Product Review

Malcolm Arnold, like Dmitri Shostakovich, wrote a wide range of music, including music for film. But while Shostakovich's film music is generally looked down upon (having been mostly commissioned by the state), Arnold's film music aspires to the same level of seriousness (and delight) as his "important" works. Most familiar here is the music from The Bridge Over the River Kwai, which features Kenneth Alford's "Colonel Bogey's March." Fortunately these works are all orchestrated by the late Christopher Palmer; they would otherwise likely have languished in obscurity. Fans of Arnold's music will want this exceptional collection. --Paul Cook