Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well-kept secret, 12 Sep 2007
Malcom Arnold's name may be familiar to you because he wrote the scores for numerous films including 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'. It would be tempting to dismiss him as a conservative English composer, but that would be a big mistake. After all, he did conduct Deep Purple's Concerto for Rock Band and Orchestra, so can hardly be accused of being unadventurous.
For my money, this is one of the finest twentieth century symphony cycles by an English composer, or indeed a composer of any nationality. They are far more concise as symphonic structures than those of Arnold Bax, who - at least in my opinion - is too prone to long-winded wallowing in loveliness. There are definite affinities with Vaughan Williams - and not just the 'pastoral' VW but the more restless, volatile, even violent VW of the sixth and ninth symphonies. But there is wit and grace in here too. In some ways a good comparison is to Shostakovich when the latter's being the deceptive comic, as in the ninth and fifteenth symphonies - there's an apparent sunny cheerfulness that is subverted by dark undercurrents and is prone to giving way to pure tragedy. Perhaps that affinity is partly explained by the fact that both were prolific film composers, for they both have the ability to evoke complex moods, suggest character and drama, and change mood with extreme rapidity. (They were writing music in the days when film scores did these things, which doesn't seem to be the case any more!)
These symphonies are tightly constructed - no wallowing here - full of appealing tunes, and take you on real emotional journeys. In some ways they are like concertos for orchestra (and yes, *that* comparison is not compeletely far-fetched either!) Arnold frequently lets individual instruments or sections carry the argument. He has an excellent sense of the character of each instrument, though it has to be said that he is particularly fond of the trumpet - the instrument that he himself played in the LPO. The only symphony that I find problematic is the ninth. Its last movement - lasting over 20 minutes - seems to me to be an overly repetitive, dragging dirge. This is probably a true reflection of Arnold's state of mind at the time, for in his latter years he frequently suffered from depression. I sense that this is music of great emotional honesty, even nakedness. It does at the very least command respect for that (my respect anyway) and will perhaps reward further listens.
Anyone who knows Vernon Handley's recordings of Vaughan Williams, Simpson [OK, and Bax!] will know that VH is naturally born to conduct music of this kind. The sound on this set is, I think, preferable to that on the Naxos set - it has greater physical presence and allows more detail to be heard.
So: rid yourself of any prejudices you might have against 'conservative' composers, or against English composers or whatnot. Should we care, in this day and age, that Bartok was a 'progressive' and Vaughan Williams - or Arnold - a 'conservative'? I think not.
|
|
|
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real gem, 23 Jan 2009
O why can't we British look after our geniuses properly? Malcolm Arnold was one our great symphonists, up there, IMHO, with Vaughan Williams and Bax. But, as with Robert Simpson, his works appear in the catalogue only grudgingly and sparingly. It appears that this set, as with the similar Naxos set (which, fine though it is, is bettered by this one) has slipped out of the catalogue, which is very sad.
As with the three other composers mentioned, Handley's cycle is the one to go for, as he really gets inside this music and the recorded sound is superb. The booklet notes are a bit brief, but well written and imformative all the same.
This serves as a monument to the memories of both the composer and the conductor.
If you can find it at a sensible price, then snap it up.
|
|
|
|
~ Various Artists
~ Richard Arnell
~ Malcolm Arnold
~ Malcolm Arnold
~ Richard Arnell
