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Originally posted by Marian Schedenig:
I should dig out Tam O'Shanter again. I think that's the only Arnold piece I have on CD. But it's wonderful.

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A damn fine piece it is too Marian.

r.i.p. Sir Malcolm

You can read the full interview here: http://scoremagacine.com/Entrevistas_eng_det.php?Codigo=4

May he Rest in Peace.

I consider his film scores to be among the finest works of music composed in the 20th Century. Of course, Arnold's concert music, the ballets like Hommage to the Queen or the various dance suites (Scottish, English, Cornish, etc.) and overtures, are wonderful as well.

To me Arnold belongs in the "pantheon" of the greatest composers, certainly of film music if not of all time.

THE KEY, THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN, BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER, THE LION, TRAPEZE, THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS, LISA, DAVID COPPERFIELD, AFRICA TEXAS STYLE, THE HEROES OF TELEMARK, NINE HOURS TO RAMA, HOBSON'S CHOICE, A HILL IN KOREA, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI and all the rest are just treasures. They're better than sex. They're better than ice cream. I don't even want to think of how impoverished I'd be going through life without them to listen to.

I just came back from watching FLYBOYS when I read about Arnold's death in the newspaper. FLYBOYS has a score by Trevor Rabin that was just one generic crescendo after another in the completely disgusting empty-of-emotion laid-on style that has taken over all film scoring today. Arnold's music could sound similar to itself too (he's not without his detractors though you can never call him generic), but the distance between what Arnold could do with his style and what passes for film music today is the distance between galaxies and ants.

Arnold had been ill for some time and hadn't composed in years. We already lost his output a while ago. But with his actual and final passing, I'm reminded again of what film music could be in the hands of a genius and how much I miss what we once regularly had and took for granted. There is nothing like Arnold's sound anywhere, the bold themes, the exotic color, the golden brass work, and his trademark string ascensions.