Does anybody have good things to say about Cyril Scott? I'm working through some CDs of his piano music - I've received no less than seven and presumably there is more to be recorded as his most well-known works such as
Lotus Land and
Danse Negre are not included. I've not heard much previously:
Lotus Land is an attractive dreamy miniature of course, but apart from a rather weird, late and uncharacteristic (?) clarinet quintet which was broadcast a long time ago, I've tended to presume that his works (and there's a lot of them) tend towards the rambly, diffuse and uneconomical, despite their superficial harmonic attraction.
This would certainly seem to be the case with the 4 piano sonatas although the 4th, written in 1956 and still more or less post-romantic, is leaner and more convincing in its continuity. Perhaps he's more successful with his miniatures? The 2 piano works are rather more interesting especially
Russian Fair (c.1952 but an elaboration of the solo
Russian Air from 1916
- edit: no, it's Dance from Russian Suite - CD note was incorrect) which contains playful references and a quote from (yes you guessed it)
Petrouchka. And the 18-minute
Theme and Variations from 1933 was surprisingly appetising. Also on the 2-piano CD are 5 Bach arrangements which Scott made in the 1930s. Here's one based on the F major 2-part invention.
http://r3ok.myforum365.com/index.php?topic=2878.msg129975#msg129975I'm hoping for a really attractive miniature somewhere. So far the second of
3 Dances for piano duet (1926) is the only candidate so far.
Unrelated trivial fact. His
Harpsichord concerto gets its first performance in 70 years at St. Johns Smith Square on 15th September. Wonder if I'll be tempted?
