I recently discovered that I had never
uploaded my review of Erik Chisholm’s Complete Piano Music Volumes 1 to 4 onto
my blog. This was originally published on MusicWeb International in 2009. Since
then the remaining volumes of the cycle (5, 6, &7) have been issued, John
Purser’s biography of the composer has been published and changes to the
Chisholm website have been made. So I present a slightly revised version of
that review. I have not changed my view on this music in the intervening six or
so years. This is the second of two posts.
The first of the two Sonatas presented
on these discs does not have a Scottish theme, but was inspired by a landscape
no less Celtic- that of Cornwall. The Sonata was written around 1926 and was
composed after a holiday with his piano teacher Lev Pouishnoff in a cottage in
the north of the county. There is no doubt that this is a late romantic work –
that owes more to Rachmaninov, than to his teacher, who is reputed to have
hated the work. Pouishnoff felt that it
was not in tune with the ‘modernism’ of the day. Furthermore he did not approve
of, what to him, were naïve subtitles to each movement: The Wet Scythes, Blown Spume, Chin and Tongue Waggle and With Clogs On.
To take an example: the last movement is
a little bit of a misnomer. This is no Percy Grainger concert show stopper: this
is not Handel walking down the Strand – but is really a huge rhapsody very much
in Chisholm’s own extravagant style.
John Purser is correct in suggesting
that we regard this work as ‘a youthful show-piece rather than a major work...’
and notes that ‘The work is of interest as a kind of compositional groundwork
for later developments of Scottish traditional material-notably in the
tremendous Sonata in A minor.’ Its only fault is being a little too massive
for its own good, and maybe there is a lack of light and shade and technical contrast?
I enjoyed this work, in spite of it not
being fully in the Chisholm style. But surely, this work has ‘moments of beauty
and mystery’ that raise it above the mundane.
It may not be a masterpiece – yet it deserves its place as a part of
this exploration of Chisholm’s music. And one last thought, the composer
himself regarded the work well- he re-worked two of its movements in his First Symphony –surely another candidate
for revival?
An integral part of these four CDs, and
I suspect subsequent releases too, are the works which are by and large
arrangements of Scottish tunes. For example, there are ten pieces from the 24 Preludes from the True Edge of the Great
World, which refer to the Hebrides. John Purser sums up these preludes by
pointing out that they are much more than ‘simple settings of traditional
melodies. As the title ‘Preludes’
implies, they are more in the form of meditations or improvisations on some
aspect of a melody which may only appear in full once in the whole piece.’ All these pieces have colourful titles, such
as Sea Sorrow, The Sheiling and Sea Tangle.
I would suggest that the listener play Track
9 Rudha Ba-eon to get flavour of this
cycle of Preludes. This is mood-music
and manages to create a dreamlike impression of a seascape on the Isles at Edge
of the World. Interestingly some nine of
these Preludes were orchestrated by
the composer.
As an excellent example of the numerous
collections of Scottish tunes I want to consider the The Scottish Airs for Children which are based on Patrick
MacDonald’s A Collection of Highland Vocal
Airs. However, there is a difficulty here. How does a listener approach
some 25 pieces – the shortest being some twenty one seconds long, the longest
being just over two minutes. I guess that one could just let them wash over you
whilst staring out the window or enjoying a glass of Auchentoshan. But that would be to do these well-crafted
pieces a disservice. I think that there is a need for a little effort on the
listener’s part here. I guess that I would suggest a study of the programme
notes – reading the brief descriptions of each piece and then deciding to
listen to half a dozen. I give one example – my favourite. This is No. 7 based on the tune Loch Bhraoin, or
Loch Broom to non-Gaelic speakers! Purser writes that this loch, which is ‘on
the north-west coast of Scotland, [is] here coloured with chromatic harmonies,
as seen through a rainbow prism’.
Furthermore it is useful to note the raison
d' être of these pieces. They were
dedicated ‘For the Children’ and therefore represent a gift to his three
daughters. It is also important thing to
recall is that he had the intention of publishing these pieces in three graded
volumes. John Purser notes that these ‘are
settings of great beauty, their sensitivities enhanced rather than diminished
by the directness and simplicity of treatment required for children.’ I agree
with him that these are superb pieces and that their neglect is
incomprehensible. I hope that it will soon be possible to purchase the sheet music
for these delightful and deserving pieces.
Other collections of ‘folk-music’
include the Airs from the Patrick
MacDonald Collection which was published in 1784. Chisholm had found a copy of this work as a
boy and it remained with him throughout his life. He also used this book as a source for the Petite Suite. Once again these are all short pieces that
need to be explored slowly rather than just listened to from end to end.
And finally, there are a number of Piobaireachd
which are effectively bagpipe tunes which are integrated into a fully
twentieth-century pianistic language. These tunes are gathered from traditional
sources and may well be battle songs, songs of welcome and laments. All these arrangements,
realisations, re-workings and inventions are worthy of our attention, but I
must confess that they need to be explored in bite-size chunks, else I think
the effect would pall and the listener would loose a lot of the charm, the wit
and sheer magic of the music. It would be hard to listen to all Rachmaninov’s Preludes at one sitting. Chisholm's Piobaireachd
need similar attention.
Lastly I want to consider the Sonata in A ‘An Riobain Dearg’ (The Red Ribbon) which was composed in 1939. It
is important to realise that this present version is an abridged edition of
this work that was made by Murray McLachlan.
It is not stated in the liner notes as to whether these are the pianists
suggestions or whether they are based on suggested cuts in the score by Chisholm.
However, the unabridged version is available on DRD 0219, so a comparison can
made. I have not heard this disc.
For me, this Sonata is my abiding memory from all the works on these CDs. This
is an undoubted masterpiece.
I understand that the work was never
published and was lost for a number of years. As it stands, in this recording
it is a massive work although the original was some six minutes longer. I guess
that John Purser is not wrong in suggesting that ‘nothing like this
extraordinary adventure in pianism has been penned before or since...’ He mentions the ‘extravagances of Sorabji’ and
the ‘bravura textures of Busoni’ as possible comparisons. But this is to do the
work a disservice. I remember the old story about Elvis Presley being asked who
he sings like. He replied, “I don’t sing like no-one.” And this is surely the
watch-word for this piece – there is nothing like it in the repertoire. This is
a work that is largely derived from Scottish sources, but never lapses into a
sentimental type of Brigadoon musical
landscape.
The opening movement is based on a Piobaireachd
which is a set of variations on an original bagpipe theme. Chisholm presents
the tune in exact transcription at the start of the work. This is a complex movement that owes little
to the classical idea of theme and variations. It is a journey outwards – it
does not return to the source, save with a few tentative reminiscences.
The scherzo
is a stunning example of Chisholm's pianism – a driving irregular rhythm is
maintained throughout the piece only being relived by quotations from another
bagpipe tune - The Prince’s Salute. It
is exhausting music to listen too – but totally satisfying.
The slow movement is a ‘lament.’ In fact,
it commemorates the loss of the submarine Thetis which sank during her diving trials
just before the outbreak of the Second World War. There were only four survivors
out of a crew of 103 men. This is a ‘watery’
piece that sometimes tips it hat to Debussy – especially with Chisholm’s use of
the whole-tone scale. It is a heart-achingly beautiful piece of music. John
Purser suggests that it closes with a sense of pity rather than consolation: it
sums up a deep and tragic movement.
Yet all this sadness is put to flight
with an extrovert and highly dramatic ‘allegro moderato’. In this movement
tunes just seem to tumble over each other. It is the effusions of a confident
man who, to quote the liner notes, celebrates ‘Chisholm as a Scot, Chisholm as
a composer and Chisholm as a virtuoso pianist.’ But one last addition to this
list – lest we exaggerate the Scottish influence – this is music that stands
its own ground in the corpus of European piano music from the Twentieth and any
and every other century.
It is clear to see that Murray McLachlan
had made an important contribution to the literature of British Music. He has
decided to make, as Colin Scott-Sutherland notes, Chisholm’s music his own. And
that is what was surely needed – a champion of this great catalogue of
excellent but virtually unknown music. Moreover, McLachlan has been well-served
by the fine recording made at Chetham’s School that presents this music with
the highest sound quality. And finally the learned liner notes are a joy to
read. In fact, they are absolutely necessary, due to the lack of information
about and criticism of Chisholm’s music. John Purser certainly gives any
listener a fine preview of his up illuminating and remarkable biography of the
composer.
Lastly (in 2009) I look[ed] forward to
hearing the subsequent CDs in this eye-opening cycle with great anticipation
and enthusiasm. It is one of the musical discoveries and revelations of the Twenty-First
century.
Track Listings:-
Eric Chisholm (1904-65)
Eric Chisholm (1904-65)
Volume 1
Straloch Suite (1933)
Scottish Airs for Children (c.1940s)
Sonata in A (1939) ‘An Riobain Dearg’ (A Red Ribbon)
Volume 2
Ten Preludes from 24 Preludes from the True Edge of the Great World (1943)
Airs from the
Patrick MacDonald Collection (1951)
Petite Suite (1951)
Volume 3
Piobaireachd for
solo piano (undated)
Sonatina No.1
(undated)
Sonatina No.2 (undated)
Two Piobaireachd Laments (undated)
Cornish Dance Sonata (c.1926)
Volume 4
Piobaireachd for solo piano (undated)
Sonatina No.3 (undated)
Cameos (1926)
Highland Sketches (mostly
from the MacDonald Collection) (undated) Portraits
(1924-1929)
Murray
McLachlan (piano)
Dunelm Records DDV 24131, 24132, 24133 & 24134
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