Symphony No. 2 (Arnold)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 2, Op. 40 by Malcolm Arnold is a symphony dating from 1953. Arnold composed the symphony on commission from the Bournemouth Winter Garden's Society. He dedicated the score to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Charles Groves, who premiered the work on 25 May 1953.
The work is in four movements:
- Allegretto
- Vivace
- Lento
- Allegro con brio
Commentators such as Donald Mitchell and Christopher Stasiak have noted Arnold's use of what they characterise as "Mahlerian clichés", or Mahlerian style and construction, in this symphony.[1] By contrast, Hugo Cole observed that it is "a startlingly original work... bold enough to flout 'the spirit of the age' so outrageously."[2]
- First performance: 25 May 1953 by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Groves
- London premiere: 3 June 1953 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer
- First broadcast: 9 February 1954 by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Gibson on the BBC Third Programme
- BBC Proms premiere: 8 August 1956 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer
