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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Malcolm Arnold's ninth symphony is certainly one of his most profound and far-reaching orchestral statements, and it is a piece which reveals the whole breadth and complexity of his musical personality. It will be difficult to find a more dynamic account of this piece than that offered by Andrew Penny and the Irish National Orchestra.
An interesting feature of this symphony is that it in two parts with the first three movements acting as preludes to the epic final movement (which is as long as the first three movements put together). Whilst being somewhat different in scale from much of his other music, it still manages to incorporate all of Arnold's key musical concepts.
The first movement is a dance-like Vivace which is fairly sparse and econmical in form- it contains sections where only single woodwind instruments are playng. The opening theme is hauntingly grotesque, but the movement does lose some momentum until the opening theme is taken up again by the whole orchestra at the end of the movement. The second movement is a atmospheric, bucolic allegretto with a motif which is repeated some 16 times but with different layers of orchestral colouring. The third movement is a classic Arnold scherzo, full of outlandish and unrestrained Brass passages.
It is in the final movment that the symphony changes course. This is one of the darkest of symphonic movements and is redolent of the long funeral march of Mahler's Ninth Symphony. It is Arnold at his heartbroken best, making it clear that this is his musical depiction of a descent into darkness. I was particulalry moved by the impassioned outburst towards the end of the movement when the music changes tempo- like someone trying to wrench free of their misery. But the music soons descends back into the sombre theme that began the movement, and the G major ending offers only a slight resolution. This is a sublime masterpiece of a movement.
The interview after the symphony reveals much about Arnold's inimitable take on music and life. He suggests that the movement reflected his own personal struggles in the past, and asked whether he was glad to be alive to celebrate his 75th birthday he jokes that "there is still a bit of life in the old dog yet". The old dog must be wagging his tail at this performance.
An interesting feature of this symphony is that it in two parts with the first three movements acting as preludes to the epic final movement (which is as long as the first three movements put together). Whilst being somewhat different in scale from much of his other music, it still manages to incorporate all of Arnold's key musical concepts.
The first movement is a dance-like Vivace which is fairly sparse and econmical in form- it contains sections where only single woodwind instruments are playng. The opening theme is hauntingly grotesque, but the movement does lose some momentum until the opening theme is taken up again by the whole orchestra at the end of the movement. The second movement is a atmospheric, bucolic allegretto with a motif which is repeated some 16 times but with different layers of orchestral colouring. The third movement is a classic Arnold scherzo, full of outlandish and unrestrained Brass passages.
It is in the final movment that the symphony changes course. This is one of the darkest of symphonic movements and is redolent of the long funeral march of Mahler's Ninth Symphony. It is Arnold at his heartbroken best, making it clear that this is his musical depiction of a descent into darkness. I was particulalry moved by the impassioned outburst towards the end of the movement when the music changes tempo- like someone trying to wrench free of their misery. But the music soons descends back into the sombre theme that began the movement, and the G major ending offers only a slight resolution. This is a sublime masterpiece of a movement.
The interview after the symphony reveals much about Arnold's inimitable take on music and life. He suggests that the movement reflected his own personal struggles in the past, and asked whether he was glad to be alive to celebrate his 75th birthday he jokes that "there is still a bit of life in the old dog yet". The old dog must be wagging his tail at this performance.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is indeed one of Arnold's most sparcely scored symphonies. Penny and the RTE Orchestra are very fine advocates for the piece in excellent sound. It was the world premiere recordign under the composer's supervision. You get a ten minute interview with the composer but, to be, honest his taciturn reponses don't add much to your knowledge of the piece.
The symphony is in two parts: Part one made up of three movements, which although generally brisk, are still sparcely scored and lacking the exhuberance of his more popular works. The finale; effectively part two; lasts as long as the first three movements combined and has the same profound resignation about it as the finale of Tchiakowsky's "Pathetique". That its long searching ends in G Major is little comfort. This movement, even more than the others, wastes not a single note and adds no more orchestration than is ever needed. That may part of the problem: the sparse scoring suggests a symhponic cycle with the life finally draining away; I'm not sure this final symphony really reaches the heights of his other middle and later symphonies. After the more advanced harmonies of the Seventh and Eighth symphonies this final symphony represents a retreat to more familiar harmonic ground.
Distinct as this symphonic statement is, I can hear echoes of late Nielsen in the quicker movements with moments of Shostakovich too - but then you can hear them, Britten and Sibelius too throughout the cycle. It is a profound and certainly not a comfortable listen. To get the full picture of what makes up Arnold's work this is essential listening and comes highly recommended.
Having the whole symphonic cycle gives you the sense of following a long psychological journey but it is easy to over play that and not appreciate the technical advances made in the middle and later symphonies. This final symphony took many years to complete after his suffering mental breakdown: it clearly took a greater effort to produce than the others, which all sound so spontaneous even though their symphonic architecture was tight and well thought through.
The full cycle is available at a budget price but then so are the individual discs so it's your choice. Chandos produced a full cycle with two conductors and Arnold recorded some of them too (even though they were his works his interpretations sound surprisingly laboured). This Naxos cycle, though perhaps not definitive, is the one to go for. It is good to have such a choice and this music stands up well whoever chas conducted it. Highly recommended.
The symphony is in two parts: Part one made up of three movements, which although generally brisk, are still sparcely scored and lacking the exhuberance of his more popular works. The finale; effectively part two; lasts as long as the first three movements combined and has the same profound resignation about it as the finale of Tchiakowsky's "Pathetique". That its long searching ends in G Major is little comfort. This movement, even more than the others, wastes not a single note and adds no more orchestration than is ever needed. That may part of the problem: the sparse scoring suggests a symhponic cycle with the life finally draining away; I'm not sure this final symphony really reaches the heights of his other middle and later symphonies. After the more advanced harmonies of the Seventh and Eighth symphonies this final symphony represents a retreat to more familiar harmonic ground.
Distinct as this symphonic statement is, I can hear echoes of late Nielsen in the quicker movements with moments of Shostakovich too - but then you can hear them, Britten and Sibelius too throughout the cycle. It is a profound and certainly not a comfortable listen. To get the full picture of what makes up Arnold's work this is essential listening and comes highly recommended.
Having the whole symphonic cycle gives you the sense of following a long psychological journey but it is easy to over play that and not appreciate the technical advances made in the middle and later symphonies. This final symphony took many years to complete after his suffering mental breakdown: it clearly took a greater effort to produce than the others, which all sound so spontaneous even though their symphonic architecture was tight and well thought through.
The full cycle is available at a budget price but then so are the individual discs so it's your choice. Chandos produced a full cycle with two conductors and Arnold recorded some of them too (even though they were his works his interpretations sound surprisingly laboured). This Naxos cycle, though perhaps not definitive, is the one to go for. It is good to have such a choice and this music stands up well whoever chas conducted it. Highly recommended.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Great symphony, great recording
21 Jun 2006
Format:Audio CD
This symphony shows Malcolm Arnold in a new vein, a more serious, purposeful one to my mind. In his earlier symphonies there was much to be enjoyed, but at times there seemed to be an element of showmanship which almost distracted one from the musical argument, but not in this ninth symphony; here gravitas and reflection are the dominant elements. The music is focussed, the scoring economical and only occasionally does the full orchestra come into play; for much of the time the various instruments play only in small groups and combinations.
The first movement begins quietly and smoothly and, to my mind, hints at Rawsthorne, with its dark undertones - in fact it is not until into the second minute that the characteristic arpeggios in the woodwinds make it clear that this is an Arnold symphony.
The second movement is remarkable, the same theme repeated many times (~17) with relatively little variation notewise, but the orchestral colouring holds the attention so completely that each repetition seems fresh and a logical follow-on from what went before - only a master craftsman could bring it off.
The scherzo is the most Arnold-of-old-like of the movements, but even here the brashness is held in check and the interplay between, say, the brass and the rest of the orchestra is more restrained and intense - an orchestral tour-de-force!
And the finale - well, the long quiet passages almost outdo the finale of Vaughan Williams's 6th in meaning and tension, and the movement is around twice the length of VW's. Certainly there was a strong valedictory note permeating this movement in particular, and the whole symphony in general.
Malcolm Arnold's ninth symphony is a very powerful musical statement. It's restraint and thoughtfulness, compared with his earlier symphonies, gives it a moving quality. One could listen, say, to Arnold's 5th. and come away thinking "well that was very jolly", but the 9th. is more likely to leave the listener deep in thought, aware that he/she has just heard the music of a genius.
The interview at the end was interesting, but I got the impression that Andrew Penny was struggling at times to get a response out of the old man - he seemed almost to recall Ted Heath in one of his "silent" moods. And he seemed almost surprised that he was still around, but "there's life in the old dog yet". And 10+ years later he's still around. A lotta life in that old dog, it would seem!
The first movement begins quietly and smoothly and, to my mind, hints at Rawsthorne, with its dark undertones - in fact it is not until into the second minute that the characteristic arpeggios in the woodwinds make it clear that this is an Arnold symphony.
The second movement is remarkable, the same theme repeated many times (~17) with relatively little variation notewise, but the orchestral colouring holds the attention so completely that each repetition seems fresh and a logical follow-on from what went before - only a master craftsman could bring it off.
The scherzo is the most Arnold-of-old-like of the movements, but even here the brashness is held in check and the interplay between, say, the brass and the rest of the orchestra is more restrained and intense - an orchestral tour-de-force!
And the finale - well, the long quiet passages almost outdo the finale of Vaughan Williams's 6th in meaning and tension, and the movement is around twice the length of VW's. Certainly there was a strong valedictory note permeating this movement in particular, and the whole symphony in general.
Malcolm Arnold's ninth symphony is a very powerful musical statement. It's restraint and thoughtfulness, compared with his earlier symphonies, gives it a moving quality. One could listen, say, to Arnold's 5th. and come away thinking "well that was very jolly", but the 9th. is more likely to leave the listener deep in thought, aware that he/she has just heard the music of a genius.
The interview at the end was interesting, but I got the impression that Andrew Penny was struggling at times to get a response out of the old man - he seemed almost to recall Ted Heath in one of his "silent" moods. And he seemed almost surprised that he was still around, but "there's life in the old dog yet". And 10+ years later he's still around. A lotta life in that old dog, it would seem!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
One of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century.
1 May 2004
Format:Audio CD
Malcolm Arnold (b. 1921) is one of Britain's most popular and distinguished composers. Best known in the US for his "Bridge on the River Kwai" soundtrack, he has written distinguished works in virtually every serious genre except opera. Unfortunately, Arnold's personal life has often proved calamitous, and in 1981, he entered a prolonged depression that lasted five years. His Ninth Symphony, written in 1986 as the composer emerged from the darkest period of his tumultuous life, is a testament to his experience and the fitting summation to his work as a symphonic composer.
The Ninth is an extraordinary accomplishment on every level. It is melodically rich, harmonically adventurous, brilliant in its conception, and superb in its scoring. Nowhere else does Arnold's talent as an orchestrator shine through with more assurance. To me, this is one of the most accomplished symphonies of the 20th century.
From its deceptively bright opening through the anguished groaning basses of the amazing, massive lento last movement, this is the rare symphony that is able to maintain the listener's rapt attention from the first note to the last. Though he covers many moods in the course of four movements, Arnold's overriding impression is one of despair. This is more than understandable, given the circumstances in which it was written. The finale's last measures, in which an ascending melody lifts the music from dirge-like agony to a sudden and radiant D major, constitute a deeply satisfying conclusion. Like its creator, the symphony expresses pain, but ends with optimism. In this, it is much like life.
I cannot recommend Arnold's Ninth Symphony enough, particularly in this excellent recording, which was made in the presence of the composer. The final track is an illuminating ten-minute interview with Arnold himself, in which he discusses his work on the symphony and its personal meaning. Though he is now retired from composition, we can all be thankful for the many wonderful works he gave us--the greatest of which is this Ninth Symphony.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Moving symphony, great recording
17 Jan 2004
Format:Audio CD
Written in 1986, at the end of a long, bleak period in Arnold's personal life, this powerful symphony captures an extraordinary range of emotions. The elgaic, haunting final movement is particularly moving. As with the other symphonies in this cycle, Andrew Penny and the NSO of Ireland turn in a great performance
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