One Foot in Stage & Screen

 

... and one foot in the concert hall.

If you enjoy Malcolm Arnold's orchestral dances or film music, this set of 10 overtures should be an easy listen.

There are many lush musical gestures reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood or Broadway (or their British version) in these scores. Best of all, Arnold imbues a nice mixture of wit aside the serious in each, providing material for general entertainment as well as musical worth.

For example, the rather grim Peterloo bears a lovely lyrical tune, which is contrasted with frenzied militant effects. The former is beautiful, while the latter is challenging, a wonderful microcosm of Arnold's compositions.

Tam O'Shanter tells the tale of a Scottish drunkard running afoul of evil spirits. Arnold wonderfully represents the character with a melody full of Scotch Snaps and drones, while the fantastical world around him is ably visualized by the composer. A sort-of Scottish Night on Bald Mountain, if you will.

And these are just two examples. Some lay on the celebratory side with brass-like fanfares such as the Anniversary Overture, some are on the more serious side with a touch more darkness such as Robert Kett, while others come full of glitz and glamor with jazzy rhythms and stage-like tunefulness such as The Smoke.

The colors Malcolm Arnold creates are wonderful. How he pairs piccolo with other instruments is always a treat, an instrument given to unexpected bi-tonal flourishes. He is very taken with the percussion section as well, although they sound a tad timid in this recording. In A Grand, Grand Festival Overture, the score not only requires chimes and pipe organ, the latter gloriously over loud, but also a side-show of vacuum cleaners, a floor polisher, and a quartet of rifles duking it out.

Suffice to say this recording is barrels of fun. Rumon Gamba with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra captures everything with a knowing nod and plenty of spirit. Malcolm Arnold recorded some of these overtures himself with the LPO, found on Reference Recordings. While it is good to hear that recording, Gamba on Chandos comes in 3-5 minutes faster than Arnold in each overture they share, showing the lively vitality imbued in these works here. Plus, Chandos offers a goodly number of overtures in comparison.

 

 

 

 

Works
A Grand, Grand Festival Overture (7.59)
Peterloo (10.08)
The Smoke (7.57)
Tam O'Shanter (8.17)
A Flourish for Orchestra (3.25)
The Fair Field (7.17)
A Sussex Overture (9.18)
Anniversary Overture (4.19)
Robert Kett (7.52)
Beckus the Dandipratt (7.57)

Soloists
Kathy Jones, principal vacuum cleaner
Helena Miles, solo principal vacuum cleaner
Chris Hoyle, section vacuum cleaner
Fiona McIntosh, principal floor polisher

Performers
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Rumon Gamba, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 2005
Total Timing: 75.43

 

 

 

 

If you aren't against humor and a good time, this recording of overtures from Malcolm Arnold should provide a lifetime of entertainment.

Those looking to ease their way into Arnold's music, should find this one an easy step as well.