Handley Conducts Arnold (2006)

This may or may not be the greatest recording of the orchestral music of Malcolm Arnold ever released -- there have been some other terrific recordings by Richard Hickox and Arnold himself -- but it may be the single most representative recording of Arnold's many-faceted orchestral music ever released. There are several strong arguments for this position. First, it features the conducting of Vernon Handley, surely one of the great living English conductors and certainly the single most persuasive living advocate of Arnold's ... Read More

This may or may not be the greatest recording of the orchestral music of Malcolm Arnold ever released -- there have been some other terrific recordings by Richard Hickox and Arnold himself -- but it may be the single most representative recording of Arnold's many-faceted orchestral music ever released. There are several strong arguments for this position. First, it features the conducting of Vernon Handley, surely one of the great living English conductors and certainly the single most persuasive living advocate of Arnold's music. Second, it also features the London Philharmonic Orchestra, likewise one of the great English orchestras and the orchestra in which Arnold was first trumpet in the years after the last war. Third, it contains five works that hit all the major points of Arnold's diverse musical character: the comic Beckus the Dandipratt overture, the romantic suite from the film score The Inn of Sixth Happiness, the spectacular Flourish for a 21st Birthday (written for the LPO and receiving... Read Less