The Early Piano Music
Composer: Sir Malcolm Arnold
Catalogue no: QT59 | ISMN 979-0-708-01559-8
This collection, published for the first time, dates from 1937 when Arnold was still only 15, to 1945 by which time he had composed his overture Beckus the Dandipratt, much chamber music and his 1st Horn Concerto.
PIANO SOLO
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Allegro (1937)
Three Piano Pieces (1937)
Serenade (1937)
Daydreams (1938)
Two piano Pieces (1941)
Three Piano Pieces (1943)
Prelude (1945)
This volume of seven pieces (including three suites) is a window on
the genius of the young Mr Arnold, set out chronologically from 1937 (when
he was just 15 years old) to 1945. While he is better known for orchestral and choral work, these historical jewels give a taste of the composer's first creative steps. A little gem.
Music Teacher Magazine
Malcolm Arnold is generally well-known for his orchestral works, wide variety of
chamber music, and film music rather than for shorter piano works. This
volume is a revelation of how his earlier works, over a period of some ten years
dating from the age of 15, show similar stylistic idioms as the later works which
are so familiar. The first four pieces (dated 1937) show a direct influence of Bach, with two pieces in the style of Bach's Prelude in C - an Air and a contrapuntal Gigue in E minor, the second being a later version omitting the original youthful clash of harmony. Serenade, "Day Dreams" , and Two Piano Pieces are all birthday presents to his mother over a period of five years, and show progressive technical accomplishment, with the final Prelude being a Christmas gift to her in 1945. Romance - the middle of Three Piano Pieces, which all show an increasing use of the pianistic range of sound and texture - is full of the familiar syncopated left-hand chord clusters that were later used in the slow movements of the Sonatinas for Clarinet and Viola. All these pieces offer an interesting insight into Malcolm
Arnold's growth as a composer, and the various influences of other musicians on
his work at different stages of development. With its uniquely original
style, this book deserves to be widely used by music students at all levels, not
just as a memento of a leading British composer but as a valuable source of
items worthy of concert performance.
Piano Journal
Queen's Temple Publications was founded in 1995 to make available interesting and useful wind chamber music, such as Sir Malcolm Arnold's important Wind Quintet Op. 2. Since then we have expanded to include music for piano, guitar, choral music and much more. Our publications have been selected by the major examination boards worldwide.
Our composers also include James Rae, Iain Hamilton, Charles Camilleri, Paul Harris, Timothy Bowers and many others. So if you are looking for fresh and unusual new repertoire, look no further!
Queen's Temple Publications is based in the United Kingdom.
Tel: 01280 813144
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