With one exception
all the items in this collection have
been recorded before. However, this
generously filled CD contains the most
comprehensive assembly of Arnold overtures
that I’ve ever come across.
A friend (and fellow
reviewer) remarked to me a few days
ago that Arnold’s music always sounds
distinctive and easily recognisable
as his. I agree, but with the important
caveat that there’s a tremendous amount
of variety in Arnold’s output. What
is distinctive is the often flamboyant
and tremendously inventive and understanding
way in which he orchestrates – the sure
sign of a composer who, as a former
orchestral musician (with the London
Philharmonic), is steeped in the ways
of the orchestra.
Although there is a
serious side to some of the music performed
here, for the most part the members
of the BBC Philharmonic sound to be
having great fun. This is the right
time to say that the playing on display
here is tremendous. Moreover, it has
been captured in spectacular, thrilling
sound. Rumon Gamba conducts the pieces
superbly, with wit, panache and great
verve.
Some of the pieces
are quite well known (though we don’t
hear Arnold’s overtures in the concert
hall with any great regularity, more’s
the pity.) Both Tam o’ Shanter
and the early Beckus the Dandipratt
will be fairly familiar. And then, of
course, there’s A Grand, Grand
Festival Overture, the hilariously
cliché-ridden composition written
for Gerard Hoffnung’s 1956 Festival
at the Royal Festival Hall. (A Hoffnung
cartoon graces the CD cover, by the
way.) It is typical of the thoroughness
and enterprise of this CD that Chandos
have spared no expense and have engaged
a quartet of very distinguished soloists
to take part in this piece. Quite rightly
these virtuosi are all individually
credited but why, I wonder, are the
equally important rifle brigade soloists
not named?
In four of these pieces
this new CD faces competition from the
composer himself, who conducts the LPO
on a Reference Recordings CD (RR-48CD).
This was set down in 1991, in Arnold’s
seventieth year. There are many fine
features to Arnold’s recordings of these
overtures and, of course, they carry
the stamp of authenticity. Having said
that I found Gamba’s readings to be
preferable in virtually every respect.
He paces each of the pieces extremely
well and is markedly quicker than the
composer. It’s instructive to compare
timings:
| |
ARNOLD |
GAMBA |
| The Smoke |
11’56" |
7’57" |
| A Sussex Overture |
12’11" |
9’18" |
| Beckus the Dandipratt |
10’45" |
7’57" |
| The Fair Field |
9’17" |
7’17" |
I haven’t had access
to any scores so I can’t be 100% certain
that the texts that are played are identical
but I’m pretty sure that Gamba makes
no cuts, so the difference is explained
by a swifter overall approach to the
music. In some cases I find Arnold’s
more measured approach works very well.
However, in The Fair Field, for
example, I much prefer Gamba’s account
of the important waltz music in which
he finds more lilt and fantasy than
does the composer, who sounds a bit
heavy by comparison. In Beckus the
Dandipratt comparisons are even
more in Gamba’s favour. There’s an infectious
zest and relish in every bar of his
reading as he and his players conjure
up an irresistible impression of a cheeky
young urchin. Against this, the composer’s
performance sounds rather tame, I’m
afraid.
Among other highlights,
Gamba does Peterloo very well.
The opening and closing music evidences
Arnold’s ability to write a damn fine
tune. In between, the splendidly pictorial
depiction of the massacre itself is
extremely vivid. (Is this a small-scale,
English equivalent of Shostakovich’s
Eleventh symphony?) When the Big Tune
is reprised quietly, after the tumult,
it’s really quite moving in this performance
(track 2, 6’50")
There are some splendidly
tipsy bassoons in evidence at the start
of Tam o’ Shanter, followed at
once by some stunningly recorded percussion.
This whole piece is superbly characterised.
Gamba gives a biting, extrovert performance
of The Smoke and the eerie, quiet
central section comes over most effectively.
The Waltonian Sussex Overture
is played with tremendous panache.
There’s some hugely
entertaining music on this CD. Rumon
Gamba conducts with consistent incisiveness
and flair. With the BBC Philharmonic
responding with great enthusiasm this
is a pretty unmissable disc. I urgently
recommend it.
John Quinn
Malcolm
Arnold Society
Gerard
Hoffnung Website
The
Life and Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold
- The Brilliant and the Dark by Paul
R.W. Jackson
*Kathy Jones (principal vacuum cleaner); Helena
Miles (sub principal vacuum cleaner); Chris Hoyle
(section vacuum cleaner); Fiona Macintosh (principal
floor polisher) 
