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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 |
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| 1. A Grand Grand Overture Op. 57 |
| 2. Concerto for 2 Pianos (3 Hands) Op. 104 |
| 3. Four Scottish Dances Op. 59 |
| 4. Serenade For Small Orchestra Op. 26 |
| 5. English Dance Op. 33 |
| 6. Larch Trees Op. 3Four Cornish Dances Op. 91 |
| 7. The Padstow Lifeboat op. 94 |
| Disc: 2 |
| 1. Anniversary Overture Op. 99 |
| 2. English Dances Op. 27 |
| 3. Concerto For Guitar & Chamber Orchestra Op. 67 |
| 4. Little Suite No. 1 For Brass Band Op. 80 |
| 5. Beckus The Dandipratt Overture Op. 5 |
| 6. Fantasy For Brass Band Op. 114 |
| 7. Little Suite No. 2 For Brass Band Op. 93 |
| 8. Carnival Of Animals Op. 72 |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This two-disc set consists of items from the RCA/Conifer back-catalogue. Almost all the recordings are fairly recent and in excellent sound. The Guitar Concerto is from 1959, but still sounds excellent.The performance by Julian Bream is wonderful; this is tuneful music, like all the items here. How under-rated Arnold has been, daring to write catchy tunes! There is humour everywhere, from the Grand Grand Overture (this will be amazing if you have never heard it before; surely the longest ending of any Overture) to his very personal 'Carnival of Animals'. I particularly like 'Sheep' with its mad off-beat drum cracks. 'Bats' will really try your hearing...
The English, Cornish and Scottish dances are played here in their brass band versions. Do not be alarmed, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band is superb- as they also are in the items Arnold specifically wrote for brass band. (If I may be allowed a diversion here; in my professional capacity I once met an ex-miner from a village not too far from Grimethorpe. He told me he played the violin. I remarked this must be unusual for a miner-hard manual work does not make for ideal finger control. What did his colleagues think; 'Oh, they all think I'm a poof!' he replied). But back to the discs. The remaining items are all very enjoyable, and a particular gem is 'Larch Trees', an early Arnold item I'd never heard before, and less extrovert than much later Arnold.
Altogether a great value collection, in great sound.(And if you want the English,Cornish and Scottish Dances in full symphony versions there's an excellent Naxos disc for a fiver).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This is "a" collection and not "the" collection of Malcolm Arnold's work. His weightiest utterances in the dark symphonies and his film scores are overlooked here. That's not to say that this isn't a fine introduction to his music.
This collection explores mostly the lighter side of his work, though the fine Guitar Concerto, sounding extremely fresh and well for a a recording over 50 years old, has more depth. Julian Bream is in fine form here but the real star performers on this collection are the Grimethorpe Colliery band conducted by Elgar Howarth - what a sweet, silky smooth sound they make throughout. They feature in his English, Scottish and Cornish Dances as well as the little suites and the Padstow Lifeboat. I particularly like the Padstow Lifeboat and the suites are pleasant enough but the Dances (fine as they are)sound better in their orchestral version - these arrangements were made by Christopher Palmer not Arnold.
Elsewehere there is the definitive version of his Piano Concerto for 3 hands - tremendous fun; an ebullient "Beckus the Dandipratt" overture, a fine Serenade and the dry wit and humour of his Carnival of Animals. The Grand Grand Overture includes a number of comic stunts including the use of vacuum cleaners and gun shots. probalby funny to see but not so effective on disc. The deliberately drawn out, graand romantic pompous conclusion is, however, hilarious.
There's nothing that isn't superbly performed or enjoyable throughout but use this as a stepping stone to his greater achievements. He was a major composer who wasn't taken anywhere near seriously enough.
This collection explores mostly the lighter side of his work, though the fine Guitar Concerto, sounding extremely fresh and well for a a recording over 50 years old, has more depth. Julian Bream is in fine form here but the real star performers on this collection are the Grimethorpe Colliery band conducted by Elgar Howarth - what a sweet, silky smooth sound they make throughout. They feature in his English, Scottish and Cornish Dances as well as the little suites and the Padstow Lifeboat. I particularly like the Padstow Lifeboat and the suites are pleasant enough but the Dances (fine as they are)sound better in their orchestral version - these arrangements were made by Christopher Palmer not Arnold.
Elsewehere there is the definitive version of his Piano Concerto for 3 hands - tremendous fun; an ebullient "Beckus the Dandipratt" overture, a fine Serenade and the dry wit and humour of his Carnival of Animals. The Grand Grand Overture includes a number of comic stunts including the use of vacuum cleaners and gun shots. probalby funny to see but not so effective on disc. The deliberately drawn out, graand romantic pompous conclusion is, however, hilarious.
There's nothing that isn't superbly performed or enjoyable throughout but use this as a stepping stone to his greater achievements. He was a major composer who wasn't taken anywhere near seriously enough.
10 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Malcom Arnold is most well known for his film music, including The Bridge Over the River Kwai. This CD is a collection of his other works, including the excellent Concerto for Two Pianos. The Little Suites are a pleasure to listen to, and The Cranival Animals is something you should recognise... Buy This CD as a great intoduction to the pleasures of classical music.
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