Malcolm Arnold – Scottish Dances

I was at a concert at the weekend where they played Malcolm Arnold’s 'Scottish Dances'. Arnold wrote dance suites for the different nations of the U.K. as well as for Cornwall. I have fond memories of playing the 'Scottish Dances' and his second 'English Dance' suite; there’s something about his writing which makes it very entertaining to play.

i. Pesante

The first movement is based around a detached melody with scotch-snap rhythms. It starts with the strings accompanied by the woodwind and percussion, followed by a response by the trumpets and oboes. The lower brass provide a drone effect, probably to mimic bagpipes, though there are loud high horn interruptions. Arnold makes good use of the percussion throughout the piece, but particularly in this movement to fill the gaps in the melody; the drums and timpani become more prominent as the movement goes on, perhaps to create a sense of urgency.

ii. Vivace

The second movement, in contrast to the first, is more flowing and at a lively tempo; it has the feeling of a jig. The melody starts in with the clarinets before being joined by the flutes and piccolo; the strings providing pizzicato chords for emphasis before taking the melody over. Arnold shares the melody and harmonies around the different sections of the orchestra, each giving it a different colour. The clarinets return the bagpipe drone theme from the first movement before the mood of the music changes with a sluggish, drunken sounding melody from the bassoon; there are more slurs and dotted rhythms than in the opening. The addition of the bass drum makes everything sound very laboured. The opening music briefly returns in a short coda section.

iii. Allegretto

The third movement is like an air or aria with solos from different wind instruments. It opens with a harp motif and high string sustained chords before the solo flute melody begins. A solo oboe and piccolo then take over the melodic line, accompanied by harp glissandi. There is a call and response section between the strings and woodwind before solo piccolo and low strings continue the melody. The piccolo is set low in its register to give it a very fragile sound, I assume Arnold didn't want the quality of sound a flute would produce in the same register. The intensity of the accompaniment increases towards the end of each of the sections to build up to the change of instrument in the following section. A solo oboe passage leads into a section for horns and trumpets before the opening flute music returns with a gradually rising, diminuendoing phrase to end the movement. The movement provides a very effective contrast to the previous and following movements.

iv. Con Brio

The lively con brio movement always sounds as though it’s on the edge of control; loud, brash brass chords, again reminiscent of bagpipes, played over a rapid melody for the woodwind. The strings have an equally rapid melody beneath wind chords before the opening music returns with added percussion; first in the woodwind then in the strings. A brief passage for piccolos and percussion gives a bit of relief to the drama before the ramp up towards the end; the woodwind return with the opening motif but in a gradually rising sequence accompanied by further brass interjections and added percussion, all building in dynamic and texture to the final chords.