1 Adagio teneramente – Allegro Vivo
2 Andante tranquillo
3 Finale – Vivo
My Sixth Symphony was commissioned by the Malcolm Arnold Trust to mark the composer’s centenary in 2021. It is dedicated in memory of Sir Malcolm Arnold with grateful thanks to his family and composed between December 2019 and March 2021.
No.6 is scored for smaller forces than its two predecessors and favours predominantly transparent, chamber like textures with prominent parts given to piano, timpani and harp which are often used as a self-contained group. These are the first sounds we hear, very softly in their low, deepest registers. From this emerges a wistful clarinet solo which influences the course of much of the work. The music gradually builds to a lyrical climax before easing into gentle duet where piccolo joins the harp and piano. This leads into the main Allegro, at first dominated by higher strings with light, active textures perhaps a little Mendelssohnian in style. The quiet energy continues eventually leading to a long string ascent, a full orchestral climax and then a short reminiscence of the opening Allegro.
The central part is a calm fugue whose subject is introduced by the 1st violins. This subject continually transforms itself into new shapes encompassing a variety of different colours, instrumental textures and sonorities, many of which are very delicate in expression. The last part features a further transformation of the initial subject, now in canon on piano and harp.
The last movement, which fuses the roles of Scherzo and Finale into one, begins without a break with clarinets, timpani and bass pizzicati. Much of this music is a freely composed variant on the Symphony’s opening clarinet tune but this time the mood is capricious, jolly and upbeat. Infact this music is perhaps the most obviously Arnoldian in spirit, though not necessarily in idiom, paying tribute to the magnificent, ‘effervescent’ Arnold of ‘Beckus’,’ Tam O’ Shanter’ and the earlier orchestral Dance Suites. The last part is a long controlled crescendo started very quietly on unison strings. There is plenty of revelry here and the odd deftly placed banana skin which I think Malcolm might have enjoyed also.
I am delighted and very honoured that this Symphony is being launched as part of the Malcolm Arnold 2021 Centenary celebrations.
Matthew Taylor (2021)
