Critics’ Choice 2023

“… Rumba and the BBC Philharmonic deliver finely shaped professional performances that enable sufficient tenderness and panache alongside the tidy balance of excellent sound engineering. In their hands, Arnold displays the breadth of his symphonic catalog: haunting pathos, forbidding power, impish humor, and best of all, sparkling orchestral color…”

***** Coup de cœur

“… I’m delighted to be able to report that the BBC Philharmonic’s performances under Rumon Gamba’s understanding direction leave absolutely nothing to be desired, and the vividly realistic Chandos sound is demonstration-worthy. An altogether outstanding release.”

“…The BBC Phil are brilliant … driven forward by Rumon Gamba. The riotous and jaunty The Padstow Lifeboat is a great finale, its easy charm realised despite the composer’s increasing mental frailty at the time.”

“…Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic are doing us a great service in revealing so much little known but first-rate music and establishing Malcolm Arnold as a 20th-century composer of the first order. They’re certainly inside every note in this CD and Chandos has, as usual, accorded them great sound.” ****

Performance ***      Recording ****

“… the performances find Rumon Gamba, the BBC Philharmonic and the engineering team on top form..”

“… The concerto [First Clarinet Concerto] receives a warm-hearted and virtuosic performance that does not shortchange the more melancholy aspects of the work while doing complete justice to the livelier segments… this disc should nicely fill a gap in one’s Malcolm Arnold collection.  Most of the works here have not been recorded all that often and the Clarinet Concerto No. 1 is always great to have in such a wonderful account.  Chandos has upheld its reputation for high-quality products here with substantial notes on the works …”

“…the music of one of the great British composers is finally receiving its due, not least because of the efforts of such labels as Chandos. This is a particularly attractive compilation with the Divertimento No 2 in particular deserving a far wider currency…”

Outstanding

“… Michael Collins is the splendid soloist, devouring plenty of notes, in the First Clarinet Concerto, music that turns on a sixpence in terms of mood and expression, severe one moment, cheeky the next… Philharmonic Concerto, a terrific piece … Rumon Gamba and the BBC Phil give a superb outing for this rollicking and (slow movement) bittersweet/eerie humdinger…”

“…This release is, I think, as convincing an introduction to Arnold’s music as can be found anywhere, searingly played by the BBC Philharmonic with Rumon Gamba at the helm. If you want to discover the missing dimension in English music, this is it.” ****