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Portrait of Malcolm Arnold

Malcolm Arnold

Post-War · 1921–2006

Malcolm Arnold began as an orchestral player, not a composer. Born in Northampton, England, in 1921, he became principal trumpet of the London Philharmonic while still in his early twenties, and the experience left him with a lifelong knack for writing music that players enjoy and audiences grasp at once.

He gave up the trumpet to compose full time and was astonishingly productive: nine symphonies, concertos for friends, ballets, and scores for over a hundred films, including The Bridge on the River Kwai, which won him an Academy Award. His tuneful, direct style drew sniffs from critics in a modernist age, but the craft was real, and the humor too; his A Grand, Grand Overture is scored for orchestra plus three vacuum cleaners and a floor polisher.

Start with the English Dances, two sets of short orchestral pieces that bottle his melodic gift, then A Grand, Grand Overture for the joke played absolutely straight.

111 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

  • Divertimento for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet, op. 37
  • 3 Shanties, for wind quintet, op. 4
  • 5 Pieces for Violin and Piano, op. 84
  • Clarinet Sonatina, op. 29
  • Duo for 2 Clarinets, op. 135
  • Fanfare for Louis, for 2 trumpets
  • Fantasy for Bassoon, op. 86
  • Fantasy for Cello, op. 130
  • Fantasy for Clarinet, op. 87
  • Fantasy for Flute, op. 89
  • Fantasy for Flute and Clarinet
  • Fantasy for Guitar, op. 107
  • Fantasy for Harp, op. 117
  • Fantasy for Recorder and String quartet, op. 140
  • Fantasy for Trumpet, op. 100
  • Flute Sonata, op. 121
  • Grand Fantasia, for flute, trumpet and piano
  • Overture for Wind Octet
  • Phantasy, for string quartet, "Vita Abundans"
  • Quintet no. 1 for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone and Tuba, op. 73
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano, op. 17
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano no. 1, op. 15
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano no. 2, op. 43
  • Sonatina, for recorder and piano, op. 41
  • Sonatina for flute and piano, op. 19
  • Sonatine, for oboe and piano
  • String Quartet no. 1, op. 23
  • String Quartet no. 2, op. 118
  • Suite Bourgeoise, for flute, oboe and piano
  • Trio for Flute, Viola and Bassoon, op. 6
  • Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano, op. 54
  • Woodwind Quintet, op. 2

Keyboard

  • 2 Piano Pieces
  • Dream City
  • Piano Sonata
  • Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong, op. 9

Orchestral

  • A Grand, Grand Overture, op. 57
  • English Dances, Set 1, op. 27
  • English Dances, Set 2, op. 33
  • 4 Cornish Dances, op. 91
  • 4 Irish Dances, op. 126
  • 4 Scottish Dances, op. 59
  • 4 Welsh Dances, op. 138
  • A Flourish, op. 112
  • Anniversary Overture, op. 99
  • A Sussex Overture, op. 31
  • Beckus the Dandipratt, comedy overture, op. 5
  • Clarinet Concerto no. 1, op. 20
  • Clarinet Concerto no. 2, op. 115
  • Commonwealth Christmas Overture, op. 64
  • Concertino for Recorder and Strings, op. 41a
  • Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra, op. 104
  • Concerto for Piano Duet and Strings, op. 32
  • Fantasy for brass band, op. 114
  • Fantasy on a theme of John Field, for piano and orchestra, op. 116
  • Flute Concertino, op. 19a
  • Guitar Concerto, op. 67
  • H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge, for military band, op. 60
  • Harmonica Concerto, op. 46
  • Little Suite no. 1, for brass band, op. 80
  • Little Suite no. 2, for brass band, op. 93
  • Little Suite no. 2, op. 78
  • Little Suite no. 3, op. 142, "A Manx Suite"
  • Machines, symphonic study, op. 30
  • Oboe Concerto, op. 39
  • Organ Concerto, op. 47
  • Overseas March, for military band, op. 70
  • Peterloo Overture, op. 97
  • Popular Birthday
  • Recorder Concerto, op. 133
  • Robert Kett Overture, op. 141
  • Saxophone Concerto
  • Serenade for Guitar and Strings, op. 50
  • Severn Bridge Variations: Var.1, for orchestra
  • Shakespearean Cello Concerto, op. 136
  • Symphony for Brass Instruments, op. 123
  • Symphony for Strings, op. 13
  • Symphony no. 1, op. 22
  • Symphony no. 2, op. 40
  • Symphony no. 3, op. 63
  • Symphony no. 4, op. 71
  • Symphony no. 5, op. 74
  • Symphony no. 6, op. 95
  • Symphony no. 7, op. 113
  • Symphony no. 8, op. 124
  • Symphony no. 9, op. 128
  • Tam O'Shanter Overture, op. 51
  • The Fair Field, op. 110
  • The Holly and the Ivy: Fantasy on Christmas Carols
  • The Padstow Lifeboat, op. 94
  • The Smoke, op. 21
  • The Sound Barrier, rhapsody, op. 38
  • Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps, op. 122
  • Water Music, for winds and percussion, op. 82

Stage

  • Bridge on the River Kwai
  • David Copperfield
  • Electra, op. 79 Ballet
  • Hobson's Choice
  • Homage to the Queen, op. 42 Ballet
  • No Love for Johnnie
  • Rinaldo and Armida, op. 49 Ballet
  • Stolen Face
  • Sweeny Todd, op. 68 Ballet
  • The Belles of St. Trinians
  • The Captain's Paradise
  • The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
  • The Roots of Heaven
  • Trapeze
  • Whistle Down the Wind
  • You Know What Sailors Are

Vocal

  • Return of Odysseus, cantata for chorus and orchestra, op. 119

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