Arthur Arnold
After releasing Russian composer Alexander Mosolov’s Harp Concerto and his Fifth Symphony in world premiere recordings on Naxos (Pizzicato review) Dutch conductor Arthur Arnold, Music Director of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, discovered the manuscripts of Mosolov’s 3rd and 4th symphonies in the Russian State Library and is preparing them for performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and for recording on Naxos.
Currently, Arnold is working closely together with music publisher Kompozitor St. Petersburg to create an official edition of the Concerto for Harp and Orchestra that will be available for performance in the near future.
An upcoming biopic by filmmaker Matthew Mishory, entitled Mosolov’s Suitcase, is also part of their multi-faceted plan to bring the composer more recognition.
“What Shostakovich was so afraid of – being deported at night – happened to Mosolov,” says Arnold. “How did the actions of the regime impact his writing? He has a clear change in style after his imprisonment, but why? Natural development, political influence, a combination? We will probably never know. It is clear however that the musical language of Mosolov is his unique own and needs to be heard. I feel privileged to be able to discover and study manuscripts of these never-performed symphonies and it is an honour to premiere and record them, so that Mosolov’s musical voice doesn’t get lost and will be known to a broader public.”
