Readers will not require a
detailed biography of Cyril Scott (1879-1970). However, a few pointers may be
of interest. In the last years of the nineteenth century, Scott studied in
Germany under Iwan Knorr. He was one of the ‘Frankfurt Group’ which also included
Roger Quilter, Henry Balfour Gardiner, Percy Grainger and Norman O'Neill.
Although Cyril Scott is remembered typically for his short piano pieces and to
a much lesser extent his songs, his musical achievement covered a wide range of
genres. These include operas, symphonies, concerti and orchestral music. Often regarded as the ‘English Debussy’, he
has written music that is sensitive, makes use of impressionist harmonies and
devices, as well as presenting intensely poetic ideas in music. Yet, this is
not the full story. Scott did not shy away from progressive techniques and
explored the use of shifting metres and time signatures, unorthodox chordal
progressions and capricious modulations. Beside his musical composition, he was
an enthusiastic author writing about ‘alternative’ medicine, adult education
and occult philosophy.
In the first years of the 21st
century, the Canadian pianist Leslie De’Ath issued a definitive collection of five
CDs (nine discs) on the Dutton Epoch label, which covered the ‘Complete Piano
Music’ of Cyril Scott. Clearly any subsequent recital of Scott’s piano music
will be judged against this magnum opus. The present soloist Nino Gvetadze is
never found wanting.
The present CD opens with the
lovely cradle song ‘Berceuse’. This is a dreamy piece that would certainly lull
the senses of a child of any age.
I did not really know the five Poems
written in 1912. I guess that I have heard them before but have never really
listened. That was my loss. Leslie De’Ath states that some critics think that
this is Scott’s ‘most accomplished mature piano cycle.’ They are certainly
skilful and original in effect. It is unusual
in that each piece (in the score) is prefaced by a poem written by the
composer. The titles of these are: ‘Poppies’, ‘The Garden of Soul-Sympathy’, ‘Bells’,
‘The Twilight of the Year’ and ‘Paradise Birds’. Each number offers music that
is largely ‘non tonal’ and somewhat free rhythmically. A contemporary reviewer
noted that the ‘constant changing time signatures and numerous accidentals were
perplexing to the eye.’ Eaglefield Hull in his study of the composer thinks
that ‘it is an interesting occupation to decide whether the poetry or the music
achieves the mood with the greater delicacy and the surer touch.’ I enjoyed
these pieces, probably helped by being able to follow them with the score. I tend to plump for being more impressed by
the music than the verse: the words are just a little too sugary and
pre-Raphaelite for my taste.
For many listeners Cyril Scott’s
reputation as a composer of piano music rests with the exotic ‘Lotus Land’,
op.47, no.1 composed in 1905. If any piece conjures up the then-popular
orientalism, it is this one. The listener should look out for the cool pentatonic
figurations (black notes on the piano and their transpositions), the gentle
drone-like accompaniment, the ravishing arabesques and the glittering
glissandi. This languid music is intoxicating in its effect. A perfect piece of
impressionism written by a lad from Birkenhead!
‘Water Wagtail’ is almost as
popular as ‘Lotus Land’. It mimics musically
the bird’s dipping motion. This is a scrumptious, ‘spontaneous’ little piece
that never ceases to amaze and delight.
‘Sphinx’ (1908) is another
example of music appealing to the period’s obsession with the Middle and Far
East. This time, it is Egypt. Here Scott balances some ‘mystical’ chords, an
even more mystical incantation and a climax that seems to come from nowhere.
The piece ends in introspective mood. It is really a picture post card from
Giza, Cairo. I wonder what Cyril Scott would have thought if he had known that,
in 2020, there was a Pizza Hut not 100 yards from the Sphinx?
The ‘Intermezzo’ is the third of
Scott’s Four Pieces for piano published in 1910. This introduces a
gorgeous melody accompanied by arpeggiated chords on the left hand. It reminds
the listener of Chopin. This is straightforward music, but perfectly stated.
To the esoteric mind, Summerland
is a place where the soul goes to reflect on its past life and to plan for
eternity. Scott’s short suite includes ‘Playtime’, ‘Song from the East’, ‘Evening
Idyll’ and ‘Fairy Folk’. It is hard to know whether this is a little work for
younger pianists or if its philosophical underpinning requires a more mature
hand. The two most pleasing numbers are the first two. This music owes much to
Edward MacDowell and Edvard Grieg.
Three pieces on this CD refer to
the traditions of the Italian commedia dell’arte and French pantomime. The Two
Pierrot Pieces contrast a chromatically lugubrious and maudlin Pierrot in
the opening ‘Lento’ with a musically light-hearted portrayal of him in a happy
and cheerful mood. They are two remarkable little pieces that share something
of the ‘sad sentimental vulgarity of the music-hall’. ‘Columbine’ is a charming portrait of
Pierrot’s lover. It is full of fascination, ‘feigned’ etiquette and gentle
flirtation.
The Three Little Waltzes
could be written off as ‘mere’ salon music. But for me there is something
touching about these short pieces. Composed when Scott was studying at
Frankfurt, they are ‘backward glances’ at half-remembered nights at the dance.
They could be derided as being over-sentimental, especially the second number. To
me, they are well-written, honest to goodness pieces.
For most people these days Jungle
Book is epitomised by the wonderful Walt Disney animated film released in
1967. In 2016, Disney remade the film. I
have seen the former several times, but not the latter: I am not an enthusiast
of film ‘remakes.’ What is often forgotten is the original text underlying
Mowgli’s journey of discovery. Rudyard Kipling is an author that often troubles
‘woke’ bibliophiles, but his Jungle Book (along with much of his
fiction) is well worth reading today. George Orwell, not a great fan of
Kipling, made a definitive statement about the author: ‘every enlightened
person has despised him...nine-tenths of those enlightened persons are forgotten,
and Kipling is in some sense still there.’ When Cyril Scott composed his Impressions
from the Jungle Book, Kipling was highly regarded: there was little doubt
that he was an important and innovative author. Scott’s Impressions, of
which there are five, may be regarded as being naïve. Certainly, there is a
cinematographic ‘realism’ about some of them, such as the ‘Dance of the
Elephants’ and the sinuous ‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the Snake’. The extract presented
here, ‘Morning Song of the Jungle’ is not programmatic or descriptive: it is
quite simply a mood picture. It could evoke early morning in the depths of the
jungles of India or the River Thames on a misty morning at Isleworth. Quite
lovely.
The final work is the second
piece from the short suite Over the Prairie. The track listing does not
mention this fact. This music is evocative of the ‘uncanny eeriness’ of the
wide-open space. Although I appreciated Gvetadze’s account of this lovely
piece, I do think that it is played here just a wee bit too slowly. Certainly,
Leslie De’Ath performs this at what I would regard the correct tempo,
‘allegretto’. Finally, could the opening ‘andante’ of this delicious Suite not
have been ‘squeezed in’?
The liner notes consist of four
parts. Firstly, Nino Gvetadze presents a short appreciation of Cyril Scott, and
explains how she came to enjoy his music. This is followed by a superb
introductory essay by the late Desmond Scott, written in 2005. There is the
usual resume of the performer. A bonus here are the texts of the ‘verses’
printed in the score of the Poems (1912) noted above. The only issue I
have with the booklet is that there is no discussion or analysis of the works
included on this disc. No dates for each work are given. I had to refer to
several books, CD inserts and other literature to gain this information. Not
every listener will have access to this material.
I am enthused by this new CD of
Cyril Scott’s piano music. It serves as a splendid introduction to his large
catalogue of piano music. Georgian pianist Nino Gvetadze gives a memorable and perfectly
executed account of these diverse pieces. In her website she writes that her
teacher ‘entrusted me to play Lotus Land by Cyril Scott, the piece that
took me under its spell from the very first bars.’ It is clear from this CD
that his faith was not misplaced. This album gives an encouraging and inspiring
‘glimpse into the atmospheric, rich, beautiful, tender, sometimes wayward and
meditative world of Cyril Scott.
Track Listing:
Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970)
Berceuse (1911)
Poems (1912)
Lotus Land, op.47, no.1 (1905)
Water-Wagtail, op.71, no.3 (1910, rev.1915)
Sphinx, op.63 (1908)
Intermezzo, op.67, no.3 (1910)
Summerland, op.54 (1907)
Two Pierrot Pieces, op.35 (1904)
Columbine, op.47, no.2 (1905)
Three Little Waltzes, op.58 (1906)
‘Morning Song of the Jungle’ from Impressions from the
Jungle Book (1912)
Over the Prairie, no.2 ‘allegretto’ (1911)
Nino Gvetadze (piano)
Rec. Muziekgebouw Frits Philips, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
29, 20 April and 1 May 2019
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72819
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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