Arnold: Symphonies Nos. 1 And 2

Description

MalcolmArnold (b.1921) SymphonyNo.1, Op. 22 SymphonyNo.2, Op. 40 Malcolm Arnold was bornin 1921 in Northampton, where his father was awell-to-do shoe manufacturer. There was music in the family, both from hisfather and from his mother, a descendant of a former Master of the ChapelRoyal. Instead of the expected period at a public school, he was educatedprivately at home, particularly by his aunts, and subsequently with musiclessons from the organist of St Matthew's Church in Northampton. As a twelve-year-oldhe found a new interest in the trumpet and in jazz after hearing LouisArmstrong, and three years later he was able to study the instrument in London under Ernest Hall,subsequently winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where hiscomposition teacher was Gordon Jacob. Two years later he left the College tojoin the London Philharmonic Orchestra as second trumpet. Meanwhile he had wona composition prize for a one-movement string quartet. It was as an orchestralplay that he was able to explore the wider orchestral repertoire, in particularthe symphonies of Mahler.  Early in the 1939-45 warArnold was a conscientiousobjector, in common with other leading musicians. He was allowed to continuehis work as an orchestral player, and was appointed first trumpet. In 1943,however, he volunteered for military service, but was discharged, aftershooting himself in the foot, playing thereafter second trumpet to his teacherErnest Hall in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and then rejoining the LondonPhilharmonic, where he was principal trumpet until 1948. During these years hehad continued work as a composer, with a series of works that included thepopular overture Beckus the Dandipratt, a clarinet concerto and asymphony for strings, as well as a variety of chamber music, that included the ThreeShanfies for wind quintet.  From 1948 Malcolm Arnoldhas earned his living as a composer. In the 1960s he settled in Cornwall, where he becameclosely involved with musical activities in the county. In 1972 he moved to Dublin, his home for the nextfive years, and then, in 1977, to Norfolk. Over the years his work has been much in demandfor film scores, of which he has written some eighty , including music for theDavid Lean film The Bridge on the Rjver Kwaj, for which he won an Oscar,The Inn of the sixth Happiness and David Lean's The Sound Barrjer. Thereare concertos for flute, guitar, harmonica, French horn, oboe, organ, pianoduet and two pianos, the last for three hands for the use of Cyril Smith andPhyllis Sellick, recorder, trumpet, viola and two violins, nine numberedsymphonies, sinfoniettas, concert overtures and other orchestral works. Hischamber music is equally varied and there is a set of works for solo windinstrument, meeting the demands of competitive set- pieces.  In style Malcolm Arnoldhas a command of popular idiom and this may have suggested to some an unfavourableidentification with the world of light music. He is, in fact, a composer ofc