The Symphony No. 2, Op. 40 by Malcolm Arnold is a symphony dating from

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

. Arnold composed the symphony on commission from the

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

Winter Garden's Society. He dedicated the score to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and conductor

Charles Groves Sir Charles Barnard Groves CBE (10 March 191520 June 1992) was an English conductor. He was known for the breadth of his repertoire and for encouraging contemporary composers and young conductors. After accompanying positions and conducting ...

, who premiered the work on 25 May 1953. The work is in four movements: I. Allegretto
II. Vivace
III. Lento
IV. Allegro con brio Commentators such as Donald Mitchell and Christopher Stasiak have noted Arnold's use of what they characterise as " Mahlerian clichés", or Mahlerian style and construction, in this symphony. By contrast, Hugo Cole observed that it is "a startlingly original work... bold enough to flout 'the spirit of the age' so outrageously."Cole, Hugo (1989) ''Malcolm Arnold: An Introduction to his Music'', Faber, , p. 55

Notable performances

*First performance: 25 May 1953 by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by

*London premiere: 3 June 1953 by the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

conducted by the composer *First broadcast: 9 February 1954 by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Gibson on the BBC Third Programme * BBC Proms premiere: 8 August 1956 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer

Commercial recordings

*1955 Malcolm Arnold and the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

on Philips Records NBL5021 (re-released on EMI 382 1462 (Conducted by the composer)) *1976

and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on EMI Classics HMV ASD 3353 (LP) CDM 566324-2 (CD) (Recorded by the dedicatee) *1995: Richard Hickox and the London Symphony Orchestra on

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Andrew Penny Andrew Jonathan Penny MBE (born 4 December 1952, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England) is an English conductor. He has recorded a complete cycle of Malcolm Arnold's symphonies. From 1982 to 2022, he was Musical Director of the ...

and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra on

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

8.553406 (recorded 10–11 April 1995, in the presence of the composer) *1994: Vernon Handley and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

References

External links

Chester-Novello page on the Symphony
Contains programme notes by the composer. {{Authority control Symphony No. 2 1953 compositions