Arnold: Concerto & Orchestral Roundup

 

Cello Concerto
Flute Concertino
Fantasy for Recorder
Saxophone Concerto


While I already covered some of Sir Malcolm Arnold's concertos in a recording roundup (BLOG), ones not covered in Decca's Malcolm Arnold Edition, I found some more I wanted to hear. That said, most of this music on this Naxos release was edited, revised, or arranged by David Ellis, at the behest of Arnold himself, if I understand correctly. All this means is, listeners will probably hear as much Ellis as they do Arnold.

I'm glad I pursued this recording, for it is filled with Arnold-concertante bounty. The Cello Concerto is simply superb, hooking me in with that wonderful first movement. Of course, I am sure having Raphael Wallfisch on hand is the work's greatest boon.

The Flute Concertino is an orchestration of Arnold's Flute Sonatina, a work which passes amiably, if not unmemorably, by. The Saxophone Concerto is a refashioning of the composer's Piano Sonata, the latter I have recently heard. I remember that Piano Sonata having a jazzy interlude, so saxophone makes some sense here, with Arnold finishing off on a curious-sounding march. I am going to lay my allegiances here with Arnold though, and set my preference with the original composition, although it should be known that saxophone was never my favorite instrument.

The Fantasy for Recorder and String Quartet is a fun piece. The soloist uses four different instruments from the recorder family across its six movements. Arnold sets the instrument in a wide variety of moods and settings, where the recorder is given a host of musical feats to attempt. After hearing this work, one wonders if Sir Malcolm should have tried his hand at a piccolo concerto as much as he used it in his orchestrations. WARNING... make sure to have your windows closed and your house critters locked up when playing this Fantasy, for the sopranino recorder will cause distress in local fauna across its piercing range. 

I am more taken with the Northern Chamber Orchestra than I am the playing of the Manchester Sinfonietta here. The latter seems to have minor issues in this music, whereas the Cello Concerto is assured. That said, while I streamed this recording, I will be adding it to my collection posthaste, so much fun did I have with this music.

 

Serenade for Guitar

I love Arnold's writing for guitar. The Serenade for Guitar is a balm for the soul, with the composer sitting firmly in full film-score mode, chock full of swollen melodies amidst calm breezes for the guitar. Guitarist John Williams traversed Sir Malcolm's Guitar Concerto as well, yet I like this shorter Serenade for frequent visits.

What a wonderful vintage photograph of John Williams with Sir Charles Groves!

 

Irish Dances
Solitaire


I will admit, while I came to this recording for the two works listed above, I ended up going back and listening to the whole recording. Thomson is quite unfussy here, coming in faster than many other recordings. And yet, his drunken bassoon is a blast, and the full weight of the Philharmonia is sumptuous.

Solitaire was a ballet created around the two sets of Arnold's English Dances. For the production, the composer added two more dances, a Sarabande and a Polka. It is the Sarabande which wraps the listener in broad musical lines and lush harmonies, while the Polka moves along rather pokily, but eventually lets the trombones add their fun.

This is a firmly recommended set of Arnold's orchestral dances, although it must be said that the cathedral acoustic typical of the Bryden Thomson / Chandos collaboration will not please everyone. For me these elements are part and parcel of this particular team, one which represents musical Britannia proudly.

 

Welsh Dances

I do not remember the Welsh Dances fondly. Certainly, the darkness of Arnold's later life managed to find its way into the composer's later Dance suites, such as the Cornish and Irish Dances. By the time the Welsh Dances came around, the final set of orchestral dances from the composer, the music becomes rather sullen and moody.

Yet, I enjoyed these more than my memory provides, one reason I wanted to revisit them. They are still tuneful, and while the musical settings from Arnold are definitely heavier, he never settles in one direction for too long.

This whole set from Andrew Penny and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra needs a reappraisal from me. The Welsh Dances seem well played, but they were recorded at such a low level, it is difficult to get the balances correct for listening. Of course, I believe this recording is still the only place to hear the Welsh Dances. Surprising too, since this came from the mid-90s and Arnold's Dances are wildly popular.

Recording Roundup

Cello Concerto, op. 136
     Raphael Wallfisch, cello
  Northern Chamber Orchestra
  Nicholas Ward, conductor
Flute Concertino, op. 19a
Fantasy for Recorder, op. 140
Saxophone Concerto
     Esther Ingham, flute
     John Turner, recorder
     Carl Raven, saxophone
  Manchester Sinfonia
  Richard Howarth, conductor
  Naxos; 2011

Serenade for Guitar, op. 50
     John Williams, guitar
  English Chamber Orchestra
  Sir Charles Groves, conductor
  CBS, 1977

Irish Dances, op. 126
Solitaire
  Philharmonia Orchestra
  Bryden Thomson, conductor
  Chandos; 1990

Welsh Dances, op. 138
  Queensland Symphony Orchestra
  Andrew Penny, conductor
  Naxos, 1996

 

 

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