Nimbus Records bring
us an exciting, newly-recorded collection
of Sir Malcolm Arnold’s brass chamber
music, compositions ranging from 1961
to 1987. It is entitled the "Complete
Brass Chamber Music", which isn’t
entirely accurate, considering that
Conifer released "Music For Brass"
years ago with the Grimethorpe Colliery
Brass Band (recently re-issued on Decca
476 5348, UK only.), with many different
pieces, most notably the "Fantasy
for Brass, op. 114". This new release
makes a nice companion to that highly
recommended set.
The liner-notes make
no mention of Sir Malcolm’s passing,
so I can only assume that this disc
was stuck in production when he died
and has only been released recently.
The composer did know
about these recordings and writes the
following note in the booklet:
"In 1987 I
wrote my Quintet for Brass No 2 for
the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble. I am absolutely
delighted therefore that this fine group
of musicians have now recorded this
piece, along with many of my other works
for brass ensemble, for the Nimbus label.
The artistry and commitment that this
group bring to their performances is
truly exceptional.
Sir Malcolm Arnold,
- August 2006."
Fanfare for Louis
was written for the legendary jazz trumpeter,
Louis Armstrong, for Armstrong’s 70th
birthday in 1970; he passed away one
year later. Not surprisingly, there
is a very jazzy feel to this piece.
It is interesting to note that when
Arnold attended the Royal College of
Music, he dropped out after only two
years stating ‘they didn’t teach you
to play like Louis there’. It is interesting
that he eventually became a classical
and film composer, was trumpet section-leader
of the London Philharmonic, and never
opted to follow Armstrong’s steps into
the jazz world.
The Brass Quintet
No. 1 was previously recorded by
Fine Arts Brass in the vinyl LP era,
but has never been released on disc.
It was written for the New York Brass
Quintet, but the competition on disc
is from the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
recorded for Decca in the 1970s. That
recording is very good, but it is very
nice to have this piece in a modern
digital recording. The second movement
is very dark and brings to mind some
of Arnold’s later symphonies. The third
movement returns to the upbeat nature
of the first, with some very fun duelling
trumpet melodies over the top of the
lower brass.
The Nimbus producers
have wisely interspersed Arnold’s fantasies
between the larger pieces. Richard Sandland’s
and Simon Lenton’s notes sum it up best:
"Single-line music is often
difficult to listen to, at the worst,
one can feel like an intruder on private,
practice time." Arnold wrote
fantasies for every orchestral instrument
there is, though this collection limits
it to the four brass instruments. His
woodwind fantasies can be found on one
of Hyperion’s Chamber
Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold,
available on budget price Helios.
The Little Suites
have been transcribed for brass quintet
by trumpeter Simon Lenton. The first
and second have been recorded elsewhere,
but the Little Suite No. 3 has not.
They are all nice, but tend to sound
rather similar and perhaps would be
preferred in their orchestral or wind
band arrangements.
The most exciting piece
for Arnold collectors would have to
be the Brass Quintet No. 2. "Why
write No. 1 again?" the composer
said. It is only half the length of
the former, though the second movement
does sound a bit similar in form to
that of the second movement from Quintet
No. 1. The third movement brings to
mind a bit of the composer’s Irish
Dances.
The longest piece recorded
here is Malcolm Arnold’s Symphony
for Brass, also recorded on Decca
by the PJBE for whom it was written.
Like Quintet No. 1, the PJBE’s analogue
recording is very good, but it is nice
to get a brand new digital recording.
The FAB has an increased trumpet and
trombone section which gives the symphony
"more punch" compared to the
other pieces throughout this disc. The
third movement is especially brooding.
Composed during a time when the composer
was depressed, this is about as far
from the happy, upbeat nature of the
Fanfare for Louis as one can
get.
This disc is filled
to the brim - at just under 80 minutes
- with a wide range of genres of brass
music and can be easily recommended
to any fan of brass music.
Thomas Pridonoff
for details
Fine Arts Brass Quintet/Stephen Roberts
with Bryan Allen and Andy Culshaw (trumpets)
(Symphony), Simon Hogg, Kevin Pitt, and
Lyndon Meredith (trombones) (Symphony);
Simon Lenton and Angela Whelan (trumpets);
Tim Thorpe (horn); Katy Price (trombone);
Sam Elliott (tuba) 
