Know, mainly, by his scores for the movies, with the oscarized The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) at the top, Malcolm Arnold has developed a splendid parallel labour on the Classical symphonic world, unfortunately not esteemed at its fair measure outside his country of origin. As an example of this, we have here the first recording of his last great orchestral work, his Symphony No.9 composed between 1985 and 1986, and after a lot of delays first performed in public on January the 20th of 1992, which becomes a piece of magnitude and maturity, feeled and personal, a terrific colophon to a long career. Structured on four movements, is on the last of them, a Lento of mahlerian dimensions and certain essence of Tchaikowsky's Symphony No.6 -the famous Pathétique-, sad and somber, where the score reaches its stupendous zenith; previously, a orchestral triptych fast - slow - fast on the line of his previous symphonic works. The CD, recorded in the presence of the own composer, concludes with a curious and interesting interview between Arnold and conductor Andrew Penny.

Symphony No.9, op.128 (1985/86) - 46:58
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland - Conductor: Andrew Penny
NAXOS - 8.553540 / 58'

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