As a student, Malcolm Arnold fled the Royal College of Music and wrote a strongly worded letter to the Director, Sir George Dyson, detailing his criticisms, but was invited back.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Arnold's symphonies incorporate diverse influences like jazz, a passion since hearing Louis Armstrong in 1933, and Mahler, whose symphonies impacted him as principal trumpet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Critical Reception
Malcolm Arnold has often been criticized for alleged superficiality, leading Donald Mitchell to suggest he became a victim of 'the curse of popularity'.
Performer Biography
Richard Hickox, one of the conductors on this album, was Music Director of Opera Australia and founded the City of London Sinfonia in 1971.
Performer Biography
Rumon Gamba, another conductor on this album, was the first conducting student to receive the DipRAM at the Royal Academy of Music and has conducted orchestras worldwide.
Compositional Technique
Like Mahler, Malcolm Arnold integrates popular musical idioms into his symphonies, using parodistic distortion to suggest the dark side of the human condition.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Malcolm Arnold's symphonies are characterized by a wide range of influences, including the freshness of Berlioz and the expansive orchestral landscapes of Sibelius.
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