MAESTRO The Journal of the Society No. 3 October 2016 ISSN 2056-984X Movt.3: 2’09”. Total: 10”05”. strength, thus leaving lots of sonic [2] Searching through the BBC Genome [According to Sigmund Groven this space around the , so that it website reveals that Tommy Reilly made recording was “Tommy’s own fa- is never in danger of being swamped several other broadcasts in the UK. These vourite performance”. The Chandos by the instrumental forces arrayed included the following: liner notes were written by Timothy behind it.”] (a) Light Programme, BBC Concert Maloney, Head of the Music Division (c) Sinfonietta/David Atherton Orchestra/Vilem Tausky, Central at the National Library of Canada. In on Argo ZRG 905 (coupled with Hall, Chatham, 13 April 1963 (Gala one telling sentence, Maloney identi- concertos by Villa-Lobos and Arthur Concert Hall) fies how Arnold creates a unique Benjamin; recorded and released in (b) Radio 4, BBC Welsh Orchestra/John accompaniment for the soloist: “What 1978, this LP record was never re- Carewe, Odeon Theatre , Llandudno, Arnold has done here is to exploit the issued on CD) 2 June 1968 (broadcast on 9 colour possibilities of the accompany- Timings: Movt.1: 3.49”; Movt.2: 3.41”; November 1968) ing instruments rather than their brute Movt.3: 1.59”. Total: 9’29”. (c) Radio 3, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ole Schmidt, 26 July 1983

2. James Hughes: playing with Arnold

Reilly, however, was not the only harmon- birthday) ica player to broadcast the Arnold concer- (c) Radio 3, BBC Concert Orchestra/ to during this period. James Hughes, the Terence Lovett, 24 February 1973 Midlands-based player, did so on several (Ernest Read Children’s Concert, occasions and with different conductors: broadcast direct from the Royal in one memorable performance with the Festival Hall, London) on the rostrum. [1] (d) Radio 3, BBC Concert Orchestra/ In a recent letter to me Jim recalls: Maurice Handford, 30 November “The outstanding performance for 1983 me was the one where Malcolm Arnold was the conductor. He allowed me to [2] A few years ago one of Jim’s pupils take a few liberties with the score where from Solihull School in the West Midlands previous conductors were less lenient. was the young harmonica player Philip It’s very difficult to describe how I felt Achille, who in 2005 had won both the about performing this work, except to say National Harmonica League Player of it was both demanding and enjoyable. I the Year award and the World Youth will never forget the first time I rehearsed Solo Harmonica Championship. Jim had James Hughes the piece: I nearly jumped out of my skin also encouraged Philip to study Arnold’s when the brass section came in at such a able to read books or music notation, but concerto for a concert in Birmingham: volume! It completely drowned the sound I have fond memories of a life in music.” unfortunately the right opportunity never of the harmonica and for a while left me presented itself though, as Jim Hughes quite disorientated. The great thing about [1] Performances listed on the BBC reminded me recently, “He would have this concerto is its brevity: at around 10 Genome website include: done a great performance.” minutes it fits beautifully into any orches- (a) Radio 4, BBC Concert Orchestra/ [Philip Achille also provides us with an tral programme. Vilem Tausky, 21 October 1967 (Gala interesting link to the subject of our next “Looking back at my sixty-plus years Concert Hall) essay, Antonio Serrano. Philip was a final- as a professional musician and teacher,[2] (b) Radio 3, BBC Concert Orchestra/ ist in the 2008 Eurovision Competition I am delighted to have had the oppor- Malcolm Arnold, 19 October 1971 for Young Musicians held in Austria, as tunity to perform this work. I am now (the second of four programmes was Antonio in the 1992 event held in retired and with failing eye-sight no longer in celebration of Arnold’s fiftieth Belgium. ]

3. Antonio Serrano: a chance meeting with Adler

Antonio Serrano was born in Spain in performance of the Arnold concerto 1974 and began studying music at the with the Belgian National Orchestra Spanish Harmonica School at the age of conducted by Ronald Zollmann. This was six. Ten years later he began his stud- recorded at the Royal Circus of Brussels ies with Larry Adler who, as we learn, in June 1992 as part of the final concert encouraged him to hear the Malcolm of the 6th Eurovision Competition for Arnold concerto. Antonio went on to Young Musicians.[1] Antonio Serrano win medals at the first World Harmonica was placed second, the overall winner Championship held in Jersey in 1987 being Bartolmiej Niziol, a Polish violinist. and again at the second championship Highlights of all the performances were in Trossingen, Germany, in 1990. We issued on a Pavane CD ADW 7286, the are fortunate to be able to hear his ‘live’ Arnold concerto being short enough to

26 MAESTRO: The Journal of the Malcolm Arnold Society be played in its entirety. interplay of rapid semi-quaver sextuplets There is another performance by between harmonica and orchestra. This Antonio Serrano which can be viewed material combined with various counter- on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ melodies concludes this remarkable watch?v=qs2pP3Mksc4. movement, which explores many of the [1] The Eurovision Competition was harmonic and melodic possibilities of the created in 1982 and was the result of harmonica. co-operation between members of the Movement 2. Arnold has orches- EBU, who each selected a musician to trated the second movement with such take part: the musician had to be a solo original instrumentation that it creates a instrumentalist born after 1 January 1973. somewhat eerie atmosphere throughout, The finalists were given the opportunity where brass, percussion and harmonica to play in a public concert with orchestra, blend together to create a unique sound. and the entire concert was also broad- The main theme is a simple melody in D cast. The inaugural competition was held minor introduced first by the harmonica in Manchester in 1982, subsequently in in bar 5 and then played by each brass Geneva (1984), Copenhagen (1986), section in succession: first by the French Amsterdam (1988) and Vienna (1990). horns, then by the trumpets, before the The 1992 Jury President was Carlos harmonica picks it up again, and finally Paiti and other members included Aldo the trombones play it once more. It is Antonio Serrano Ciccolini and Noel Lee. interesting to note that each time the main theme re-appears it is played one * In an article written in May 2011, The Arnold Harmonica Concerto: an semitone lower. Antonio Serrano recalls his first meeting essay by Antonio Serrano Movement 3. The third movement has with Larry Adler: Introduction: The first time I heard this a Spanish flavour and my intuition tells “I was only thirteen years old when I concerto was on a cassette tape lent to me that Malcolm Arnold must have heard first met [him]. This was during the First me by Larry Adler* on which he played Larry Adler play Lecuona’s Malaguena and World Harmonica Championship held in works for harmonica and orchestra. For that could have inspired him to write this Jersey in 1987 ... after one of my perform- some reason, Malcolm Arnold’s concerto movement in this manner: however, this ances as a chromatic harmonica soloist a was the track I kept playing again and is just a personal, non-scientific opinion. middle-aged Latin-American woman came again. You could say it’s a miniature con- The construction of this movement is up to my father and me and, after intro- certo: although it has three movements, similar to that of the first, with rhythmic ducing herself as Larry Adler’s fiancée, the whole piece is only about 9 minutes material from the orchestra introducing told us that [he] had been impressed long. [As is the case with so many other the main theme played by the soloist. by my skill at the instrument, being so Arnold concertos, “less is more” – Ed.] There is not too much time for develop- young, and that he would like to invite Here’s my brief analysis of the score: ment as each contrasting theme appears me to play with him at a concert in Paris. Movement 1. The concerto starts with successively with short virtuosic interludes Immediately, my father said that it was a a big suspended C chord followed by the between them. An exciting conclusion great idea and that I would be honoured snare drum and timpani playing four qua- starts to build up from a tempo change to play with Larry. At the time, I didn’t vers which set the tempo: this rhythmic (marked Presto) with an ostinato in qua- really know who Larry Adler was, but motive will be used throughout the whole vers that brings back some material from watching my father I could tell that some- movement. After four bars the main the first movement leading progressively thing serious was going on. We went to theme is presented by the solo harmonica to a very lively coda. have lunch with Larry and after a while he supported by underlying tonal harmonies Conclusion: In my opinion this piece figured out that I didn’t have a clue about in a very unconventional progression is the most inspired work written for who I was having lunch with! ... Looking [namely C9 (sus4) – E7 – C9(sus4) – F#9]. harmonica and orchestra. I’ve had the back and thinking how fortunate I was to A short interlude sees the return of the opportunity of playing it myself with meet him when I was a kid, it comes to main theme, leading to the second theme different orchestras on several occasions my mind that maybe music is basically of the movement again presented on the and it has always been a great musical about being in the right place at the right harmonica. However, this second theme experience, especially when it comes to time...” is more agile, indeed, more angular than the second movement which is a compo- the first, and it soon develops into a fast sitional masterpiece.

4. Robert Bonfiglio: ‘The Paganini of the Harmonica’ Robert Bonfiglio was born in 1950 in Aaron Copland and Charles Wuorinen, he has played more than 250 times with Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduat- who also encouraged him to take up the over different 70 orchestras! ing from the University of Arizona with harmonica as a soloist. He premiered Bonfoglio, however, did not abandon a chemistry degree, he moved to New Henry Cowell’s Harmonica Concerto in his first musical love, the blues, and by York, where he obtained a master’s 1986 and recorded both the Cowell and the latter half of the 1980s he had proven degree at the Manhattan School of Music. Villa-Lobos concertos, the latter becoming himself a virtuoso in both genres. This His teachers there included John Cage, his signature performance piece: a work virtuosity in performance had earned

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