Here's an entirely appropriate coupling of the first two symphonies, superbly played by the LSO and given demonstration sound in what's surely an ideal acoustic for this music, with striking depth and amplitude and a wholly natural brilliance. The dynamic range is wide but the moments of spectacle – and there are quite a few – bring no discomfort. Richard Hickox shows himself to be thoroughly at home in both symphonies and the readings have a natural flow and urgency, with the two slow movements bringing haunting, atmospheric feeling.
The three-movement First Symphony opens with thrusting confidence on strings and horns, and at its climax, where the strings soar against angry brass ostinatos, the playing generates great intensity; then at the start of the slow movement the purity of the flute solo brings a calm serenity, which returns at the close. The plangent lyrical melancholia of the expansive march theme of the finale is filled out by some superb horn playing, which is enormously compelling. The first movement of Symphony No 2 brings a most winning clarinet solo (Arnold's fund of melodic ideas seems to be inexhaustible). There's an energetic, bustling Scherzo to follow, but again it's the slow movement that you remember, for its elegiac opening, its arresting climax and its lovely epilogue- like close.
Above all, these are real performances without any of the inhibitions of 'studio' recording.