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Title: Some of Arnold's Best
Review: Malcolm Arnold is an absolute master of the orchestra thanks to long experience as a player (trumpet) in London orchestras, to his experience as a film composer and conductor (Bridge on the River Kwai, for instance), and to his natural gifts as a composer. He has a strong, well-profiled melodic sense and a superb rhythmic sense. These overtures are prime examples in miniature form of his work, and the peformances are impeccable: authoritative from the man himself, who knows just how to get the results he wants from the players. He lets his creations bloom in a way that holds your attention - and brings you back for repeated hearings. If you do not know Arnold, this is a perfect introduction. If you do know his work, why are you reading this; you should be ordering it! (Technically, the disc is beyond reproach in the best Reference tradition.)
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