Search - Malcolm Arnold, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Malcolm Arnold: English & Irish Dances; Scottish & Cornish Dances; Sarabande & Polka

"The late Trevor Harvey gave a warm and well-deserved welcome to the English, Scottish, and Cornish Dances, when these recordings, conducted by the composer, first appeared. Now with Arnold's latest set of Irish Dances added, as well as the two movements which were written to go with the two sets of English Dances as the ballet, Solitaire, it is even more of a winner. It is even more compelling than the very recent Chandos issue of the same coupling from Bryden Thomson and the Philharmonia. Arnold regularly takes a broader, more warmly expressive view without ever sacrificing tension, often springing rhythms more infectiously -- the analogue sound on the Lyrita issue is given a splendid transfer. It is less analytical than the Chandos, but with plenty of presence it is just as full and brilliant. The new items, in digital sound, very well recorded too, bring no feeling of inconsistency." - GRAMOPHONE The eighty-fifth birthday of Sir Malcolm Arnold (b. 1921) has provided the ideal occasion for the re-release of several of his irreplaceable Lyrita recordings conducting his own beloved works, of which these dances for orchestra are certainly the best known. This disc is one of the rare recordings to have all the dances on one CD, and of course the only one conducted by the composer. Although acknowledged early in his career as one of the great trumpeters of the age, the need to express himself through composition finally demanded all of Arnold's time. By the mid-1950s Arnold was often bracketed with Benjamin Britten and William Walton as one of the most sought-after of the "serious" composers in England. His catalogue includes nine symphonies, seven ballets, two operas, one musical, over twenty concertos, two string quartets, music for brass and winds, and 132 film scores including The Bridge on the River Kwai.