Search - Malcolm Arnold, Richard Hickox, London Symphony Orchestra :: Arnold: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2

Fine performances and spectacular recording quality

Jerry White | London, UK | 10/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't heard all the competitors, but on this showing Hickox and the LSO are well nigh unbeatable in Arnold's unique music, with the ideal blend of rhythmic verve and what I can only describe as nostalgia. In the second symphony, this is a step up from Charles Groves's old Bournemouth performance, very good though that was. The LSO play very well. The recording is a real sonic spectacular, with Chandos's spacious church setting kept under control so that the impact is maximised."

Serious Malcolm Arnold

Brett A. Kniess | Madison, WI | 12/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Malcolm Arnold has had great success with orchestral miniature showpieces, such as his various symphonic dances, and certainly gained wide attention through his film music. His symphonies have, however, eluded the wider public, and Chandos, by releasing his complete symphonies, is rectifying that problem.



His 1st symphony seems an angry one to me, with a few exceptions. A short motif of a major second and a minor third is the basis for the first movement. The quick 16th notes are separated from the plodding quarter notes, giving Arnold lots of chances to weave his theme into different molds. The brass and woodwinds carry the quickness, while the low brass and strings provide the foundation. Arnold uses various techniques for interest, including sliding strings and brass, string harmonics, and a major solo role for the harp. The music is relentless in urgency with concluding brass fanfares. The second movement begins peacefully with a charming melody: an octave leap followed by a simple descending scale, but Arnold doesn't keep the peace. He changes to a minor mode, and hits from the brass and xylophone/marimba interrupt the melody. However, he brings back the lyricism, and ends gently. The final movement, a sort of theme and variations, begins with a brisk chromatically descending melody, and puts it in fugue for utter confusion. He uses various pairings to create diversity and an unusual, but jolly English march, complete with chirping piccolos, comes out of nowhere. It ends in a grand procession (or recession as it were), ala the end of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, puts the melody in augmentation, and gives the ending a forceful conclusion. Gritty music.



Arnold's Second Symphony uses many of the same techniques as the first, but the whole flavor of the work has a much sunnier disposition. The opening theme in the clarinet seems as if it is derived from an English folk tune, and is passed from voice to voice. Again the harp plays a major role in the work, along with more string slidings, giving it an almost jazzy feel. The vivace second movement starts mysteriously with little flourishes, but a quirky, jumpy theme eventually pervades with brass exclamations, along with string and woodwind whirlwinds. The third movement is the most sullen and dabbles in polytonality. Instrumental sections overlap each other, holding lush chords, and when one section breaks before another comes in, you can enjoy the release of the poly-dissonances all the more. The third movement ends in a depressing march with mocking winds. Utter joyousness prevails in the final movement with a march, slightly off-kilter with the 2/4 vs. 6/8 time feelings. But a jazzy flute/piccolo melody lets the listener know you're in for a good time. Strictly a feel-good movement, a frightening "Jaws" theme enters and exits by the end for a jubilant conclusion.



If you are new to Malcolm Arnold, I might suggest you start with his more popular works before the symphonies (Naxos released his complete folk dances, and Chandos released his film music on CD), but these are good works as well, if not a bit more serious. Arnold does allow playfulness, especially in the Second Symphony, however. Richard Hickox and the London Symphony Orchestra play these works like they found a new friend; the brass is especially fine for the Londoners. All around excellent playing. If you are on a budget, these symphonies have been released on Naxos at a lower price (separately or the complete symphonies for thirty bucks), but these performances on Chandos are the cream of the crop, and a nice companion to the rest of Arnold's works."

Bully!

Karl W. Nehring | Ostrander, OH USA | 07/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have found much to praise in the Chandos CD with Sir Malcolm Arnold's Third and Fourth Symphonies, and now for this disc with Nos. 1 & 2. I had been familiar with his first five symphonies from older recordings, but now I can happily report that not only do we have releases of Arnold symphonies that we have not heard before, but that we have two splendid new cycles of the complete Arnold symphonies available. Bravo (I guess I should say "Bully!"), Conifer and Chandos! For those not familiar with Arnold's symphonies, I could say that they sound something like a mixture of Vaughan Williams, Shostakovich, and Mahler, but with a distinctive sonority and style of their own. Like Mahler, Arnold often shifts rapidly between joy and despair, between banality and transcendence.



I cannot bring myself to recommend any one of these discs over the others: they are all well recorded and I am sure that I will end up with the majority of both cycles on my shelves. If you have never heard Arnold's symphonies, then starting with 1&2 would make good sense, I guess, so perhaps that ought to be my primary recommendation."