Teachout: The case for Malcolm Arnold
Critic Terry Teachout has written a contrarian piece for "Commentary" which argues that the late Malcolm Arnold, who died in September, has been wrongly overlooked by critics and listeners. Teachout's conclusion: "...of all the many composers to whose careers the postwar avant-garde laid waste, Arnold may well be the one whose posthumous reputation is destined to soar the highest. Though it was only months ago that I heard his music for the first time, I already feel confident in ranking him with Elgar, Vaughan Williams, William Walton, and Benjamin Britten as one of the greatest English composers of the 20th century."
1 comment:
I love Malcolm Arnold's music! What I've heard is very listenable. I like the Three Shanties for woodwind quintet and the Four Scottish Dances, which has a great drunken bassoon solo in the vivace movement--one of my all-time favorites; I see eMusic has this piece so I'm going to get it. Thanks for providing the impetus for this purchase! --Phil
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