest.

That sounds good to me! Another purchase beckons!

Jeffrey, when you return from your walking hols in Austria, here is one for you too

Hi Colin,

Thank you. I am back now. I was like a mountain goat in the Austrian Alps but can now hardly walk. I even found a CD shop in Kitzbuhel (bought Furtwangler conducting Bruckner's 7th Cairo 1951). Back to Arnell. I noticed the new release before I left. I have "The Great Detective" on an old EMI CD. I too hoped that they would issue Symphony No 6 as the next installment.

Jeffrey

[Dundonnell]

Hi Colin,

Thank you. I am back now. I was like a mountain goat in the Austrian Alps but can now hardly walk. I even found a CD shop in Kitzbuhel (bought Furtwangler conducting Bruckner's 7th Cairo 1951). Back to Arnell. I noticed the new release before I left. I have "The Great Detective" on an old EMI CD. I too hoped that they would issue Symphony No 6 as the next installment.

Jeffrey

Welcome back, Jeffrey! Ah, that is what holidays are all about-coming home in worse condition than when you left Seriously, I hope that you had a great time! I took a school trip to Pertisau on the Achensee(which is not far from Kitzbuhel) in 1978. It rained most of the time!

(Interesting to see that the Germans did eventually get to Cairo nine years late(joke!!!))

Hope Dutton do intend to record the first and sixth symphonies soon, as well as Arnell's other orchestral works.

[vandermolen]

Welcome back, Jeffrey! Ah, that is what holidays are all about-coming home is worse condition than when you left Seriously, I hope that you had a great time! I took a school trip to Pertisau on the Achensee(which is not far from Kitzbuhel) in 1978. It rained most of the time!

(Interesting to see that the Germans did eventually get to Cairo nine years late(joke!!!))

Hope Dutton do intend to record the first and sixth symphonies soon, as well as Arnell's other orchestral works.

Thanks Colin 

It rained most of the time when I was there too, but I still had a great time.

Sad but unsurprising to see no Arnell at the Proms. One lives in hope but at least we have the recordings.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Welcome back, Jeffrey! And happy convalescing. 

Tonight I'll have my first Arnell experience - his Fifth. I'll report back.

[vandermolen]

Welcome back, Jeffrey! And happy convalescing. 

Tonight I'll have my first Arnell experience - his Fifth. I'll report back.

Thanks Johan,

I'm sure you'll like No 5. Colin said that the end part had him wanting to cheer. Me too!

Happy listening.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

And that 1000th post made you into a Veteran Member, Jeffrey! Congratulations!

[Dundonnell]

Thanks Johan,

I'm sure you'll like No 5. Colin said that the end part had him wanting to cheer. Me too!

Happy listening.

Congratulations from me as well on your 1,000th post, Jeffrey!

Did I say that the finale had me "wanting to cheer"? Sounds quite probable Must put the disc on again asap

Talking about cheering-I have two versions of the Mahler 1st-one of my favourite symphonies: the famous 1964 LSO/Solti version and a live performance from 1990 with the Chicago Symphony under the late Klaus Tennstedt. This latter Tennstedt recording came out on EMI in 1991 but quickly disappeared although the performance has now reappeared on DVD. It was criticised as being too slow at almost 61 minutes but the finale is as exciting as anything I have ever heard with all the electricity of a live performance. The Chicago brass fanfares are like fireworks going off and the ending of the symphony is just so overwhelmingly exciting that I never fail to cheer(unless that is I am conducting the work myself with my conductor's baton in my sitting room....ok, that's a really guilty secret out of the bag )

Sorry for the digression!

In his article on Arnell on the Musicweb site David Wright said that the ending of Arnell's 5th left a friend saying "I thought I was in heaven, listening to the music of angels" and quotes Bryden Thomson as saying that it was "a work to fall in love with".

Look forward to your verdict, Johan!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, I just listened to the first movement of the Fifth - Arnell is a symphonist in the dark and epic mould. The opening alone is very arresting. I am impressed.

I am inclined to listen to the movement a second time, before proceeding...

Is the Fourth just as good?

[Dundonnell]

Well, I just listened to the first movement of the Fifth - Arnell is a symphonist in the dark and epic mould. The opening alone is very arresting. I am impressed.

I am inclined to listen to the movement a second time, before proceeding...

Is the Fourth just as good?

Oh..what a question! The fourth is the symphony which-at the time-struck me as having the most in common with the great American symphonists of the mid century period, particularly Harris and Copland. sound67 wrote a very perceptive post about it(above). He argued that it was more cogently argued than No.5 and heaped high praise on the first two movements in particular. The work is grim, intense but also supremely lyrical. Perhaps it doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve as much as No.5-it is not as 'triumphal'- but it is too a great work!

Sorry-probably not an answer to your question!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Oh..what a question! The fourth is the symphony which-at the time-struck me as having the most in common with the great American symphonists of the mid century period, particularly Harris and Copland. sound67 wrote a very perceptive post about it(above). He argued that it was more cogently argued than No.5 and heaped high praise on the first two movements in particular. The work is grim, intense but also supremely lyrical. Perhaps it doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve as much as No.5-it is not as 'triumphal'- but it is too a great work!

Sorry-probably not an answer to your question!

Don't be sorry! If that wasn't an answer, Colin, you might have pointed me to one that was... 

Edit: good post by sound67 (Thomas). I must listen to 4, too. But 5 first...

[eyeresist]

I have the new Arnell no 4 and 5. Very different from the Dutton but just as good.

I don't know Arnell but am curious, and would be interested to receive advice on which disc of symphonies 4 and 5 will best convince me (did anyone imagine such a question possible a year ago?). I like a vigorous romantic approach, but most important is a convincing sense of structure.