dmoth
07-14-2014, 09:28 PM
Thought I would share my favourite Malcolm Arnold Symphony for those who are unfamiliar with his concert works. My own Lossles CD rip
Malcolm Arnold's Symphonies 5 and 6 -- one of the gems in the on-going Chandos series with Richard Hickox and the London Symphony
The Symphony No. 5 is one of the most fascinating. A tragic mood prevails. It was commissioned by Cheltenham Festival Society and premiered in July 1961 with the Hall� Orchestra conducted by the composer. Some have said some of the melodies are "banal." Perhaps some are, but in this context they should be. Tension builds with a sense of foreboding. One critic called it "a study in disintegration." The symphony was not well received and had to wait a decade before it was performed in London. Arnold has said that the music was influenced by the tragic deaths of several of his colleagues who had recently died while young (horn virtuoso Dennis Brain, clarinetist Jack Thurston, and humorist Gerard Hoffnung). After a rather quixotic first movement with underlying dark tensions we have a lengthy Adagio, again showing Mahlerian influence. Then a stunning scherzo, and a finale that opens with fanfares and a semi-march. An atmosphere of irony reaches a huge climax after which strings "dig in" a la the ending of Walton’s First Symphony, playing a lush theme heard before in the slow movement now given a rich "Hollywood Sound." However, the symphony soon dissolves into silence with minor chords and distant tolling tubular bells. It is a disturbing effect to say the least. It is said that this is Arnold's favorite symphony of the nine.
The Symphony No. 6, composed in 1967, is his shortest symphony ( about 25 minutes), has three movements and was premiered the following year with the composer on the podium. The first of the three movements suggests improvisational jazz, an influence often found in Arnold’s music, and in the second we have once again a powerful Mahleresque funeral march. The third is replete with brass fanfares and ends, as did the Symphony No. 5, with bells, but here they are triumphant.
Symphony No.5, Op.74 30:43
1. Tempestuoso 08:44
2. Andante con moto 11:11
3. Con fuoco 04:42
4. Risoluto 06:06
Symphony No.6, Op.95 26:41
1. Energico 08:59
2. Lento – Allegretto – Lento 10:54
3. Con fuoco 06:48
New link 16/07/14 :https://mega.co.nz/#F!Z1hWVJ6C!zWFIcgAcpk6dSDgEKBLjog
Hope you enjoy!
Malcolm Arnold's Symphonies 5 and 6 -- one of the gems in the on-going Chandos series with Richard Hickox and the London Symphony
The Symphony No. 5 is one of the most fascinating. A tragic mood prevails. It was commissioned by Cheltenham Festival Society and premiered in July 1961 with the Hall� Orchestra conducted by the composer. Some have said some of the melodies are "banal." Perhaps some are, but in this context they should be. Tension builds with a sense of foreboding. One critic called it "a study in disintegration." The symphony was not well received and had to wait a decade before it was performed in London. Arnold has said that the music was influenced by the tragic deaths of several of his colleagues who had recently died while young (horn virtuoso Dennis Brain, clarinetist Jack Thurston, and humorist Gerard Hoffnung). After a rather quixotic first movement with underlying dark tensions we have a lengthy Adagio, again showing Mahlerian influence. Then a stunning scherzo, and a finale that opens with fanfares and a semi-march. An atmosphere of irony reaches a huge climax after which strings "dig in" a la the ending of Walton’s First Symphony, playing a lush theme heard before in the slow movement now given a rich "Hollywood Sound." However, the symphony soon dissolves into silence with minor chords and distant tolling tubular bells. It is a disturbing effect to say the least. It is said that this is Arnold's favorite symphony of the nine.
The Symphony No. 6, composed in 1967, is his shortest symphony ( about 25 minutes), has three movements and was premiered the following year with the composer on the podium. The first of the three movements suggests improvisational jazz, an influence often found in Arnold’s music, and in the second we have once again a powerful Mahleresque funeral march. The third is replete with brass fanfares and ends, as did the Symphony No. 5, with bells, but here they are triumphant.
Symphony No.5, Op.74 30:43
1. Tempestuoso 08:44
2. Andante con moto 11:11
3. Con fuoco 04:42
4. Risoluto 06:06
Symphony No.6, Op.95 26:41
1. Energico 08:59
2. Lento – Allegretto – Lento 10:54
3. Con fuoco 06:48
New link 16/07/14 :https://mega.co.nz/#F!Z1hWVJ6C!zWFIcgAcpk6dSDgEKBLjog
Hope you enjoy!
