# SS 06.10.18 - Arnold #6



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*_For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Malcolm Arnold** (1921 - 2006)*

Symphony No. 6, Op. 95

1. Energico
2. Lento - Allegretto
3. Con fuoco

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and hopefully I'm actually posting this and not just thinking I am. Thanks again to Mika for stepping in again last weekend. This weekend it's British Composer Malcolm Arnold's Sixth Symphony. I've heard all of Arnold's symphonies but it's been quite some time. Happy to revisit it this weekend.

I'll be listening to this one:




Malcolm Arnold/BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Hickox via Spotify


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall go with this set


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll be listening to Andrew Penny conducting.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Hickox and London Symphony


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I am giving this one a spin later


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'll be listening to the Hickox too.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Handley for me on this one.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I'll be taking this from the CD cabinet:


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I shall go with the Naxos recording from the complete symphonies 'white box' set.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 108703
> 
> I shall go with this set


Been meaning to pick up this box. Vernon Handley sounds like a safe bet. I'm not familiar with his music, so I'll have to stream the symphony.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

DAH! It just dawned on me why I've seen so many posts for Malcolm's symphonies today. I've got some errands/chores to do now, but later today I'll either listen to Vernon Handley conducting the 6th or Richard Hickox as both are in the CD collection.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

D Smith said:


> I'll be listening to Andrew Penny conducting.


 This one for me, too.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Hickox for me.

View attachment 108738


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Listened to the Hickox version.

First movement: Much scurrying about, enough sforzandi to startle a small country. Occasional blares of 1950 SF movie scare-chords (shocking close-up of the head of the ant-monster, suddenly seen clearly). Interesting orchestration, quite a bit of fun throughout with Thoroughly Modern Malcolm.

Second movement: Eerie whispering slow chords move across the water – all is not well. After a time, distant drumming – a death galley, maybe? And how did Dr. Atomic’s trumpeter get in here? Central part is livelier; then the Drums in the Deep return, forte, before gradually fading. Sounds like the Balrog is going away, and a good thing that is!

Third movement: Perky, and now in a more major key. Very episodic. Our trumpeter is back but in a much better mood. Wham-bam close.

I like this symphony. It hangs together somehow, and what’s going on is always interesting. Lots of pieces to the puzzle, but none overstay their welcome. The nervous, strange, teeth-on-edge mood of the first two movements I found unusual and interesting.

Another nice choice for the Saturday Symphony.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

KenOC said:


> Listened to the Hickox version.
> 
> First movement: Much scurrying about, enough sforzandi to startle a small country. Occasional blares of 1950 SF movie scare-chords (shocking close-up of the head of the ant-monster, suddenly seen clearly). Interesting orchestration, quite a bit of fun throughout with Thoroughly Modern Malcolm.
> 
> ...


Funny impressions (which is not bad!)


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## Weird Heather (Aug 24, 2016)

I was slow to get to this, so I'm a bit late. I don't have it in my collection, so I searched online and found the premiere performance, conducted by the composer. This is an enjoyable one, with interesting orchestration and a lot of variety; it would certainly reward repeated listening. In general, I have liked Arnold's compositions, and I would like to get more, so I'll probably buy that Sony box set that others have mentioned - it has all of the symphonies and many other things. Strangely, the download version costs about three times as much as a physical copy; sometimes, the pricing structure of downloads makes no sense at all. I'll probably end up ordering the physical CDs, copying them to my hard drive, and throwing them in a box even though I'm trying not to acquire more CDs due to the space they take up.


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