Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...
was finished in November
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
.
Background
The work was commissioned by the Rustam K. Kermani Foundation and given its first performance on 5 May 1979 in
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...
, with the
Albany Symphony Orchestra
The Albany Symphony Orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra based in Albany, New York.
Founded in 1930 as the People's Orchestra of Albany by Italian-born conductor John Carabella, the Albany Symphony is the oldest professional symphony ...
conducted by Julius Hegyi. It is the only Arnold symphony to have had its premiere outside the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
The work was written after Arnold had lived in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
for a few years, and it prominently features an Irish march. The march is a rare example of Arnold re-using his earlier material: it originated from his score to the film " The Reckoning" (1969).
Shortly after writing this work, Arnold lapsed into a seven-year musical silence during which he was hospitalised and treated for depression. The work seems to reflect some of the bleakness in Arnold's life at the time.
Structure
The symphony is in three
movements
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
:
I. Allegro
The movement begins with a discordant martial flourish. A simple marching tune emerges on piccolo and harp, against a disquieting backdrop of dissonant strings. This develops over the course of the movement, which ends quietly and uncertainly with an almost inaudible tam-tam stroke.
II. Andantino
An elegiac movement, which ends in a mood of hushed regret.
III. Vivace
The final movement opens with a slightly crazed upbeat character, in the vein of Arnold's lighter orchestral pieces. The string ''fugato'' section is reminiscent of the style of Shostakovich (who had died in the meantime, since the composition of Arnold's previous symphony), but this mood is contrasted by the return of the movement's opening theme in a cocktail-lounge percussive style. The symphony closes with confidence.
Instrumentation
The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum, tam-tam, glockenspiel, vibraphone, harp and strings.
Commercial recordings
*1991
Vernon Handley
Vernon George "Tod" Handley (11 November 1930 – 10 September 2008) was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mother into a musical family in Enfield, Middles ...
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 Conifer Records 74321-15005-2 (re-released on Decca 4765337)
*2001
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
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO; previously known as RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra) is the largest professional orchestra in Ireland. Housed at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, since January 2022, it used ...
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 ...
8.552001 (recorded 21–22 February 2000, in the presence of the composer)
*2001
Rumon Gamba
Rumon Gamba (born 24 November 1972) is a British conductor.
Biography
Gamba studied music at Durham University, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied conducting with Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin ...
and the
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at MediaC ...