Many consider Arnold's 1960 Fifth Symphony his greatest work. The Tempestuoso first movement exudes a dark character whose mood swings and angry outbursts often puzzle the listener. Its imaginative orchestration hints at the work of composers as diverse as Stravinsky, David Diamond, and Shostakovich, and its mostly anxious music comes across as deep and enigmatic, often yielding new facets on each listening. The second movement (Andante con moto) features a lovely, absolutely Mahlerian theme that imparts a sense of ...
Read More
Many consider Arnold's 1960 Fifth Symphony his greatest work. The Tempestuoso first movement exudes a dark character whose mood swings and angry outbursts often puzzle the listener. Its imaginative orchestration hints at the work of composers as diverse as Stravinsky, David Diamond, and Shostakovich, and its mostly anxious music comes across as deep and enigmatic, often yielding new facets on each listening. The second movement (Andante con moto) features a lovely, absolutely Mahlerian theme that imparts a sense of tranquility later disturbed by the dark middle section. The con fuoco third movement is certainly fiery and colorful, calling to mind the more exotic side of Vaughan Williams, especially in the menacing writing for low brass. The finale (Risoluto) is even more colorful in its orchestration -- chirping piccolos, raucous brass, thumping percussion, and a sense of militarism all impart a feeling of competing choirs from the orchestra until the lovely second-movement theme returns to gloriously...
Read Less