Arnold, Sir Malcolm (1921-2006)

[Pulcinella]

I suppose I am a fan, rather than an expert, but to add to Kea’s list of absolute essentials I would certainly add the two string quaretets, which I think show him at the height of his powers.
There is no good excuse ( other than not liking them) not to have a set of the symphonies , and there are plenty of discs with good selections of the Concertos, and of course the Nash Ensemble Chamber discs, that I made Pulcers splash out on a while back.
For me, his music is always of interest, and usually speaks to me very directly, in a way that I enjoy.

Arnold deserves a much higher profile than he currently has. The neglect of his symphonies in the concert hall is a dismal state of affairs, that I am sure will be rectified eventually.

Can’t add much to the recommendations already posted.
I get a sense of MA telling me ‘this is how it is’ in his music rather than words,if that makes sense
I can relate to all that despair and anxiety in the last 3 symphonies and yes ts those 2 Quartets are amazing.
Surely the 9th Symphony is up there with all the great big 9ths ?

Indeed! How could I have forgotten them.
I'd defy most people to identify the composer on first hearing.

[cloughie]

These, already mentioned:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...lm+Arnold+nash

Yes I had the good fortune to pick up Vol 1 & 2, 50p each from the charity shop in Marazion some time back.

[kea]

I suppose I am a fan, rather than an expert, but to add to Kea’s list of absolute essentials I would certainly add the two string quaretets,

I did mention them

Short essentials list: Symphony 7, Symphony for Strings, Concerto for 28 Players, the two string quartets, Fantasy on a Theme of John Field.

Have never personally got on with the 9th but can see why some people might like it....

[Conchis]

https://youtu.be/gnA1IMnLZr4

[Keraulophone]

https://youtu.be/gnA1IMnLZr4

Never seen this legendary event before: astonishing, and rather affecting from this distance of fifty years. Love the comment “The Great Sir Malcolm Arnold getting fully down at 30:40”.

Is that a young James Galway (with dark facial hair) on flute? It’s the year he auditioned for Karajan and left the RPO for Berlin.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Surely the 9th Symphony is up there with all the great big 9ths ?

I wouldn’t go along with this. It seems that this largely two-part invention was written in a hurry to satisfy the 9 symphony expectation. On completion, the composer said he now wanted to die. A tragic set of circumstances.

[Pulcinella]

I did mention them

So you did! I missed it too.

Have just ordered the Sony (Conifer) set: should arrive in time for my birthday early next month.

[teamsaint]

I did mention them



Have never personally got on with the 9th but can see why some people might like it....

So you did........apologies.

[ardcarp]

I have never thought of MA as a choral composer, but I have found this list:

http://malcolmarnold.co.uk/compositions/compositions-choral.html

Has anyone come across/heard any of them? I haven't spotted any references in the above posts.

[jayne lee wilson]

Do so agree with this. It is a masterpiece of the first order and I cannot understand its neglect in the concert hall. I have the Handley and Penny recordings, both fine but I have a preference for the former.

I think it is a very extreme piece. "Much possessed by Death and saw the skull beneath the skin..."

I often think to traverse the Arnold Symphony cycle again; never seem to get around to it; but I recall it as full of riches, full of musical treats; the later works full of truth, perhaps harsh truth, as Edge says.
I have the Naxos/Penny, several Lyritas and others....

I'll try out soon at one of my winter dawn vigils...

[Belgrove]

Many thanks for all the suggestions - a good deal of new listening in the offing.

[gurnemanz]

I got to know the symphonies via the very well presented Naxos/Andrew Penny White Box set. (Some good used offers on Amazon)I was prompted I think by the moving BBC documentary which appeared around the time of his death. Despite greatly enjoying investigating them at the time in excellent, committed recordings, I do not seem to have returned to them that often since and this thread has already prompted me to start doing so.

[teamsaint]

I was thinking that I only have the Magginis recording of the SQs.
Apple music has the Ceruti set, which looks costly on CD. Are there any alternatives ?

[BBMmk2]

I was thinking that I only have the Magginis recording of the SQs.
Apple music has the Ceruti set, which looks costly on CD. Are there any alternatives ?

I wouldn’t say no to The Maginis!

[Conchis]

Never seen this legendary event before: astonishing, and rather affecting from this distance of fifty years. Love the comment “The Great Sir Malcolm Arnold getting fully down at 30:40”.

Is that a young James Galway (with dark facial hair) on flute? It’s the year he auditioned for Karajan and left the RPO for Berlin.

I think a trick was missed here by having Arnold and the RPO in concert dress, whilst the members of Purple are dressed like period freaks. If the orchestra had been encouraged to wear jeans and open-necked shirts/blouses and Arnold had worn a kaftan like some hip older guy of the period, there would have been less of a visual contrast between the 'straight' world of orchestral music and the 'hippies'.