Richard Arnell(1917-2009): A Catalogue of the Orchestral and Choral Music

[Dundonnell]

From the early to mid 1960s onwards Arnell wrote very little if anything for conventional orchestral forces. He was engaged in all manner of experimental compositions for different combinations of mixed media and electronic forces. This, to at least some extent, explains the disappearance of his very substantial body of orchestral music from the landscape. It is to Dutton and Arnell's pupil Martin Yates that we owe the rediscovery of this wonderful, tuneful, romantic music


RICHARD ARNELL: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC

1938:   Sinfonia, no op. no.
1939:   Symphony for Strings, no op. no.
              Classical Variations for string orchestra, op.1  + (Dutton cd)
              Overture "The New Age", op.2  + (Dutton cd)
              Divertimento No.1 for piano and chamber orchestra, op.5
1940:   Overture "1940", op.6
              Divertimento No.2 for chamber orchestra, op.7
              Violin Concerto in one movement, op.9  + (Dutton cd)
1941:   Concert Suite No.1 "The Land", op.12
              Concert Suite No.2 "The Land", op.12(2)
              Sinfonia quasi Variazione, op. 13  + (Dutton cd)
              Secular Cantata for chorus and orchestra, op.15
              Fantasia for orchestra, op.17
             Sonata for Chamber Orchestra, op.18
             Classical Sonata No.1 for orchestra, op.19
             Symphonic Suite-Six Episodes for Orchestra, op.27
1943:   Symphony No.1, op.33 + (Dutton cd)
1942/1944):Symphony No.2 "Rufus", op.33 *  + (Dutton cd)
1945:   Cantata "The War God" for soprano, chorus and orchestra, op.36
             Canzona and Capriccio for Violin and small string orchestra, op.37 *
1944-45:   Symphony No.3, op.40  + (Dutton cd)
1946:   Piano Concerto, op.44  + (Dutton cd)
              Prelude "Black Mountain", op.46  + (Dutton cd)
1947:   Ballet "Punch and the Child", op.49  + (Dutton cd)
              Abstract Forms-Suite for string orchestra, op.50
              Concerto for Harpsichord and chamber orchestra, op.51
              (arrangement for Piano, op.51a)
1948:   Symphony No.4, op.52 + (Dutton cd)
              Incidental Music and Ballet "Caligula"
              Serenade for Ten Wind Instruments and Double-Bass, op.57
1949:   "Ode to the West Wind" for soprano and orchestra, op.59  *
1951:   Ballet "Harlequin in April", op.63  + (Dutton cd)
              and Ballet Suite, op. 63 b
1952:   Suite from the Film "Opus 65", op.65
               Symphonic Portrait "Lord Byron", op.67  + (Dutton cd)
1953:   Ballet "The Great Detective", op.68  + (Dutton cd)
1954:   Concerto Capriccioso for Violin and small orchestra, op.70  + (Dutton cd)
1955-57:   Symphony No.5, op.77 * + (Dutton cd)
1956:   "Landscapes and Figures" for orchestra, op.78
1957:   Ballet "The Angels", op.81 + (Dutton cd)
1958:   "Robert Flaherty-Impression", op. 87  + (Dutton cd)
               Divertimento Concertante for Cello and String Orchestra, op. 90
1963:   "Musica Pacifica" for orchestra, op. 101
1967:   "Sections" for Piano and Orchestra, op.110
              Concerto Minima for Double Woodwind Quintet
1968:   Overture "The Food of Love", op.112
              "The Town Crier" for narrator and orchestra, op. 118
              "Codes" for chorus and orchestra, op.126
              "Call"-Short Music for Harp and Orchestra, op.133
1986:   Ode to Beecham for narrator and orchestra, op.154
1992-96:   Symphony No.6 "The Anvil", op. 179  + (Dutton cd)
              Symphony No.7, op.201 post.  + (Dutton cd realized by Martin Yates)

[Dundonnell]

Following the completion of this list I listened again to the Seventh Symphony, as realised and completed by the conductor Martin Yates in the Dutton recording.
I found it even more moving than previously in the light of what I had learned from the research into Arnell's career.

Between 1939, when he graduated from the Royal College of Music in London aged 22 and travelled to the USA, and around 1958, when he was still aged only 41, Arnell wrote a huge amount of orchestral music in a rich, romantic, expansive, lyrical style. This music included the first five symphonies, wonderful, colourful, tuneful music. Although he enjoyed extraordinary success in the USA during the War and benefited from the support provided by Beecham for around ten years after he returned to Britain after the war, Arnell's star faded very quickly from the late 1950s. The music he wrote after around 1960 was much more 'progressive', acerbic and for decades he dabbled with mixed media, electronic and other 'advanced' techniques. He was now largely forgotten. Although Arnell returned to the conventional musical structure with the Symphony no.6 "The Anvil"(1992-96) that work seems to have little in common with the symphonies of the 40s and 50s.

In the last year or two of his long life Arnell was able to hear his early symphonies again in the splendid performances by Martin Yates on Dutton.

Symphony No.7 was, of course, never finished. Arnell's sight had almost completely failed and his hearing too was very poor towards the end of his life. Martin Yates has taken the sketches and, in some cases, very clear instructions and indications left to realise a symphony which is certainly a tribute to Nelson Mandela but is also a quite wonderful reconciliation and synthesis of the more modern-sounding Arnell of the previous 50 years with the glorious lyricism of his youth.
The 'big tune' of the finale is fully intended by the composer and being now so much more cogniscant of the history of Arnell's musical development I am so much more impressed and moved by exactly what this music signifies.

A clear case where the wider context does illuminate one's understanding and appreciation of a piece of music

[M. Henriksen]

Great to see Arnell's catalogue of works here. Thanks Dundonnell! Remember that the Classical Variations op. 1 and the Violin Concerto op. 9 are also recorded by Dutton. The variations on CDLX 7244 English Music for Strings and the concerto on CDLX 7221 coupled with concertos by Creith and Pitfield.


Morten

[Dundonnell]

Great to see Arnell's catalogue of works here. Thanks Dundonnel! Remember that the Classical Variations op. 1 and the Violin Concerto op. 9 are also recorded by Dutton. The variations on CDLX 7244 English Music for Strings and the concerto on CDLX 7221 coupled with concertos by Creith and Pitfield.


Morten

Indeed they are   I don't know how I missed them, especially considering that I have the cds

Many thanks for your correction. List duly amended

[M. Henriksen]

Too many CDs maybe?   


Morten

[Dundonnell]

Too many CDs maybe?   


Morten

Probably