Symphony for Brass

Malcolm Arnold

Malcolm Arnold

General Info

Year: 1978
Duration: c. 30:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Faber Music
Cost: Score Only - $23.95

Movements

1. Allegro moderato – Vivace – Tempo primo
2. Allegretto grazioso
3. Andante con moto
4. Allegro con brio

Instrumentation

Full Score
B-flat Piccolo Trumpet
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Tuba

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The first movement of this work starts in 4/4 time with the quarter note equaling 112 bpm. The mood is dark in character, using accompaniment instruments with syncopation. At rehearsal E triplets begin in the background under a trombone solo which leads to a vivace section in 9/8 at rehearsal F. At Rehearsal M the opening material, in the original tempo and meter returns. The second movement is in 3/4 time with the quarter note equaling 100 bpm. The material of this movement is based on a trumpet duet in the opening twelve measures. The following movement is in 4/4 time with the quarter note equaling 80 bpm with a Bruckner influenced character. It also features extended solos in the horn and trumpet. The last movement is in 3/4 time with the quarter note equaling 126 bpm. Overall this work is much more serious in nature compared to other works by Arnold, and contains challenging parts for all in the ensemble. It was premiered on 8 July 1979 by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Howard Snell conductor.

- Program Note by Jason Scott Ladd

Commercial Discography

• Audio CD Philip Jones Brass Ensemble

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England) Brass Ensemble - 31 January 2009
• Royal Academy of Music (London, England) Brass Ensemble – 2 October 2008
• Royal Scottish Academy of Music (Glasgow) Brass Ensemble – 25 January 2007

Works for Winds by this Composer

• Concerto for Oboe and Strings (arr. Watts) (1952)
• Divertimento for Wind Octet (1988)
• English Dances, Book One (tr. Johnstone) (1950/1965)
• English Dances, Book Two (tr. Herbert) (1951/1989)
• English Dances, Book Two (tr. Sudduth)
• English Dances Set 2 (tr. Thompson)
• Fanfare for a Festival (arr. McDermott) (1955/1986/2000)
• Fanfare for Louis, 1970
• Four Cornish Dances (tr. Marciniak)
• Four Scottish Dances (tr. Paynter) (1957/1978)
• Four Welsh Dances (tr. Parkes)
• A Grand, Grand Overture (tr. Wilson)
• H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge (1957)
• The Inn of Sixth Happiness (arr. Suzuki) (1958/)
• Overseas
• The Padstow Lifeboat, op. 94
• Peterloo Overture (tr. Sayre)
• Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo (tr. Paynter) (1963/1979)
• River Kwai March, The (1957)
• Sarabande and Polka from Solitaire (tr. Paynter)
• Symphony for Brass, op. 123
• Symphony No. 2: Allegretto and Vivace, op. 40 (tr. Parkes)
• Symphony No. 2: Finale, op. 40 (tr. Sudduth)
• Tam O'Shanter Overture, op. 51 (tr. Paynter)
• Trevelyan Suite, op. 96
• Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps (trans. Braddock) (1978/2019)
• Water Music, op. 82

Resources

• Novello Website
• [https://fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu%3A254172/datastream/PDF/view Ladd, Jason Scott. An Annotated Bibliography of

Contemporary Works Programmable by Wind Band and Orchestra. 2009. Florida State U, PhD dissertation.]