Richard Arnell (1917-2009)

[Lethevich]

"At this very moment, Arnell is working on Symphony no.7, which he is dedicating to me," continued Cohen. And if he has it ready in time (and it is 20 minutes long, as he says it will be) we will add it to the third CD, giving us Symphonies no. 1, no. 4 and no. 7 on that one."

What wonderful news. If only more composers could have such kind advocacy...

[Dundonnell]

One of the obvious difficulties with small record companies is that they operate on shoestring budgets. As a consequence their ambitious plans often prove over-ambitious and the timescales they indicate for releasing new recordings prove unrealistic. This appears to be the case with the Musica Nova plans for releasing Arnell recordings.

Originally the plan seemed to be for Toccata to release an Arnell cycle. When Toccata was launched the intention, apparently, was to release the complete orchestral works of the influential British composer and teacher R.O.Morris(recorded by a Russian orchestra conducted by Gary Brain) but I certainly have heard no further news about this. The Toccata releases have concentrated on chamber and instrumental music and CDs of music from the Baltic countries by totally unknown composers.

Whether or not Arnell has actually composed a 7th symphony or not I do not know. Sometimes record companies are relatively open about their recording and release plans. CPO published its full 2008 release schedule at the beginning of the year. Others-no doubt for commercial reasons-keep these under wraps.

It can all be very frustrating!

[vandermolen]

Arnell's Symphony 1 and 6 just released on Dutton:


http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7217

[Dundonnell]

Arnell's Symphony 1 and 6 just released on Dutton:


http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7217

You just beat me to it, Jeffrey I was just lining up the link for my post, haha!!

What you don't mention though is that the two symphonies are coupled with the early Sinfonia quasi variazioni, op. 13-effectively Arnell's Symphony 'No.0'-which makes this cd even more desirable(if that's possible!).

And, if that is not all......Dutton are also releasing two more mouth-watering British orchestral music cds: the first a coupling of Stanley Bate's Viola Concerto(oh, if it was the 3rd Symphony instead, says he ungratefully), W.H. Bell's Viola Concerto "Rosa Mystica" and an orchestration of VW's Romance for Viola. (W.H. Bell was a British composer who emigrated to and taught in South Africa but the Viola Concerto dates from 1917). The second cd couples some short, orchestrated minatures by John Ireland with Goossen's Variations on 'Cadel Rousselle' and Peter Crossley-Holland's tonal, VW-inspired Symphony in D.

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/products.asp?cat=366&pg=6

Oh, this is a good morning for British music lovers

[vandermolen]

You just beat me too it, Jeffrey I was just lining up the link for my post, haha!!

What you don't mention though is that the two symphonies are coupled with the early Sinfonia quasi variazioni, op. 13-effectively Arnell's Symphony 'No.0'-which makes this cd even more desirable(if that's possible!).

And, if that is not all......Dutton are also releasing two more mouth-watering British orchestral music cds: the first a coupling of Stanley Bate's Viola Concerto(oh, if it was the 3rd Symphony instead, says he ungratefully), W.H. Bell's Viola Concerto "Rosa Mystica" and an orchestration of VW's Romance for Viola. (W.H. Bell was a British composer who emigrated to and taught in South Africa but the Viola Concerto dates from 1917). The second cd couples some short, orchestrated minatures by John Ireland with Goossen's Variations on 'Cadel Rousselle' and Peter Crossley-Holland's tonal, VW-inspired Symphony in D.

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/products.asp?cat=366&pg=6

Oh, this is a good morning for British music lovers

Hi Colin, yes I just had to beat you to it. As I have been sent loads of extra exam stuff to do I have justified (to myself) a mad splash out of the Arnell, Bate and Crossley-Holland CDs.  On the subject of Holland I am off very soon to  meet those two famous dutch "so-called Braga Santos experts" , Johan and Johan in Leiden on Monday as we are visiting our daughter who is "studying" there. I am sorry that you will not be there but hope that we meet on a separate occasion. My wife is taking a dim view of the prospect of a six hour ferry crossing in storm conditions 

Jeffrey

[Dundonnell]

I too have ordered these 3 cds-surprise, surprise

A six hour ferry crossing? Where are you going from? That seems rather a long time! I hope that it is not too uncomfortable and unpleasant!! Still, when you do finally arrive I am sure that you will be able to enjoy fine food and company Your hard-working and studious daughter will have prepared all manner of cultural delights for you to sample and-of course-you will enjoy meeting those Dutch musical madmen(sorry, I meant afficianados) the two Johans I still hope to make it to the Netherlands in November or December but that depends on my forthcoming operation

Don't worry-I am sure that we can indeed arrange to meet up!

[vandermolen]

I too have ordered these 3 cds-surprise, surprise

A six hour ferry crossing? Where are you going from? That seems rather a long time! I hope that it is not too uncomfortable and unpleasant!! Still, when you do finally arrive I am sure that you will be able to enjoy fine food and company Your hard-working and studious daughter will have prepared all manner of cultural delights for you to sample and-of course-you will enjoy meeting those Dutch musical madmen(sorry, I meant afficianados) the two Johans I still hope to make it to the Netherlands in November or December but that depends on my forthcoming operation

Don't worry-I am sure that we can indeed arrange to meet up!

Harwich-Hook of Holland: six hours (or probably 12 in force 10 storm).  Sorry to hear of op. Will be in touch when I get back on Wednesday and I can prepare you for your own encounter with the crazy dutchmen later in the year 

No surprise about the Dutton purchases 

All best wishes

Jeffrey

[Dundonnell]

Bon voyage!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

and-of course-you will enjoy meeting those Dutch musical madmen(sorry, I meant afficianados) the two Johans

Language! 

I still hope to make it to the Netherlands in November or December but that depends on my forthcoming operation

I hope the operation will be soon and very succesful. The polder is already preparing for your arrival. But first - Jeffrey (and his Brian-crazed spouse)!

[vandermolen]

Bon voyage!

Thank you 

[vandermolen]

Language! 

I hope the operation will be soon and very succesful. The polder is already preparing for your arrival. But first - Jeffrey (and his Brian-crazed spouse)!

Yes, Katy can't wait to hear Johan's six hour monologue on Havergal Brian, Wind-machines, Bantock's Omar Khayam etcetcetc 

[Dundonnell]

Language! 

I hope the operation will be soon and very succesful. The polder is already preparing for your arrival. But first - Jeffrey (and his Brian-crazed spouse)!

18th November

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

18th November

I wish you well, Colin.

Yes, Katy can't wait to hear Johan's six hour monologue on Havergal Brian, Wind-machines, Bantock's Omar Khayam etcetcetc 

That's why I am reading up like mad. It's important to keep the lady entertained. 

[Christo]

the crazy dutchmen

those Dutch musical madmen(sorry, I meant afficianados)

his Brian-crazed spouse)!

Clear indications of growing tension, ever-increasing suspense, wild expectations ...? 

[Dundonnell]

Back to Arnell and the new CD of the 1st and 6th symphonies and the Sinfonia quasi variazioni

Whew! Ah, um!

First thing to say is that these three works are certainly different from each other!!

The Sinfonia quasi Variazioni is the earliest work-Op. 13 written in 1941 when the composer was 24. It is a short symphony, just over 15 minutes long, and very clearly by the same composer who went on to write Symphonies Nos. 2-5. It breathes the same air, has the same sort of broad, swelling melodies, Sibelian and contemporary American symphonic influences(Copland, Barber, Harris). It is affirmative, warm-hearted, direct, imposing.

Symphony No.1 was originally called 'Chamber Symphony' but is in fact the longest work on the disc at 28 minutes in length. It was composed in 1943(again while the composer was living in America) but actually postdates Symphony No.2(originally composed in 1942 but revised in 1944). Lewis Foreman writes that it would be better subtitled the 'Classical Symphony' or 'Neo-Classical Symphony'. I can certainly see what he means! It is a delightfully clean and clear piece of writing, eloquently polished and burnished, possibly influenced by Stravinsky's Symphony in C, but without some of the obviously artful neo-classicisms of the 1920s or 1930s. A delightful work albeit rather different from the Arnell of the later symphonies some of us have come to know and love

The Symphony No.6 "The Anvil"(1992-94), on the other hand, is very, very different again and-at the moment, on one hearing-I really don't know what to make of it It is a short work-under 14 minutes long-and much, much more modern sounding! It open with a piano chord, followed by an anvil clash(the cd covers warns the listener not to play the cd at too loud a volume but it is really not that loud!). There are repeated quotes of 'Muss es sein' and 'Es muss sein' derived from Beethoven's last string quartet. The piano is used in a concertante role in the third section of a four section work. The symphony ends with repeated rising chords but with no resolution to them.
It is an odd work! There are very occasional passages which recall the Arnell of the 1940s and 1950s but otherwise I would never have guessed the composer. The sononities in general are just so totally different. Whether it works I cannot possibly say, yet!

Not I would suggest the CD to start an Arnell collection with! Dutton have sensibly left these works to last in their survey of the series-and what a marvellous discovery the symphonies as a whole have been

[vandermolen]

Back to Arnell and the new CD of the 1st and 6th symphonies and the Sinfonia quasi variazioni

Whew! Ah, um!

First thing to say is that these three works are certainly different from each other!!

The Sinfonia quasi Variazioni is the earliest work-Op. 13 written in 1941 when the composer was 24. It is a short symphony, just over 15 minutes long, and very clearly by the same composer who went on to write Symphonies Nos. 2-5. It breathes the same air, has the same sort of broad, swelling melodies, Sibelian and contemporary American symphonic influences(Copland, Barber, Harris). It is affirmative, warm-hearted, direct, imposing.

Symphony No.1 was originally called 'Chamber Symphony' but is in fact the longest work on the disc at 28 minutes in length. It was composed in 1943(again while the composer was living in America) but actually postdates Symphony No.2(originally composed in 1942 but revised in 1944). Lewis Foreman writes that it would be better subtitled the 'Classical Symphony' or 'Neo-Classical Symphony'. I can certainly see what he means! It is a delightfully clean and clear piece of writing, eloquently polished and burnished, possibly influenced by Stravinsky's Symphony in C, but without some of the obviously artful neo-classicisms of the 1920s or 1930s. A delightful work albeit rather different from the Arnell of the later symphonies some of us have come to know and love

The Symphony No.6 "The Anvil"(1992-94), on the other hand, is very, very different again and-at the moment, on one hearing-I really don't know what to make of it It is a short work-under 14 minutes long-and much, much more modern sounding! It open with a piano chord, followed by an anvil clash(the cd covers warns the listener not to play the cd at too loud a volume but it is really not that loud!). There are repeated quotes of 'Muss es sein' and 'Es muss sein' derived from Beethoven's last string quartet. The piano is used in a concertante role in the third section of a four section work. The symphony ends with repeated rising chords but with no resolution to them.
It is an odd work! There are very occasional passages which recall the Arnell of the 1940s and 1950s but otherwise I would never have guessed the composer. The sononities in general are just so totally different. Whether it works I cannot possibly say, yet!

Not I would suggest the CD to start an Arnell collection with! Dutton have sensibly left these works to last in their survey of the series-and what a marvellous discovery the symphonies as a whole have been

Thanks Colin,

I hope that my CD arrives soon. I'll let you know what I think. Your thoughtful review really makes me want to explore these works.

[vandermolen]

I enjoyed Arnell's 6th symphony "The Anvil". I agree with Colin's review. It is a strange, rather anarchic work, with much use of a percussive piano. Like Colin, i didn't quite know what to make of it but I immediately wanted to listen to it again once it finished. There are moments when you can tell it's written by the same composer as nos 3-5, but it is quite different. I was reminded of Malcolm Arnold in some places; especially his more discordant works like Symphony 6 or 7. Worthwhile. Nos 3-5 are the best though.

[Dundonnell]

The Arnell Violin Concerto will shortly be released by Dutton in an interesting coupling with Thomas Pitfield's Concerto Lirico and the female composer Guirne Creith's Violin Concerto.

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7221

[vandermolen]

Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying Arnell's 6th Symphony 'The Anvil', which took a bit of getting used to at first. The last movement, with its Beethoven quotation, is especially good and rather moving.

[Dundonnell]

RICHARD ARNELL DIED ON APRIL 10th. RIP to a great British composer-arguably the finest British symphonist of his generation.

Arnell would have been 92 in September. He lived long enough to have witnessed the revival-at least on disc-of his music through the recent superb efforts of Dutton. The recordings of seven of his symphonies(counting the Sinfonia con Varazioni), the Piano and (first) Violin Concertos and a number of other orchestral works and ballet music have been a revelation-big, colourful, romantic pieces full of life and energy rendered with supreme eloquence by the conductor Martin Yates. Arnell's almost total neglect in the British concert hall over the past thirty years is a musical disgrace.

(I have been on holiday in Rome and I found a notice of the death in the obituary columns of the London Times. I am shocked that to date-ten days after the death-there does not seem to have been a full Obituary published in either the Times or the Daily Telegraph(the British newspapers I read) or, presumably, in any other quality British newspaper(otherwise I would have imagined that vandermolen, at least, would have picked up on the sad news).