Arnold: Concertos

 

Having come off of this same Decca Malcolm Arnold Edition set of symphonies, the concertos are of a whole different character.

Each are largely quite short in length and efficient in music making. Nor do they have any pretensions of carrying the emotional weight which the symphonies bore.

Instead, each concerto is a brief three-movement bon-bon, mixing wit and seriousness, filmic lushness against dissonant modernism, and solo instrument with orchestra.

The soloists are each extremely capable, mostly a who's who of British instrumentalists. One or two even feature the soloist Sir Malcolm Arnold dedicated a specific concerto to, such as the Recorder Concerto and the Fantasy on a Theme of John Field. 

I personally prefer the sharp wit of the Two-Piano Concerto or the rusticity of the Harmonica Concerto over the overly serious and wiry concertos. That said, Arnold is never too far away from an identifiable motive or interesting orchestral textures and colors, plus you really get to hear the range of each solo instrument he writes for.

Most of the performances are lead by Mark Stephenson leading the London Musici, although the likes of Vernon Handley, Barry Wordsworth, David Atherton, and Okku Kamu pop up here and there. So too, most of this set takes from the Conifer series, with only a few from Decca and its sub-label Argo. And with the exception of the Concerto for 28 Players and the Philharmonic Concerto, each concerto features one or two soloists.

If there is something missing, it is the Oboe Concerto and the Trumpet Concerto. These are major works from Arnold's oeuvre, although Decca does include the little known Oboe Concertino. I suppose one could even lament the absence of the rare Gastronomic Concerto as well.

All in all, though, I enjoyed my time with this set. I am glad Arnold offers something different from his Symphonies, for these little Concertos are full of sly wit and instrumental virtuosity and varied moods. Please refer to my individual review of each CD in my works series posts.

 

 

Soloists
Kenneth Sillito & Lyn Fletcher, violin
Rivka Golani, viola
Karen Jones, flute
Michala Petri, recorder
Nicholas Daniel, oboe
Michael Collins, clarinet
Richard Watkins, horn
David Nettle & Richard Markham, piano
John Lill, piano
Tommy Reilly, harmonica
Eduardo Fernandez, guitar

Ensembles
BBC Concert Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Vernon Handley, conductor
English Chamber Orchestra
    Barry Wordsworth, conductor
London Sinfonietta
    David Atherton, conductor
London Musici
    Mark Stephenson

Label: Conifer / Argo; Decca
Year: 1979-1997; 2006
Total Timing: 4.33.16

 

 

 

An excellent set to hear the lighter side of Malcolm Arnold's absolute music. 

Even so, there is a nice mix of the serious and lighthearted across these seventeen works. Furthermore, I hear little to quibble about regarding these performances either.

 

 

 

 

Find more Arnold recordings HERE!