Bargains

[Pulcinella]

Arnold leaves me cold . I had that Conifer recording of concertos but they were pretty forgettable - the Arnold 1 as on the BBCMM Cd of a few years back I couldn't stick at all .

Is there anything that could be recommended to an Arnoldphobe to seek to convert them ?

Apart from the good suggestions above*, you could try his Sinfoniettas: I have this CD, which has them coupled with the oboe concerto op 39 and the flute concerto op 45.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinfoniettas-Nos-Flute-Concertos-Pople/dp/B000005IDO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457712357&sr=8-3&keywords=Arnold+sinfonietta

Expensive new, but some cheap s/h copies if you're not averse to getting one.

* or below, if you have reordered the thread!

[Ferretfancy]

Arnold leaves me cold . I had that Conifer recording of concertos but they were pretty forgettable - the Arnold 1 as on the BBCMM Cd of a few years back I couldn't stick at all .

Is there anything that could be recommended to an Arnoldphobe to seek to convert them ?

Barbirollians

I'm afraid that like you I don't enjoy Arnold's music much. I've got all of his symphonies in one form or another, but I've only kept them out of a sense of duty, perhaps with the intention to give them another go some time, but so far they have stayed on the shelves.
Why is he so noisy and bombastic? The sound of his climaxes has the same effect on me as some of Delius's, except that Arnold's go on and on.
I do enjoy the Guitar Concerto, especially in Julian Bream's recording, and the clarinet concertos are pleasant enough, but otherwise it's no go I'm afraid.

[teamsaint]

Apart from the good suggestions above*, you could try his Sinfoniettas: I have this CD, which has them coupled with the oboe concerto op 39 and the flute concerto op 45.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinfoniettas-Nos-Flute-Concertos-Pople/dp/B000005IDO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457712357&sr=8-3&keywords=Arnold+sinfonietta

Expensive new, but some cheap s/h copies if you're not averse to getting one.

* or below, if you have reordered the thread!

good advice on a really excellent CD, Pulcers.

[EdgeleyRob]

Arnold leaves me cold . I had that Conifer recording of concertos but they were pretty forgettable - the Arnold 1 as on the BBCMM Cd of a few years back I couldn't stick at all .

Is there anything that could be recommended to an Arnoldphobe to seek to convert them ?

As well as the pieces already suggested -

The Brass Quintets are great fun.
The Symphony for Strings is a very powerful work with many MA trademarks (film score-like moments,sudden angry outbursts,hints of Finzi-like melancholy etc).
The very deep and intense 2nd String Quartet,(sort of MA's late LvB or DSCH)

Or maybe,Que Sera,and Arnold just isn't for you,there are people on here who don't get Mozart or even Sibelius

[MickyD]

The famous 60 CD Harnoncourt/Leonhardt Bach Cantata set now available for 108 euros from Amazon.it:

http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B000RZOR2U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3370&creative=24114&creativeASIN=B000RZOR2U&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl0c-21

[Dave2002]

The famous 60 CD Harnoncourt/Leonhardt Bach Cantata set now available for 108 euros from Amazon.it:

http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B000...nsplanscl0c-21

I'm not sure about that price - I'm a bit out of touch. It's around £86. I remember seeing the set in MDC when it was still going, next to the ENO, and I wondered about it then. I think the set was about £100 then. Perhaps I should sample a few from a streaming site such as Qobuz, before deciding whether to take the plunge. I think the only complete set I have is the one in the first of those Brilliant Bach sets, though I have a number of other versions of different cantatas - some by JEG and some by Suzuki, in particular.

[Barbirollians]

Barbirollians

I'm afraid that like you I don't enjoy Arnold's music much. I've got all of his symphonies in one form or another, but I've only kept them out of a sense of duty, perhaps with the intention to give them another go some time, but so far they have stayed on the shelves.
Why is he so noisy and bombastic? The sound of his climaxes has the same effect on me as some of Delius's, except that Arnold's go on and on.
I do enjoy the Guitar Concerto, especially in Julian Bream's recording, and the clarinet concertos are pleasant enough, but otherwise it's no go I'm afraid.

You have put your finger on it FF noisy and bombastic is just what I do not like about the Arnold I have heard !

Cheers to all those who have recommended things to try .

[MickyD]

I'm not sure about that price - I'm a bit out of touch. It's around £86. I remember seeing the set in MDC when it was still going, next to the ENO, and I wondered about it then. I think the set was about £100 then. Perhaps I should sample a few from a streaming site such as Qobuz, before deciding whether to take the plunge. I think the only complete set I have is the one in the first of those Brilliant Bach sets, though I have a number of other versions of different cantatas - some by JEG and some by Suzuki, in particular.

The cantatas in the Brilliant set also feature boys' voices, I think, though I haven't heard them. There are some truly excellent soloists in the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set. My only reservation is that I am not sure if full texts/translations are in the new incarnation - the version I have takes up a lot of space on the shelf (ten double CD cases), but the texts and essays are all there.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The cantatas in the Brilliant set also feature boys' voices, I think, though I haven't heard them.

A boys' choir, yes - the Holland Boys Choir (possibly the most ear-torturing such ensemble ever to be invited into a recording studio!) - but soloists are all adults (and include the wonderful Ruth Holton). AFASIK, the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt recordings are the only ones to feature boy solos in the "soprano" parts.

[gurnemanz]

The cantatas in the Brilliant set also feature boys' voices, I think, though I haven't heard them. There are some truly excellent soloists in the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set. My only reservation is that I am not sure if full texts/translations are in the new incarnation - the version I have takes up a lot of space on the shelf (ten double CD cases), but the texts and essays are all there.

I like the Brilliant set which has notes in English for each cantata and texts but not translation. OK for me because I know German and can happily use this booklet in conjunction with other versions which don't have texts. I got Harnoncourt/Leonhardt via the Teldec Complete Bach on USB for £94 when it came out (bit more now). It takes up nil shelf space and I have also copied it to the hard drive and SD card for car use.

[MickyD]

A boys' choir, yes - the Holland Boys Choir (possibly the most ear-torturing such ensemble ever to be invited into a recording studio!) - but soloists are all adults (and include the wonderful Ruth Holton). AFASIK, the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt recordings are the only ones to feature boy solos in the "soprano" parts.

That's correct, and some of them are superb, especially Peter Jelosits - sample this, I think it is wonderful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImPY64vmy4M&list=FLBc5HbFSu_TDvzxC8-xga4Q&index=63

[Dave2002]

A boys' choir, yes - the Holland Boys Choir (possibly the most ear-torturing such ensemble ever to be invited into a recording studio!) - but soloists are all adults (and include the wonderful Ruth Holton). AFASIK, the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt recordings are the only ones to feature boy solos in the "soprano" parts.

I agree that some of the sounds on the Brilliant set are not great, and some of the others I have are easier to listen to in some of the cantatas. Re the price of the Teldec cantata set it does seem reasonable for anyone who wants CDs rather than mp3s on a stick. (stick - http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Teldec/2564661127 - and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Bac...e+bach+edition when available)

The Teldec complete set of Bach CDs - including the cantatas is available - I think this is the one - http://www.amazon.it/Complete-Bach-J...=Complete+Bach - around £161 which seems to be roughly comparable to the UK price for the USB stick which is currently available. Now if they did the tracks in FLAC .....

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That's correct, and some of them are superb, especially Peter Jelosits - sample this, I think it is wonderful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImPY...xga4Q&index=63

- there is only one of the boys (whose name I have "mislaid" - the one who grew up to be a "Pop" trumpeter) who is truly dire in the whole TELDEC set; the rest make me yearn for a OVPP all-male (singers) series of recordings.

The BRILLIANT set is excellent value for money - Leusink invariably chooses apt tempi, the instrumental playing is very fine and well-caught by the engineers (some listeners have suggested that there could be greater discrimination in the choice of instruments involved in the continuo) and the soloists are all "listenable" - the men are a little "homely"-sounding (and the counter-tenor is a little prone to "hooting") but I prefer this to a more "obviously professional" style of singing, closer, it might be argued, to Bach's own performers. The choir ... well, anything below the C an octave above middle C, sung below mF, and they're acceptable enough. But above that and I become very thankful that there are so few Choral movements in the Cantatas as a whole. Nonetheless, it is a fine set, and one that has given me great pleasure - and for anyone on a limited budget it is highly recommendable (MP3 downloads can be bought for under £7 per twenty Cantatas, so the whole set can be bought for under £70, and the cost spread over several months, enabling the buyer to absorb the Cantatas in "batches" of 20 per month.

BUT - all this accepted, the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set is by far the finer set of performances and recordings, and anyone with 80-odd quid to spare would be getting the better bargain.

[gurnemanz]

... complete Suzuki coming up!

[Bryn]

... complete Suzuki coming up!

Sacred only - not the secular cantatas.