ED I TED BY

A . EAG LEFI ELD H ULL

DO C . O & O N . MU S . ( )

CYRIL SCOTT U N I FORM WI TH TH I S VOLUM E

LI BRARY OF M U SI C AN D M U SI C IAN S

ED I TED B Y

L D L D x n. EAGL FI E H U L M us . oc o . E . O A , ( )

C rown 810 0 . O c c a si ona l l I l l us tra te d y .

H L B RO MA I N RO A N D ANDE . y LL .

TH OV B R O MA I N R O A N D . BEE EN . y LL TH E EAR L IER FR E N C H M U S I C IANS ( 1 63 2

B MA RY HA R RAV y G E . ' G R T R U SS I TON E P OET S C R I I A EA AN : AB N . B D R EAG LEF I ELD y . H U LL

FR C M U S I C F T -D - B G . E N U B RY H O O AY . A EN y J A . M US O RG Y K . B S M . . C ALVO C O RE S S I y D .

R C : IS L I F O S B D R A LEFI ELD H H W RK . H A E AN D y . E G U LL .

R EG AN PAU T REN H T RU B N ER 8: LTD C C o . L , , , .

roa d wa H ouse 68 - C a rte r L a ne L ndon o E . C . B y , 74 , ,

Z C obm n Ph oto by A . C YRIL SCOTT C om ose r oe t a nd h i l oso h e r p , P P p

A EA G LE FI ELD H U LL .

O & O . M U S . D C . (O N )

/ ' H z tb numer ous M usi ca l a nd otber I l l ustra ti ons

S e c ond E d i t i on

I O ND O N 1 ) KEGA N P A UL ,

FACULTY 0? MUSIC O I , 0 4 8

\ ( I L .

CONTENTS

' C HAPTE R I INTR ODU CTORY

TH E LI FE II I TH E M AN H I M SELF

IV ORCHESTRAL AN D C HORAL WORK S

v C HAM BER M U SIC VI P IANO WORK S VI I TH E LAR GER P I ANOFORTE WORK S

VI II TH E SON G S

I & TH E VIOLIN WORK S

& H I S TECHNI &U E AN D H ARM ONY & I TH E F ORT AN D P HILOSO PHER

C ONCLU SION

A P P E N D I C E S

LI ST OF M U SICAL C OM POSITIONS II LI TERARY WORK S

LIST OF ILLUSTR ATION S

PAGE P HOTO G RAPH ( by A l wyn La ngdon C oburn) F r onti sp i e ce

’ F C I M I OF C Y I SCOTT H D W I I G 1 916 A S LE R L S AN R T N , ( Rough Sk e tch of a n unpublished work)

E & AM PLE OF ORCHESTRATI ON ( Fr om the Pi a noforte C once rto) 142- 3

INTR OD U C TOR Y

C YRI L SC OT T

CHAPTER I

I NTRODUC T ORY

’ TH E dominant feature of Cyril Scott s music is its originality , that is to say , its modernity .

We O of H e is an innovator . hear S much M Of odernism nowadays , and like most the other

- art terms commonly bandied about , it seems to

To sa have no very precise meaning . y that a musician i s a M odernist is about as enlightening s A ll as to ay he is an Impressionist . men Of worthy the name are modernists , all musical composers cannot be anything else but impres ion t M s is s . odernism is nothing more than

F Ul tra - m d e rni sm if ~ an innovation . urther , o , y d e r e of thing , should express merely the g e the ’ orientation of the artist s outlook towards the future ; whereas it is Often applied to artists who are thought to have lost all touch with 4 CYRIL S COTT

Th e i their age . word also s not infrequentl y used derisively by those critics who sprawl about with such vague catch - words as N e o S F Th e Impressionism , ymbolism and auvism . M term odernist then should , rightly speaking , be given only to the man who is progressive in — N e w idea and in style . wine cannot safely be put into ol d wineskins ; and SO it has come about that music has e fflore sc e d into innumerable S styles . ome composers , like Debussy , create a S n new harmonic system ; others , like criabin , i vent a new way of using harmony ; others (less Rimmin ton E successful) , like g and dison , are seeking closer analogies between sound and c ol

r M its on s ou . ysticism has laid hold music a ’ D E r o on . well as painting and literature g , the B A S elgian theorist , calls coustic cience to the S S help of music , just as eurat and ignac have utilised the theories of scientific ch romati i c i sm in their pictures . N evertheless music s most

i s its valuable when it used in purest mode , and it is found only at its highest powers l Il instru of mental forms . In these days analytical science i s and material aims , it refreshing to have to do on with so ideal an art , e which resists a surgeon like dissection just as much as it does a solution F or i s by chemical process . music entirely a

O C S e s thing f the spirit , and when yril cott ass rt INTR OD U C TORY 5 that if a man is not musical he cannot be very no spiritual , he is in accord with less a mind than ’ G ’ S . hakespeare s iven perfect sincerity , a man s to music is the key his character , the reflection Of his soul ; it gives the most reliable index to

the man who composes it , and also to the m an

who interprets it . In studying C yril Scott ’ s music we shall find

- there the key to his richly endowed personality , a c om personality modern , intuitive , sensitive ,

plex , unified and sincere .

If cornered and compelled to classify himself , R for I believe he would call himself a omantic , I have read the exceedingly lucid chapter in his 1 Philosophy of M od e rni sm dividing the whole C R O field Of art into three camps ; lassicism , F Th h manticism and uturism . e latter sc ool he M onste rism A s rightly prefers to call . the C lassicist adhering blindly to tradition and con

ve nti on regards even the Obvious as a virtue , the R Of omanticist aims at the creation a new style , always remembering the limits imposed by the of Th e F canons beauty and art . uturist struggling to be new at all costs , and without limits , is by that very fact imposing on himself a conv ention on C as shackling as the traditional e Of the lassicist .

l Th e Ph i l osophy of M ode rni sm i n i ts Conne c ti on wi th M us ic Ke a n Pa ( g ul) . 6 CYRIL SCOTT

’ To use C yril Scott s own simile from the same C book , the lassicist is like a pedestrian who em barks on a wal kI ng tour with the firm intention of keeping entirely to the roads ; the F uturist is like a man who starts with the Opposite intention Of keeping entirely Off the roads thus both these pedestrians are the slaves Of their respective i n

tentions , and only the man who starts out with a

of r th perfect freedom choice , to follow o leave e

road whenever he thinks fit , may be truly regard A nd d . a ed as unbound by fetters this man ,

justed to the plane Of art , is the true R oman ti i st c . C yril Scott has brought the sense Of new T ness into the art Of music afresh . his sense 1 is as difficult to d e fine as the sense Of sweetness would be to the man who has never tasted sugar or as the song of the nightingale to one wh o has never heard this true R omanticist

- uch amongst the song birds . S a composer will

to se ur be open be called a po ; but , as se ur o he says , the true po is rather the s C called lassicist , who regards dissimilitude as R bad taste , whilst the omanticist scorns simili

as to tude Objectionable , a thing be avoided at all

costs .

l S c ott d e fine d i t onc e a s m e re ly th e i nt e ns i fie d c onsc i ous ne s s o f s uc h we a k ne s s a nd t e d i um a s a ri se s from re p e t it i on a nd i mit a ti on

CHAPTER I I

TH E LI F E

A T C the time Of writing this chapter , yril S m cott , at y request , has come on a visit , in order to play me those particular works Of his which it were otherwise difficult to hear .

A s F he sits in my study , composing some inger 1 E z xercises with an ama ing celerity , whilst I talk to him inconsequently about almost every sub un jcet under the s , I marvel at the facility which enables him to write down strangely novel pro

re ssi ons Of f g with such an absolute sureness e fect . L ast night I was spellbound at the nonchalant ease with which he played through his superb i n t h M a C nc e r t e S . P o o o from full score , rippling along (as I flung the pages over almost continu ousl Of y) with truly astonishing gifts technique , touch and reading ; whistling the while flute and

V z n iolin melodies , and vocali i g horn parts in a peculiar nasal tone , like horn notes forced

1 a S i nc e p ubl i sh e d by M e ss rs El l i n 81 C O . 1 2 CYRI L S COTT W through mutes . here and how did he attain such tremendous powers ? o 2 th C yril Scott was b rn on September 7 ,

9 O C . 1 8 7 , at xton ( heshire) H e commenced to play by ear at the age Of E two years and a half . ven in those early days ,

he could pick up any tune or hymn he heard , and could also impro vise though it was not until the to age Of seven that he began write things down , having received some instruction in musical no H e tation from his governess . was an extreme

and so l y nervous and sensitive child , was ill at one time with some nervous aff ection that he

remained in the house for six months on end . S of — trangely enough , music a certain kind his ’ ' — al mother s singing , and organ music nearly ways reduced him to tears This was partien l arl y the case when he was taken to church . C yril Scott attributes his musical gifts to his M S mother , ary cott , who , he says , was quite m a brilliant amateur perfor er in her day . Sh e even possessed the creative faculty to

n r some degree and wrote o e o two waltz es .

H i s H S on i s father , enry cott , the other hand G i a reek scholar with no spec al taste for music . H e was possessed even at one time with the idea that music was not likely ever to prove a suitable

or on . S lucrative profession for his s eeing , how TH E LIFE 1 3

C s t on b ever , that yril was so passionately e e

a coming musician , he very wisely and generous ly allowed him to go to G ermany at the age Of H K on twelve , where , though under age , the och

e r atori um F - ou - Vl ain s v at rankfort e took him in . Th e young boy was placed with a family in that town , and combined both music and general edu F cation for eighteen months . In rankfort a w M r T H friendship as begun with . . olland Smith ( now master Of music and modern lan

- guages in Durham) , then some twenty four years of wh o K onse rva age , and was a student at the

r m H e to iu . took a great interest in young S cott , and helped to make his life happy in every on possible way , by taking him excursions and to concerts and Operas , besides encouraging him N greatly in his musical studies . eedless to say , for so young a boy to find such a companion Of Of H that type was indeed a piece good fortune . e remembers one day when they were talking

H - S about composition , that olland mith said to im h , In order to be a great composer a man & T must invent a style . hat remark stuck ’ in S cott s memory , and he made up his mind that he would try to carry out the con s T dition embodied in the phrase . his friendship

e - has extended over tw nty three years now . I understand that the music Of C yril Scott is a 1 4 CYRI L S COTT

great feature of Durham musical education , and

H - S se r thus M r . olland mith has done him the vice Of making propaganda for him . E S On his return to ngland , cott was placed

M r H J a r son C . . e ff e . with a tutor , . , M . A , R e wm arc h Of L iverpool (a brother of osa N ) , a versatile man who presented education in an interesting light Young Scott enjoyed his lessons with him in a way , he feels , he B could never have done at school . esides Of which , the boy had a curious loathing hearing

SO anybody being scolded , and was sensitive in the matter that his parents recognised that school - life would be torture to him ; apart from

fac t t F the that af er his rankfort experiences , it ‘ would be diffi cult to adjust him in any school M class . usic , however , was not neglected dur C S ing this period , and yril cott studied piano ‘ th e St e udne r- vVe l sin V forte with late g , a ien

s L ne e , who lived for some years in iverpool . Dur in g that time , the youth crossed each day in the ferry - boat between B irkenhead and L iverpool

O - Of B ( xton , his birth place , being a suburb irk e nh e ad on ) , and was noticed his way to his M r H L tutor by . ans uthy , a gentleman Of S i n wiss origin , while walk g each day to his

f S Of i ce . eeing him one evening at a party given

M rs Tom F L by . letcher , a leader in the iverpool

1 6 C YRIL SCOTT

A few words about K norr may prove instruc A K M tive . lthough Ivan norr was born in ewe , on 3 1 8 5 3 near the Polish frontier , January , , yet

Of hi s i n H e he spent a large part life R ussia .

R n R us was Of a distinctly ussia appearance , had

sian sympathies (musical and otherwise) , and

R . married a ussian Indeed , from the age Of L C n three , until he entered the eipsic o serva 1 8 69 R toire in to study under einecke , he t R lived amongs the ussian people , returning to them in 1 87 4 as teacher Of music at Khar koff SO if the greatest part of his life were not out of G spent ermany , yet at any rate the most impressionable part was ; a fact which mani fests itself in his music , as we shall see later .

' In 1 8 8 3 K norr became Professor Of H ar C C m mony , ounterpoint and o position at the

H K F - ou - M och onservatorium at rankfort aine , m where he remained until his death , beco ing

B S z Director at the retirement of Dr . ernard chol You some eight or nine years ago . must & sa SO learn the rules , he would y to his pupils , & on that you may know how to break them later . This attitude in a teacher of composition is

almost without parallel , and shows he was not C a lassicist , as most celebrated teachers R K have been , but a true omanticist . norr h was greater as a teacher t an as a composer , TH E LIFE 1 7

though had he concentrated more Of his energies on composition , this might have been otherwise ; for in every phase of his creative talent there is h H influ an undeniable c arm . e was much e nc e d R by the ussian spirit , and notably by

T for m chaikovsky , who he entertained a great K admiration . norr was , in fact , a personal friend Of the R ussian composer and wrote a book on of his genius , which is a masterpiece poetic

G so language , free from that erman heaviness Of Often to be found in books the kind . Ivan K 9 1 H norr died in 1 6 . e numbered amongst his pupils several B ritish composers—Percy ’ G R N O N e ill B al rainger , oger Quilter , orman , G L B F S four ardiner , eonard orwick and . . K f K C . O S elly norr , yril cott can never speak gratefully enough ; for though putting him through the rules , he encouraged originality in a sense most composition pedagogues fail to 1 grasp . It was at this time that C yril Scott met many G R musical affinities ; Percy rainger , oger Quilter ’ and Norman O N e ill were among his fellow B ut students . the man who exercised the great est ze sth e ti c influence on him was the G erman S G poet , tefan eorge , whom he met in his

1 From a n a rt i c le o n l oa n Knorr by Cyri l S c ott i n th e M onth ly usi a or M c l R e c d . 1 8 GYR I L S COTT

‘ so eighteenth year , and who made Of him , he ti t nd no m re l musi ia n H an a r s a t e a c . e puts it , y proved to be the greatest personality Scott — has encountered a poet Of true genius with M o a face Of the Dante type . ore ver , this p oet developed in C yril Scott a passionate love Of poetry and taught him much respect Of T ing the technique that art . hrough him , he became first acquainted with the verses of E rnest Dowson which have exercised so gre at ’ an influence on Scott s musical style of song w I t S G riting . was also through tefan eorge that his F i rst S ymphony was performed at Darmstadt t W by the Du ch conductor illem de H aan . T S F owards his twentieth year , cott left rank

to L c om fort and went back iverpool , having posed his S ymphony and one or two chamber

d e stro d T music works now v e . here he gave a piano recital , and took up his residence for some years , composing and giving a few lessons . H ere again he contracted another very import Th F n . e C ant frie dship rench poet , harles B of F onnier , was at the time Professor rench L L iterature at the University Of iverpool . H aving met , the two finally took a house to h B gether , alt ough onnier was a man much Older H e h ad than Scott . been a great friend of Mallarme and was thoroughly imbued with that TH E LIFE 1 9

school Of French poetry , as well as being a pas T sionat e lover Of music . his noble and unselfish S hil oso man , as cott designates him , was also a p pher and socialist , and their sojourn together was one Of great happiness and profit for the young

for at composer , he was thus saturated with an

h r One mosp e e Of poetry and philosophy . day Scott was anxious to get a translation of some se t G erman verses which he had to music , and & ’ Wh o B onnier remarked to him , y don t v u translate them yourself ? A nd so the attempt was made ; and to his surprise he found he could T w rhyme quite easily . his incident a akened in him the poetic faculty , and from that time to this , whenever tired Of writing music he has t turned to poetry , which interests and deligh s

H e him not a whit less than music . regards it

z as another form Of music , and ha ards the opinion that the poetry of a musician must always have a distinctive flavour about it . It is curious that so few musicians have been poets ; rather have painting and poetry gone hand in hand hitherto . It was at about the age of

- C S twenty one that yril cott began writing verse . A t that period Scott wrote the H e roi c S ui te H R w for orchestra . ans ichter as much ta ken with it and produced it in both M anchester and L T v . S S i erpool his uite , however , cott came 20 C YR I L S COTT to regard later On as an immature work and no

Of A t e longer permits a performance it . that tim he went over to G ermany to hear his Symphony w at Darmstadt , here it was received with loud applause mingled with hisses . H i s overture to P e ll ea s and M e li sand e was per i F formed n rankfort shortly afterwards . It is strange how strongly this play Of M aeterlinck

Sc h n r has stirred musicians to expression . O be g ,

L oe ffle r se t Debussy , and others have also S the subject to music . cott stayed some months in F rankfort and then visited B erlin for the first i S t me , being introduced by his friend tefan A G eorge to a literary circle there . s the result of this visit he made the acquaintance Of a grea t

- M painter and stained glass window designer , e l l L e c ht e r chior , a remarkable mystic as well as n artist , another who made a great impression o S cott , and , though much Older , became a lasting friend . On E C S his return to ngland , yril cott com

' posed the Pia noforte Q uarte t wh i c h K re i sl e r and B t others played at a roadwood C oncert in S . James ’ H all This work helped to make him known better than any other music which he had M B C . . O t so far composed essrs oosey . hen

1 M h i w n n i i n e l c or Le c h te r a s b or i th e S xti e s . H s p a i ti ngs a re of a m s i i e o t d e a l a nd sp ri t ua l t yp . TH E LIFE 21

began to publish his songs and also th e Two Pi e rrot Pi e c e s for Piano which became fairly

hi s popular , though he owed first publication to

M r R L M E i of . obin egge (now the usical d tor & the Daily H e it was who i n d uc e d F orsyth to produce a series Of little piano T & forte pieces . hese were , however , but nib h blings in the publis ing line , and he only found

his most enterprising publisher when his friend ,

M E Suart iss velyn , the pianist , took up his piano

works and played them frequently , and intro

d d M r A E uc to . W . . E C O . e him lkin , Of lkin This far - sighted and gifted publisher made a con

tract with him , and became the sole publisher Of

of hi s his songs , and , for some years , piano pieces A w as well . t th is time Scott as also writing his S e c nd S m h n i H W S r . o y p o y , which enry J ood & performed at the Promenades , where it was

extremely well received , though (for reasons ffi not di cult to divine) it has been given again . in spite Of many requests in the papers for fur

Of ther hearings it . A close reading Of Science and Philosophy had continued all these years , and at the age Of

- fiv e S c twenty , cott came into contact with O t E M m cul ism and astern ysticism , a atter which

hi s changed the whole tenor of inner life , and this new interest made a great impression on his 22 CYRIL SCOTT musical tendencies Under the inspiration of

M L tus- l and S hinx Two ysticism , he wrote o , p , C hine se S n s o g , and other pieces Of a like nature , and he also began to get rid Of key- tonality as i t is usually understood ; finding it a distinct limitation , and preferring to write in what is m ore like the chromatic scale than any dia n T on tonic o e . his led him to another di s c ove r y , that regular rhythm was also a limita tion ; and in his twenty - eighth year he wrote his — first work in this new style the Sonata for Vi o 1 lin n i n S O M z a d a C . of P o (which chott , ain , published) . F Vi lin S na ta i n ollowing the o o , he wrote the

- ia n same non tonal , free rhythmic style , the P o rte S na ta S e c nd S ui te f fo o , and then the o , a ter w Th e un l e B o k oe ms E t hich came J g o , P , gyp , e tc . ; also some lighter pieces for violin , the nne t latest and best Of which are the Two So s . c on During these years , however , he did not t fine his effor s to songs and smaller pieces , but wrote a R h apsody and also the A ubad e for O r

c h e stra . , both being written in the newer style Th e A u bad e wa s (with some difficulty respecting

r rehearsals) pe formed in Darmstadt , Dresden

B H e Ov e rture to and erlin . also composed an

1 Th i s firm m a de a c ont ra c t Wl th h i m l a te r o n for a l l h i s v i ol i n

24 CYRIL S COTT

next work wa s the Pi anoforte Q uinte t (per formed at one Of his own C oncerts at B echstein H m i an rte C nc e rt all) , and finally ca e the P ofo o o which he played at the B ritish F estival last spring

and which reaped a great public success . ’ Scott s reputation on the C ontinent i s Of quite a different order from his general recognition in E ngland . In this country he is largely regarded

as a composer Of songs and piano pieces , whilst

abroad his songs are almost unknown , and he is

judged exclusively by his more serious works .

F or f to one thing , it is so di ficult Obtain the ade quate number Of rehearsals in E ngland for works unless they are easy ; and certainly the works Of S SO C yril cott can hardly be described . Yet it is a very di sc ouraging ~fe ature about B ritish music that even when a large work has reaped a great E success in ngland , it is rarely heard again . Why is thi s? HIMS ELF

CHAPTER III

TH E M AN H I M S E LF

L ET me attempt some estimate of the man him F H Of self . irst , the outer man . e is medium height and Of a sp a reness bordering on the fra H i s — gile . head is small some think this is a never- failing Sign Of the spiritual man ; his face contains at times the benign sadness of enlight

- ened middle age ; at others , it is radiant with of youth , and sometimes is ev en lit with a spark & & Th e what can only be called impishness . features are finely cut , and (helped by his habit of always wearing a stock tie) suggest a G eorgian n v not type , though he is clea sha en and does allow himself that affected revival Of the side H i whiskers . s hands are small and beautifully z shaped , apparently quite inadequate in si e and strength to the prodigiou s effect which they can on produce the keyboard . ’ That C yril Scott s interests are not those Of 28 C YRIL S C OTT

man w o the av erage , goes ith ut saying . H is c on ce ption Of his art places him at once above banali t n ies ; but even beyo d this , he has Obtained by f o i a v n v years o Study , c upled w th m r ellous i tuiti e

k w of faculties , a no ledge the superphysical re alms which causes him to stand aloof from the o i a m H i s rd n ry te estuous life Of the artist . life p — and work both show a certain poise a detach ment from the frets and worries Of this world , and a deeper insight and understanding Of the of i s fuller life the soul . H inspiration comes from higher spiritual sources than that of the man wh o t is flung from one earthly sensation o another , v of tossed by his emotions , as by the wa es a rough se a on . It has been said by e who knows him well that C yril Scott i s a hundred years in advance Of T his age . ime alone can prove this but inasmuch as one hopes for the development of man on the of lines greater sanity , kindness , and unselfish v o lo e , his outlo k would seem to form a pattern H i s for a more perfect type . kindness and gen e rosit y are unending , and always accompanied by the tact th at comes from understanding and H e se ur sympathy . has been called a po by a few acquaintances whose imagination cannot in cl ude the possibility Of an order of mind so differ wn A nd ent from their o . yet never was man

H i s more utterly natural . directness is some TH E M A N HIMSELF 29 times disconcerting to those accustomed to a cotton - wool wrapping of conventionality in their views Of men , music and things . Perhaps this inclination to regard him as a pose ur also arises t from his surroundings , for he chooses o live in what cannot be called otherwise than a distinctly

N or ecclesiastical atmosphere . do—es he stop short at G othic and ascetic furniture e nhanced

- by beautiful stained glass windows , designed by B urne - Jones and presented to him by a valued r friend , but candidly avows his fondness fo i the smell Of incense , which he s constantly burning . I like the ecclesiastical atmo in f l ‘ a sphere , he remarks , because it I e e s if

I might be anywhere ; in Italy , in the country , or s in some remote region , in a pa t generation & To se ur even . call a man a po then , because he elects to surround himself with those forms Of beauty which especially appeal t o him and assist i s . him in his work , merely shortsighted Much more could be said of his interesting of hi s of personality , but the lover music and his poetry will find in his works the best e xposition

- of this richly endowed nature . M y personal acquaintance with C yril Scott

- dates back hardly longer than eighteen months , and my friendship with him not more than the o w s a h same number f weeks . It a only fter I ad 3 0 CYRIL SCOTT conceived the idea Of a book on his music (the more important part of which seemed to me very inadequately known) that I really got to

an know the m , and only then little by little as Th of re the book progressed . e fulfilment my O or quest that he should visit me , gave me the pp SO tunity for a much better knowle dge Of him . it will be seen that my admiration was not the of result a violent attachment at first sight , but is 0 a much more natural growth . N other way can I imagine possible with such a personality as Scott ; for to my mind there i s a distinct for on reserve about him , which I e , at any T t to . rate , was loth o put down conceit his n T is not o e Of his vices . alking small talk to comparative strange rs he finds of almost insur n mountable difficulty . O the other hand , he has not the smallest compunction in making new

no . friends , and these , by means , need be musical as Indeed , a rule , musical conv ersation bores him

a m intensely , and he has it against the ordin ry u si c ian hi s t that outlook is far oo limited , and that & ’ i s S t he much too fond Of talking shop . co t s most absorbing interest in life is transcendental philosophy ; and discussing occult lore and kin dred subjects with a friend Of like tastes is one of his greatest plea sures : a div e rtisseme nt which & N he calls soulful intercourse . ev ertheless

3 2 C YRIL SCOTT

which they surely were in their day , but sounding

oo . in our present time , t Obvious and Often banal t & B In o her words , he has not worn well . ach on the other hand has ; the polyphony and c on tin al u flow Of his music is very impressive , like Of se a H e the ceaseless rhythm the . was great t in everything ; a great harmonis , a great melo B dist , a great polyphonist . eethoven (he asserts)

W - i was no harmonist . agner he finds all sat sfy ing ; and entirely monumental in his grea t Tri tan Th R i n Th e M a t r i . e . s e s operas , , , g , and e in W S o s ge rs . H e calls agner the hakespeare f & A s T music . to chaikovsky , there was a time

S c om when cott drew much from him , but that & a out poser also wears b dly , and he soon grew H e R Of him . considers this ussian master lacks

hi s on the subtle touches , melodies being the too whole obvious , though sometimes very Th i an rte C nc e rt beautiful . e P ofo o o and his R ome o and Juli e t Ov e rture have some ex & H e R us q uisite things in them . regards the sian composer though as a much more progre s B siv e influence than rahms . ’ M any critics have talked Of C yril Scott s kin F ship with Debussy , but the rench master him n self can se e o Similarity at all , whilst showing the greatest sympathy for Scott ’ s music Debussy seems certainly to have influence d Scott in some TH E M A N HIMSELF 3 3

i s ways ; and , as has been well said , Debussy such an exquisite artist , such a wonderful creator

Of poetic mystic tints , a harmonist moreover Of

- t epoch making originality , tha he surely may only be ignored by those too ungifted to have been healthily tempted by such generous Oppor iti s tun e .

B iz e t fills Scott with delight and he prefers B B z e him to eethoven , because i et has an elem nt which appeals to him and which is lacking in B ’ C eethoven s music . hopin was a wonderful v i th creator , ha ing so little to guide him nto e

new tracts ; a marvellous modernist in his time . Scott owes as much to R ichard Strauss as to Debussy ; the Violin Sona ta and also the Pi ano Sonata Show as it were a combination Of o these two masters as f unts Of inspiration . i s a Debussy , he thinks , lways a little too re ci e ucc S C S p , and in these onatas , yril cott mingled th e two atmospheres and thus gained a certain source Of inspiration from them in an Th e R ha s d or Or h e indirect sort of way . p o y f c s tra has something Of the same elements De bussy likes this best Of all Scott ’ s orchestral B — works . rahms on the other hand except for hi s — to S songs does not appeal cott much , no r

' M ax R does eger , a mere elongation Of & Th S Brahms . e brilliant travinsky fills him 3 4 C YRIL S COTT

S with admiration . criabin he considers had great promise , but he died whilst still a man i t T H ad n r s . h e e result was monotony . he lived he would perhaps have got beyond manner

m r me th e u a . i s . P o s struck him as great work L S S a ike criabin , cott looks to music as means to carry further the spiritual evolution Of the race , and believes that it has occult properties Of which only a few enlightened people are H aware . e has discussed this subject at length in the final chapter of hi s P hilosophy Of M Od e rn ism in M u O sic . wing to his associations with many psychics Of great powers , he considers that music exhibits both thought - forms and colour t o the psychic sight Of the listener . If his admirations in the musical arena be SO thought limited , they are equally in the liter A S K ary . part from hakespeare and eats and a few Old ballads , he derives no pleasure from the

Older poets at all . Indeed , he has a genuine — admiration for three poets only Francis Th omp E S son G . C , rnest Dowson and tefan eorge ritics have tried to find some Similarity between Swin S n burne and Scott , but winburne does ot appeal not to i to him , and he certainly would care im tate him . M any of these keenly - expressed criticisms and admirations Of C yril Scott m ay make strange TH E M A N HIMSELF 3 5

reading to some , but we should remember that the individual talent cannot appreciate all forms C n B Of greatness . hopin did ot like eethoven ; B on T s . nor chaikovsky , ach , and o

A s C S re a pianoforte virtuoso , yril cott has a h h markable talent , and e as also a natural gift — for conducting a faculty frequently absent S from composers . till more rare in musicians i s to S the ability lecture well , a gift which cott ne certainly possesses . O Of his best discourses W is a very novel treatment Of agner , combining the mystic interpretations presented by A lice L eighton C l e a th e r and B asil C rump with the of B S more socialistic aspects ernard haw , and enlarging and emphasiz ing certain points by this conjunction Of aspects , showing what a variety and depth Of meaning is to be found in the extra f ordinary mentality O the combined musical , o dramatic and poetic genius f Wagner .

CHORAL WORKS

4 0 CYRIL S COTT

M a l e ine hristma Ov e rture , and the C s , were o reworkings Of previ us versions , but such a a rewriting meant complete transformation , and apart from certain of the most successful

to . themes , the versions are hardly be recognised A l l three had already been performed in

i r H W Sir their original state by S enry ood ,

T B M r L R homas eecham and . andon onald ; but that did not prev ent the composer from withhold O ing them from further performance . n the

to . contrary , it stimulated him rework them It

& would be hard to say which i s the happiest Of

for f these three works , they are all so di ferent in Th ri nc e s M a l e ine nu atmosphere . e P s seems

- R a doubtedly to have achieved the mystic , pre M ’ phaelite element of aeterlinck s dramatic play . T k i n of his wor , it may also be mentioned , spite & O & bearing the title verture , is as near to a Symphonic Poem as Scott has ever ap

roa h d i s — p c e . It a drama in music archaic in parts , pictorial , tranquil at times , and wildly — emotional at others there is a picturesque re l i iosit g y about it ; and in its melodious portions , n the c antil e e sections are of unusual length . Whereas the a c ape ll a chorale at the end presents the quintessence of archaism in spite of a quite & 6 - 4 anacroni sti c use of the chord . ORCHESTRAL 8: CHORAL WORKS 4 1

Scott owes the performance of this work in V F G M wh o ienna to rau ustav ahler , corres ponded with him as the result Of the perform ance of his Violin S ona ta with Professor R osé

Of R é e n the famous os Quartet , and her th usi a sm respecting this work was so great that S She waived all conventions and wrote to cott , asking him to relate his history , aims and achieve

t Th Of men s . e outcome this was a journey to V on F M ienna later , when rau ahler , collecting

I) 4 2 CYRIL S COTT all the musical and other celebrities of that artistic et S city , f ed cott and made arrangements for the of Th Ov e rtur performance Of some his work . e e had a great success , and arrangements were pend ing for the production Of the N a tivi ty H ymn for out large chorus and orchestra when war broke , M the S . being stranded somewhere in the enemy country .

B ut to o r Th e C hristmas return to u analysis . Ov e rture at , as its title suggests , presents the mosph e re Of Yule - tide with the usual c onc omi of tants that season , though with the less Obvious B idealism in addition . eginning with a novel z of G d K i n We nc e s harmoni ation the carol , oo g las , it proceeds with a joyous figure Of chimes over

- n an organ point , fi ally bursting forth into bells T Of a more real order . his constitutes the introduction which after a little while subsides , and is followed by a theme Of characteristic

off for length and idealism , breaking after a time the exposition Of a lively little folksong in dance Th metre . e composer then juggles with the of G d themes for a time , including snatches oo K i ng We nc e sl as until utilising his bell - figure for - u in a great working p , he gradually begins to t r c t n ue rin H r C m e s e j e S e e th e C o q g e o o , bringing at to the work (after a fug o) a gigantic climax , — with that well known tune Of H andel dressed in ORCHESTRAL C HORAL WORKS 4 3

A s to a tivi H mn modern harmony . the N ty y intended to follow upon this introductory over a c om ture , the score not being avail ble , we are l T pe l e d to omit any analysis . his is especially as h a unfortunate , the work in question s a magni tude which outstretches all the other Scott works . We are in the same position respecting the R ha s d p o y , which Debussy regards with great c d miration , having heard it in Paris . In this case , o the score is in Petrograd awaiting perf rmance . We to A ubad e now turn the , Op . 77 , written 9 1 in 1 1 , which has been performed at Darm B stadt , erlin , Dresden , and other cities . It is an exquisite tone - poem descriptive Of the mood o W f a peaceful morning . ith quite a light t orches ra , the composer limns his moods with M sub growing fervour . ost Of the work is very one e A u dued , as might imagine , since the nam bad e indicates a serenade Of the morning ; a joyous strain wherewith to waken a beloved Th e are sleeper unto the day . melodies very long , and are suggestive Of a restrained passion and Th not Of yearning . e rhythm is that regularity — which makes performance easy the conductor ,

5 - 8 in fact , has his task set , with the varying , — 4 - 8 3 - 8 of a , , the logic which device is app rent

- when long drawn mel odies are abundant . In form the piece may be regarded as one of gradual 4 4 CYRIL SCOTT

to expansion and diminution , dying away the

little calm sad figure Of the commencement . A mongst hi s very finest works are the Piano fo rte C onc e rto (given at the L ondon F estiv al Of B ritish M usic in 1 9 1 5 ) and the Two P assac aglias

on I rish Th e me s for orchestra , which were first given by B eecham at the R oyal Philharmonic S ’ 9 T ociety s C oncerts in 1 1 6 . hese three pieces ’ are in the composer s most advanced style . Th e Pi anoforte C onc e rto was written in the 9 4 w inter Of 1 9 1 3 and the spring months Of 1 1 . Th e idea of writing a modern concerto a l a Tchaikovsky had never appealed to him ; and

when finally he was drawn to this form Of music , the work appeared entirely on unconventional h de a . t e lines In fact , he admits that until i Of treating the C oncerto on what he himself called & & B - t rather ach like lines occurred o him , he on had relinquished all hopes of ever writing e . A lthough his own description Of it i s I m of B on pressions ach , taken while a supposed & T to C . to journey hina ruth tell , it is hardly B n like ach at all . O e might say the last movement is more like H andel transported into the present generation . Performed with great ’ success at Sir Thomas B eecham s 1 9 1 4 B ritish M S L t usic eason in ondon , with the composer a to the piano , it seems up the present to have ORCHESTRAL CHORAL WORKS 4 5 shared the fate Of so many Of the finest works of B ritish composers here ; for at the time Of writing , this has been its only public perform

h or Th . as f ance . e war suspended negotiations R a performance in ussia . Th e work opens with a strong v ibrant note on o the orchestra , upon which the sol instrument immediately makes a majestic entry with some T powerful chords . his is followed by a passage A Of great vigour . rippling glissade Of musical — mosaics- a veritable cascade Of opals gives a u t strikingly opalescent to ch , and the movemen gets well under way with a brilliant strong l y marked theme on the piano Th e slightly C hinese atmosphere which gives such a distinct to perfume to the second subject , can be traced the C hinese Songs (notably the Pi c ni c) and also n t to the first Son e for violin and piano . Snatches Of plaintive melodies now abound and S the music scintillates with radiant hues . pace forbids me to describe the many beauties and masterly touches , but the remarkable intensity Of the melody for solo viola and Oboe forms a Th e of n prominent feature . brilliance the pia o forte part , particularly in this movement , has to my mind never been equalled in the whole range A n Of concertos hitherto . atmosphere Of mystic meditation rests over the whole of the slow move 4 6 CYRIL S COTT

ment , and the themes appear in light relief over a continuous bourdon Of distant evanescent bell

tones . It is a profound twilight meditation , into which tender flute - like melodies gently insinuate v Th themsel es . e movement dies away in soft

soothing harmonies , a few stray resonances lingering (as though loth to depart) before the whole i s gently wafted away Th e utmost brilliancy is the leading note Of

F e rme the inale , the whole movement being p ated with a joyous vitality and bustling good Th e humour . texture glows with gorgeous

- t - hues , and bell ones form a rich back ground . T i s v v here a wonderful er e about the movement , which is charmingly orchestrated by a thorough C master Of orchestral colouring . elesta , C H P ampanella , arp and iano are all requis ition d to e in combination , to add the brilliancy T Of this scintillating movement . owards the end a gossamer - like veil of tone is as it were

drawn over the viv acious leaping subject , which then broadens out gradually into the majestic of C Th harmony Of the opening the oncerto . e of v theme the slow second mo ement reappears , only to expand into the return of the powerful

motive , and the work ends in the most brilliant on manner possible , with a clash Of percussion a majestic chord .

4 8 CYRI L SCOTT

Th Two assac a li a e P g s , notwithstanding their ’ brevity , are undoubtedly the composer s high T est orchestral achievements . here he would seem to have drained the orchestra Of every possibility , and the result is remarkable and Th most impressive . e two airs used are the I rish F amine S n sad al o g , that deeply lament r most heartrending in its intensity , and the Poo I ri sh B o on sad y , which e gathers was originally a S and sedate melody , but which cott has used in O RCHESTRAL CHORAL WORKS 4 9 rapid te mpo and produced a piece Of feet - quick

u v 1va c it to . c ing y , almost amounting riotousness Th F amine S n e o g begins very modestly , given out in octaves on the double basses ; then the time is transferred to the middle register and clothed in some Of the best progressions C yril Scott has ever written .

z If we scrutini e the musical quotation closely , we discover that , although the melody may be t ut e nse m bl e in a key itself , the o gives the idea

or one N Of no tonality , else a very elusive . early every chord is in a different scale ; the first chord being in C ; the second in E minor ; the third in A E C flat major ; the fourth , minor ; the fifth ,

E C so on . again ; then flat , and again , and

N i s evertheless , in one sense the whole phrase in D its minor , for should one place a cadence at T Of C close , it could not well be the onic , but

r Th of D minor o else G major . e passacaglias

f h rmoni c A s o a . are full such problems , in fact assac a li a th e to the form , a p g is so simple ( tune being in one part or another throughout the whole work) that little need be said ; but certainly the composer has used every harmonic , contra puntal and orchestral device to lend variety to his Th e fini sh subject . organ is employed in the ing climax with as grandiose and overwhelming ’ f Sc riabin s r me th e us e fect as in P o , the volume 5 0 CYRIL S COTT

Of so one sound being great , some said , as to ff become tearfully a ecting . Th assa a li a O I I e P c g N . presents a strong con H of trast . ere the composer uses every species

percussive instrument , including a grand piano .

Th Of 4 2 e score consists about staves , and as the result sounds are produced which have never C C S been heard before . ertainly both yril cott and Percy G rainger have exhibited the aug m e nte d possibilities of the Passacaglia and t brought his Old form into favour once again . Whether others will readily follow in th e n foot

steps remains to be seen . ’ F inally we turn to C yril Scott s latest choral ’ — Of K B work his setting eat s renowned allad , L a be ll e am san M r i Th C D e s e c . e antata was originally written for Soprano and B aritone solos Th and orchestra some eight years ago . e com

Ou poser , later , came to regard the work as some a Of wh t immature , although many portions it still appealed to him so in the winter Of 1 9 1 5 - 1 6 the idea Of turning it into a choral work struck him and he could thus realiz e the possibility of ad ’ ding much more colour to the beauty Of K eat s C poem . ertainly the result has been extremely ’ on K happy , for there were many strings eat s lu te which found a ready symp athetic resonance C S in the heart Of yril cott , who has a strong af ORCHESTRAL CHORAL WORKS 5 1

Th e t finity with this poet . work is replete wi h a certain archaic mysticism , and the atmosphere of & the cold hill- side is strongly emphasiz ed by T his music . here is a feeling of intense desola

tion and sadness about the whole cantata , and even in its gayer passages there remains an under tone Of tragedy . Th e chorus gives the sensation of a great moan f of ing . Novel e fects choral writing have here 5 2 CYRIL S COTT

been presented—notably the altos divided in con se c uti ve seconds , the gruff ness Of which proced ure being considerably m oll ifie d by the rest Of on the harmony appearing the orchestra . Passages in chromatic major thirds seem to suggest the soughing Of th e wind over bleak

moorlands ,

and the music ends with a note of utter deso lation . ORCHESTRAL CHORAL WORKS 5 3

A s to other orchestral works there are several which we may mention to Show that Scott was never orchestrally idle ; but we

must add he has withdrawn them all , and thus they have no practical value now ; although they

r have helped to make his name , and found favou in the eyes Of no less a conductor than H ans R ich ~ ter Th e two Symphonies h ave already been

T wa hI a ni c a t mentioned . here s also a large g fi T for chorus , soli , and orchestra . hen followed the H e roic S ui te performed by R ichter in M an L A chester and iverpool . fter which came the I d lli c S ui te Ov e rture to e ll e a and M e li y , the P s

sa nd e i a n rte C nc e rt i n S e c ond , a P ofo o o D , the Ov e rture to e ll e as and M e li and e Ov e rture P s , the to A l avaine and S e l se tte A ra bes ue g y , an q , and Two R h s di N o the ap o es for Orchestra . t all Of

for M a ni a t these works were performed , the g fic ,

F i rst i an C nc e rt v e rtur t A l a the P o o o , and O e o g v ai ne and S e l yse tte never entered the concert th R T e S e c nd ha s d . h hall , nor did o p o y e other L on works , however , have been performed in B o B B F don , ournem uth , ath , irmingham , rank fort , and other places . It will be seen that C yril Scott is always very

wn rod u ti ons S b . critical of his o p Unlike trauss . he will not suffer performances Of things which T he knows to be immature and unworthy . hey 5 4 CYRIL SCOTT

were good exercises , he remarks , and I ut amused myself by writing them , b I certainly to never wish hear them , and would spare others & s doing o as well .

CHAM B ER MU SIC

CHAPTER V

C HAM B E R M US I C

’ TH E smallness Of the number Of Scott s contri butions to C hamber - music is amply atoned for by their intrinsic value and fine quality ; and chief among them stands ‘ the Qui nte t for Pi ano and S tri n gs . In this domain we are confronted once ’ more with the composer s critical , even hyper

own F or critical attitude towards his works .

Of the many things he has produced , only the uinte t Vi lin S na ta to Q and the o o (which , owing its magnitude and importance , must come under ’ this heading) remain as valid in the composer s estimation . Indeed , he would withdraw the Pi anoforte Q uarte t i n E minor were it not published and so safely outside the dangers

- r f . S v Of his ire place In sho t , cott has been ery

- active in chamber music production , but equally T v active in his policy Of destruction . here ha e

59 6 0 CYRIL S COTT

i an rt Tri S trin ua rte ts been a P ofo e o , two g Q , a Pi anoforte Qui nte t (written at the age Of

- one Vi lin S na ta twenty ) , a o o (written soon after 1 w i a n ua rte t N ards) , and then the P o Q one Of

th e these , however , save the last , are extant , even Quartet played so much on the C ontinent being laid aside for a reworking .

Th 9 1 1 - 1 2 e Quintet , written in 1 , was originally a sextet which the composer conceived at the age

- five as on a t. Of twenty but it struck him , later , th parts Of it were inadequate , he bethought him to take its best portions and convert it into a Quintet Th e lovely opening melody Of the

first movement breathes an exquisite ideality , and i s not without anundercurrent Of longing for T further exultation . hose who have but a super ’ ficial C S acquaintance with yril cott s works , and those others who charge the composer with a a of won l ck melodiousness , should here note this d e rful ly long - breathed melody which sings on for not less than 4 1 bars without any feeling of a E break . asements Of melodic tension there are , but they merely serve as poises for a further

flight . It is significant that such a long thread Of melodic invention can only be sustained by the

of 4 - 8 5 - 8 4 —4 so use irregular measures , , , and

1 Boose y C O CHAM B ER MU SIC 6 1

A on . short episode which foreshadows the

- 8 second theme Of the final section ( 7 time) , here w h given by the strings y , is wistful and longing , F F n and works up to the ree antasia portio , which is consummated in an enormous climax just be Th e fore the return Of the opening theme . second theme on its final appearance is aecom panie d by a high pendulous counter - melody on Th e Of the violin . last echo this theme is gradu ally accelerated until , quite naturally and without a break Of any kind , it has become transformed to the A ll eg ro graz ioso ma non troppo of the second movement . It has been stated that the music of C yril Scott on is lacking in form the contrary , the construe tion and design , in his larger works particularly , is exceedingly fine , well balanced , logical , and Th on satisfying . e whole Of the Quintet is e

v continuous piece , although according ery closely

so- S to called onata form considerably elaborated . Th e idea Of the four movements of the SO - called classical Sonata which have little or hardly any

one connection with another , does indeed seem to leave something lacking and certainly is not

SO very logical . it may be noted that in all C yril S ’ S cott s works written in onata form , he intro

or duces an echo recapitulation , in some manner CYRIL SCOTT or of t other , all the previous chief themes , in o of the development section the final movement . This devi ce may set the pattern for the Sonata

of B c on form the future , just as eethoven when ne c ting the first and second themes of his firs t

- M z se t movement in contra distinction to o art ,

for - for the pattern the sonata form his successors . Th e second movement is flavoured with a remote gaiety , and the muted instruments em ph asiz e and intensify the feeling that the exult ation is on some other plane than the purely n A o e . physical fter some time , a new melody Of a singing character enters on the viola (now

On th re turn of unmuted) . e the first gay theme , the piano has a subject Of that sparkling , scintil lating nature which is characteristic Of C yril T Scott in his gayer moods . his section gradu ally transforms the joyful theme i n a wonderful way into the leading subject Of the slow move of Th e t ment , a piece fervent intensity . firs

- out seven bar phrase , given in similar motion by

on . the strings alone , is given the next page One Of the most moving passages in the ’ Th e h as Quin tet follows . cello a melody in its most penetrating register and i s followed by the be violin with even greater intensity , the theme ing finally taken up and carried on to the whole

6 4 CYRIL S COTT along unin terruptedly until the original theme begins to insinuate itself , at first very subtly , but finally gaining such power that the figure of the z z Th e Interme o is completely ousted . whole Of th e beautiful chromatic passage recurs here and moun ts up to a climax which only gradually F subsides to emerge in the inale .

T i s A ll e r c on m l t s i ri t t his an g o o o p o , almos to impossible describe in words , Opening in the following manner CHAMB ER M USIC 6 5

Th e second subject , in a mood Of high ecstasy on the violin , has that soaring , seething richness

of S ff . trauss in feeling , but di erent in texture A nother theme now enters , the first indication Of which occurred towards the end Of the second

of S c h e rz T theme the o movement . hen comes a rapid marshalling Of all the chief themes of the

a Quintet , which brings the work to culmination Th C Of exceeding majesty and brilliancy . e oda ends with a long ringing no te Of majestic tri umph .

V S f ' In his iolin onata , the most di ficult and modern Of all works for this combination Of i n ’ s trume nts Ornste in s (barring , p erhaps , ) , the

h as composer , contrary to his usual custom , di v id e d the music into four definite movements . Th e re last movement , however , brings in a capitulation Of the themes of all the previous Th e c anta bil e movements . number Of lovely melodies gives the work a certain peaceful C é charm , a restful feeling which recalls sar F B ut ranck in some Of his moods . there is far more action in this music of C yril Scott than in F any work Of the rench composer , the constantly shif ting harmonies givi ng a sense of activi ty of to do which music, an earlier period fails , at any rate now that th e dust of a few years has des c e nde d Th r upon it . e opening theme is Of a e 06 C YRIL SCOTT

markable energy , full Of almost violent rhythm Th e comprised with an emphatic harmony . composer is here hitting straight from the shoul

F B ran w n der , just as rank g y does in his decora A C tive pictures . lthough some people style yril S re c i e ux cott p , his larger works are replete with a vigour as remote from all preciousness as it is possible to imagine . Th e form Of the first movement Of this Sonata is so closely welded that theme passes into theme , and development into development , without any

T one possible break . his might lead to sup pose that there is an element of monotony in the m SO Of usic ; but it is not , _ for there are periods restfulness which Sli gge st a pause without any

or . sense of break in thought , in harmonic flow A s to the coda , its power and majesty seem almost overwhelming , while the only musi cal analogy to such superb richness Of pianoforte scoring is the wealth Of orchestration to be found f R S S in the later operas o ichard trauss . omeone has likened the third movement , which may be

S z called a cher o , to the playfulness Of monkeys afiords in a tropical forest , and certainly it the strongest possible contrast to the exotic melan F S c h ol y of the second movement . rom the cher z ando point Of v iew , this is something entirely to of new , owing the constant change rhythm CHAMBER MUSIC 07

stri and the mixture Of song and dance elements , dent exclamations jostling freely against poetical — Th e phrases truly a veritable medley of moods . W its finale has a dual significance . hilst proper themes rise easily to the high level Of the pre it ceding lyricism , also serves as an arena for all N the subjects from the other movements . ear the end there is a F ugato which attains its full climactic power in the introduction Of the theme

Of the second movement . Th e list Of first - class modern Sonatas for the violin and piano is certainly circumscribed , and this contribution Of C yril Scott therefore should be doubly welcome to concert artists Of the first M on rank . y e criticism is that the evolution Of musical form tends to render the re - statement Of themes at any length in the recapitulatory se c Wh tions unnecessary . y repeat anything at all ’ ? S when one s memory carries it in mind till , perhaps this reflection is somewhat unnecessary w t o S ith regard cott , Since many find his music not always easy to follow , and his themes too far removed from the Obvious to dispense entirely with the necessity for recapitulation .

S MALLER PIANOFORTE WORKS

7 2 CYRIL S COTT those best known ; and I know that I must face the tribunal Of public opinion in choosing the

for pieces mention in this ch apter . I would to suggest those , who may feel a little aggrieved at not finding the names Of many piano pieces to which are their favourites , that it is better learn Of something new than to be told of what we already know . Two Of the most interesting sets Of pianoforte pieces are the cycle called E gypt and th e se t Of F iv e I mpre ssions from th e Jungl e B ook . Th e E gyptian cycle is widely diff erentiated in style from that of the Jungl e B ook I m re ssi ns f to th e p o , although it is di ficult describe f W l di ference in words . hilst he has rea ised in the Jungl e the Indian atmosphere in a degree

E ti an e n never before attained , the gpy suite is v e l ope d in a much deeper mysticism . Th fi E t I n th e e rst number Of gyp , called Te m l e M e m his p of p , opens with slow , mysterious ,

of d . insinuating figures , suggestive ouble flutes Th e music increases in eloquence , expression and sonority , the underlined major thirds giving a t pleasant , reedy and pastoral feeling , whils the whole - tone steps impart an inde finabl e Th e weirdness . piece reaches a majestic climax th e w m i t Of the utmost force , ind instru ents , as w l h h l h ere , veritab y s rieking out their s ri l , s arp SMALLER PIANOFORTE WORKS 7 :

Th skirl . e climax gradually relapses into almost fi complete inertness , whilst the little opening g

- ure is gently breathed forth in low flute like tones . Th e second piece Opens with a simple tran

- quil scale passage in whole tones , alternating throughout wi th the quasi bustling figures in & broken fourths and sixths , which constitute A t the real material Of the movement . first B th e Wa te rs sight the impressionistic sketch , y o th e N il e f , looks as though it were closely related to the C hinese chop - sticks figures Of the C on c e rt o and other pieces , but the sound and feeling of these fourths is quite distinct , the lower har mony here adding a strong quality Of E astern Th e mysticism . slightly accentuated episode in the middle affords the only instance in the C ’ whole Of yril Scott s music , where the realism to my mind seems pushed to a crude and barbar ous B ut n stage . it is probable that the composer i f on tended this e fect , since he insists it again later S on . uch a complaint certainly cannot be made with regard to the exquisite and suave E gypti an B a t S n l an uidit of o o g , the slow g y which seems

- Th full of lotus land charm . e simple little theme of five notes gives birth to the whole piece ; from i t f springs a melody o long delicious curve , under Th e lined in major thirds throughout . music is wonderfully vivid mirages Of distant mosques , 7 4 CYRIL S COTT

i z roseate w th a luminous ha e , rise before the Th eyes . e rocking of the da rgha k is always present and the slow plaint Of the flutes c om pletes the warm , languorous picture . Th e F une ral M arc h Of th e G re at R aamse s is richly informed with highly - coloured pageantry ;

- n o the continually changi g t nalities , like moving colours in a kaleidoscope , conjure up a pic ture Of some sumptuous procession , painted in flaming colours which run into one another f B ut almost to the point O blurring . a majestic & of - change key colour with an emphatic ,

- trumpet like passage , reminds us that this was on ki n of Th e e great among the gs the earth . F uneral procession’ gradually passes from sight and hearing . I have played through S ong of th e Spi ri ts Of th e N il e se t , the final piece in the , but I cannot

find any meaning in it . It appears to me nothing but a piece Of exaggerated mannerism ; the idea ’ & in the composer s mind does not get over the & B ut on footlights . it is quite likely if e pos f sessed the clue to it , that it would appear di fer C se t E t ently . ertainly this gyp is more subtle f Th o than any other music O Scott . e spirit f of pageantry , the love strong colours , and the cunning charm Of E gypt lies drowsily over all this music . S MALLER PIANOFORTE WORKS 7 5

Th e un l J g e opens with a slow , mysterious melody of low pitch poised over an incessantly bourdonnin —fi ure T g pedal g . his suggests that dull , continuous , murmuring note , which is the subtle , never silent bourdon Of the jungle . O ver it , the melody slowly and subtly de v e l o s - p in ever extending curves , only broken into occasi onally by a shrill motive : the chatter of a

or Th e monkey the scream Of a parroquet . on main melody moves majestically , at length

as fading away subtly as it was evolved . awn t D , a lyric movemen , opens with a skirl on some reed - like instrument Th e melody de v e l ops with a pastoral feeling and with that strang e curvilinear melodic style which the com poser shares with Debussy alone .

R ikki - ti hki - tavi In the third impression , , the composer is Obviously aiming at a very d e fin ite picture Of the fight between K ipling ’ s little mongoose and the maliciously- minded Th snake . e conflict waxes severe and the deft , darting movements Of the two animals fighting A to the death are admirably portrayed . strik ing change occurs in the music at the part marked & & R - - lovingly , when ikki tikki tavi is received joyfully back into the bosom Of the white ’ B ut m man s family . all this is not arked in the 7 6 C YRIL S COTT m for e ve r one usic , the composer assumes that v w K kno s this ipling story well . Th e harmonic colouring is frequently Of that lithographic Vivi dness which one associates with E the sunshine and the glaring skies Of the ast . Th e mo vements of the snake are astoundingly of real , and this reminds me a story which I re c i v e d t e at firs hand from the pianist concerned . When in Jamaica he was playing the R i kki ti kki - tavi and th e S nak e piece one Sunday o afterno n in his verandah room , when his wife came in and q uie tl v asked him to continue H e SO saw playing and to look round . did , and — a live snake gyrating in graceful folds in time with the music , which it was enjoying thor oughly . anc e th e E l e hants In the D Of p , the weirdness Of Kipling ’ s story is intensified and rendered Th none the less captivating . e left hand is di re c te d to be played always a little louder than the

t admi r righ , and these low , heavy fifths convey ably the impression Of the clumsily padding hoofs t Of the beasts holding their nocturnal festival , a tempting to be graceful in the depth Of the forest . A perverse sort Of whole - tone scale winds up

se t of i ctur this vivid pieces , in which pathos , p e s ue ne ss q , poetry and a certain impishness are combined . SMALLER PIANOFORTE WORKS 7 7

E ven the more perceptive members Of the pub lic are a little loth to accept a man equally favour one of ably in a dual role . In the very best sets — — Of pianoforte pieces Po e ms it is difficult to ’ or say whether C yril Scott s creations in verse ,

- the reproduction Of the soul states in music , reach S se t the higher level . uch a will only yield up its secret to the most sensitive temperaments ; but to them , these five poems are amongst the

- A most highly priz ed pieces by this composer . i s poem preceded each piece , and it an interesting CYRIL S COTT occupation to decide whether the poetry or the m usi c achieves the mood with the greater deli cacy and the surer touch . i e s L e t Popp is a languid n o , full Of deep ex pression and founded on chords Of broken

n L fl t - u a c rda . u e fourths , played o ittle like melodies Of a strikingly characteristic curvilinear A character intervene at intervals . Slight ripple o Of increased emotion ccurs in the middle , and the song ends with the merest waft of colour on

z Th e G ard e n O S oul - S m the swaying bree e . In f y ath p y , which is perhaps still more elusive , the & & - composer rhapsodises in soul knit gladness , and harmonious visions Of wondrous colour move

- majestically over the ear . A bell like interlude , which occurs in the middle , suggests the pale sound of distant bells floating across the valley to this secret garden Cloister . To anyone wh o wants the difference in har monic method between the Older and the newer schools explained to him in a few words , I would recommend the study Of the harmonic basis Of this piece ; although I think it would not do to let the composer discover you at such cold L blooded musical analysis . ike Debussy , he

of h is would protest against the dissection music , as if it were a piece Of curious blockwork mechan i sm R e v ue B l anc h e in 1 8 9 1 F . In the the rench

8 0 C YRIL SC OTT

E A P oe - t dgar llan in twentieth cen ury dress ,

' sa & — e rha you y Yes p ps . I S ’ love cott s music , said someone to me one m day , but I am absolutely stu ped by the

glissandos , especially those up and down the black keys in L otus L and and in the Twiligh t & th e Ye a r C an ? of . he do them himself Oh , yes ; I have heard him race up and down h the piano thus , chuckling with delight ; I ave also heard York - B owen doing glissa ndi in double e s octav up and down the piano , but I believe that both of them receive slight finger contusions at

so times . I cannot do them myself , I am unable to give my readers the knack which I am told i s all e on that is required , giv n an amenable touch the Twili h t o th e Ye ar N o 4 piano . In g f ( . of the Po e ms) we have the delicate antiqueness of B ull

rd and B y e served up in modern dress , and I am sure the glissando would be easier on one of the ol us d virginals . In this piece , to e the com ’ own to z poser s words , the heart returns stan as ’ steeped in woe .

N w o n c V o o , deeply thr bbi g sighs es ape the muted i l , When ac ross th e mead ows wander tired herds —no o c n We sink , entwined l nger a we read the sunless

dial , ’ And e en the wasted will ows whisper weary words . SM A L L ER PIA N OF OR TE WOR K S 8 1 N othing more intimate has ever been written

N c a . n in music evertheless , I imagine that the Vividness of the P aradi se - B i rd s will appeal to T more players . heir fragrant notes are indeed garnished with beauteous colours in the marvel Th lous little arabesques . e mystic trees and sa cred bowers do indeed resplendent shine with the eternal sunset ’ s light & in the resounding of chords and rolling arpeggios , symbolic the mingling of all faded human Joys l n one but the & piece ends with a strong aspiring , freed from the sense of separateness and a gladness born of

e t of e ms lost delights returning . In this s Po , in E gypt and in the Jungl e B ook we have a contri

of L z bution fit to rank with the rhapsodies is t , of B the dances of C hopin , the sonatas rahms and f aubades o Scriabin . One of the most attractive of the short pieces n is the Sphi x . It opens with several short phrases , every bar a harmonic question the mood alternating between this and a lyric passage .

A meditative alto melody supplies contrast . It has a strange feeling of E astern incantation about it ; something like a triumphant solu m s tion seems to occur at the climax , but the y te ri ous incantation and all the ol d questions

Th e return afresh . piece ends with a satisfying 8 2 C YR I L SC OTT

T of major chord . here is a suggestion a plain tive bassoon hidden among swaying rushes , piping a melancholy under - melody in a strange of admixture major and minor key , an admixture which produces far more plaintiveness than if the phrase were in the minor throughout . C uriously enough that most diatonic of com

G F H e xe r posers , eorge rederick andel , has c ise d a certain influence at times on this E modern nglish composer , and it was a happy thought of Percy G rainger to urge C yril Scott t o 1 —a o curtail his original piano Sonata N . work which he had discarded as immature—and permit ’ it to come forth under G rainger s editorship as R 1 n won H . . O e the andelian hapsody , Op 7 ders wh at H andel himself would have said to

rh a sodi z ti on S H such p a . till andel was much wider in hi s ideas than many even of his greatest admirers imagine . Th e P re l ud e S ol e nne ll e is one of the finest of the piano pieces . Its free rhythm , far from m it n detracting fro s dignity , deepens the vei of serious feeling which pervades the piece . W ritten mainly in robust chords , there are many

of re moving passages awe , wonderment , and l i ious u g calm , but the joyf l mood predominates and the piece ends after a glittering cadenz a of SM A L L E R PIA N OFOR TE WORK S 8 3

’ the utmost scintillation . Wagner s influence

s comes to the urface in parts , but the piece is an. admirable example of the way Scott can take a short theme and entirely evolve a whole piece from it , unfailing in variety and gripping in interest . If asked to mention a piece which gives that

‘ soft freshness of early morning when nature — seems to take on a new and Virgina&beauty a — favourite mood of the composer I should quote 8 4 C YR IL SC OTT

a ti n 9 5 t he C va a written in 1 1 . In this lovely A ndante we get the quintessence of pianoforte lyricism . Th e constantly changing bar - times fail to dis turb i ts calm because there is above them a wider sense of rhythm , an undisturbed flow of melody logical sequence lies subtly concealed under these graceful curves ; harmonic subtlety abounds . Take for instance the last chord of the bridge leading to the return SM A L L ER PIA N OFOR TE WOR K S 8 5 or the following delicate dallying over the e n harmonic hiatuses .

Th e bell - like chords at the P in mosso are very of arresting , and the manner returning to the

first theme is exceedingly poetical . t ni tud t Th e Dia o c S y , a favourite wi h organ

i sts , has a diatonic melody , delicate in curve , 8 6 C YR I L SC OTT

rippling away happily over a gently rocking bass , T like little wavelets over a shingly shore . ran quillity and strength of melodious curve are th e O h prevailing features . nly once is t ere a per c e tibl e p break , just before the reprise . If the of tune be diatonic , there is a plenitude harmon i c interest . Indeed some people regard the novel harmonies (or is it the scales P) as unpleasantly creaking , a distast e ful v agary of this wayward

Th e t composer . waywardness is o my ear v ery C m o non charming . oncerning atters f taste , i t n t B d s u a dum e s . as p e that it may , I feel sure that the ending sets even the most stubborn of these dissenters chuckling with delight F or sinuous curves of melody and romantic W t o of es ern col ur , the second the two pieces ,

O v e r th e rai ri e v P , stands ery high amongst musi Th of cal miniatures . e inner melody the left hand can bring out a positively uncanny eeriness . Th e organ - like richness of harmony in the ma j e sti c chords of the Od e H e roz que is difficult to

A - o excel . bell like episode turns t a mood of gentle lyricism ; but some sterner chords bring in an array of richly connected harmonies lead ing to a majestic restatement of the opening T of of theme . here is something the grandeur

a i s the se here , and , in this regard , there a curious

L A R G ER PIA N OF ORTE WORK S

9 2 CYRIL SCOTT — A decided pause i s reached but it merely forms a hovering point which has no real cadential effect ; and we pass into the slow movement T w without break . his lovely section opens ith of eighteen bars sustained melody , grand and dignified in mood , richly clothed in striking har A n monies . episode follows leading into the second theme which vies with the first for the of M palm beauty . elodiously tranquil and soul fully happy , it develops in canonic fashion . A fter this the opening grandeur of the first sub on jcet its return is rendered even more striking . M ost composers would have broken the music ’ so s not S s there after lovely a ong , but this is cott

A s sub method . the slow mov ement gradually o S c h e rz sides , little suggestions f the coming o insinuate themselv es in a species of short Fan tasia which finally emerges into the Scherz o proper . To i s my mind , this the most original and ’ of C S characteristic all yril cott s moods , and the only composer who approaches anywhere near A him in this vein is lexander Scriabin . It seems to me that there is here achieved in music an adumbration of that phenomenon which C ar

e nt r p e calls C osmic C onsciousness . It may be traced psychologi c ally I think from the ex L A R G ER PIA N OFORTE WOR K S 98 hil arating effect which B eethoven and M ahler B occasionally secured in their codas . ut Scott

T S c h e rz carries it to a higher power . his o is a wild , mad happy dance , but it is a terpsichorean expression on some higher plane than the physi

I t fe s cal . has the same molecular atmospheric ’ F tive feeling which we feel in Debussy s ete s . Waywardness and exuberance there are also in the opening subject , the second theme giving a plaintive contrast to the previous exuberance of

We spirit . then return to the original mood ,

' and the music dances h appil v along until we reach the recapitulation of a very majestic phrase from A the first mov ement . gain there is a free fan tasia portion which embraces almost all the pre

i n z ceding themes a tranquili ed form , the whole gently subsiding , previous to the introduction of

F u ue v t ur d e the g , a eritable o forc e which car ries the music along to the greatest climax of the whole Sonata This is probably the firs t fugue ever written in the absence of regular r and a on two hythm , is b sed subjects 9 4 C YR IL SC OTT

the second being derived from the second theme of the first movement ;

9 6 C YR IL SC OTT

w of k beauty and ith ornamental device every ind . Sooner or later so superb a work must become a regular item in the repertoire of all p1an1sts of

the first rank . One of the chief characteristics of the Sonata is its o Th complete freedom f rhythm . e chang

- h of ing bar times , owever , produce no feeling

restlessness in the music , but only invest it with the eloquence of a fine discourse ; and it may be added that on its first performance not one critic of was sensible its rhythmic irregularities . A S e c nd mongst the longer cyclic works , the o S ui te O 5 v pus 7 deser edly takes a high place . It

i s m - in five ovements , the last being a well devel

Th wbrk to C oped fugue . e is dedicated laude D u . ebussy , who was m ch impressed with it H e C S i s one of writes , yril cott the rarest artists & — of the present generation , a striking testi mony from one of the greatest musical epicures . B ut Debussy i s not the only great contemporary w for G a ho admires him , Percy rainger has ’ - r whole hearted admiration fo Scott s music , which he has carried even to the extent of a re

vision of some of the earlier works , which would not have been published otherwise . T i To return . h s suite is an eminently successful example of the way in which Scott can infuse new ol d colour and fresh e motion into the moulds . L A R G ER P IA N OF OR TE WOR K S 9 7

u A i r Vari e d S l e mn anc e Th e Pre l d e , the , the o D , C a ri c e I ntr duc ti n and F u ue the p , the o o g , are all forms bearing the halo of antiquity . Yet the guises here are new enough in all truth Th e P re lud e is a gently swaying lyric whose impres sion of freedom i s secured by alternating time E signatures . xquisitely poetic passages present a picture of most idyllic emotion . Th e unusual nature of the theme for the varia n a tions strikes o e s remarkable . It opens thus 9 8 C YR I L SC OTT

F or the first variation , the theme is taken into & an inner part , but the word variation must no We se t be taken too literally . e here in these variations successive transformations , distillations of the emotional germ , rather than the actual of i s outline the theme , which nevertheless always A present in an increasingly subtle form . fter —P i u m ss A ll e r A n varied presentments o o , g o , ante M l t c h e rz and — d , o o s o the piece ends with a of soft repetition the theme in its original form .

It i s thus that I like all sets of variations to end . T I of hese variations are more n the manner , though entirely different in matter from those of B R E of rahms , eger and lgar ; things the spirit rather than of the l etter ; or as the composer o su himself might put it , the same s ul in c T h c e ssive bodies . hose who expect somet ing ’ of the style of M a urice R avel s stately Pavane in the Sol e mn D anc e of this Suite will be disap Th e of ol d pointed . atmosphere is that the M f T fashioned inuet , but with a di ference here i s all the ol d world grace without any of the stiff

t A ‘V t - ness of the 1 7th cen ury . at e au like pic

on - 8 5 - 8 ture in music freer lines (in 7 time , and

- not 1 0 8 and what ) , everything is richly filled Th no . e in ; there are thin places caprice , also in 1s S z free time , m reality a cher ando there are passages of remarkable brilliancy and of rich

1 00 C YR IL SC OTT

t begins in B . I am inclined o think the key of the F ugue subject is really E flat , the answer enter fl W ’ ing on B at . ith Scott s music the ear is the

only arbiter , the notation being often merely acci t den al . This Suite was remarkably well received in on Paris its first performance , the composer him

at th e - self being key board .

104 CYR IL SC OTT

of M a tain the early period , whilst y C p and ’ the B l ac kbi rd s S ong are apparently the most F or of popular . the songs the second period I would specially mention M i rage with its sooth v M ing , magnetic beauty , the restful , lo ely y L ad sl e e s A S n o Wine y p , the virile o g f , and the entrancing Whi te K night (with its pictorial of of not to suggestion the galloping horses) , omit one of the best of all h is inspirations in lyric al A n Old S n form , the unspeakably touching o g E nd e d m A . Deeply sincere and i pressive are ’ G i t o Sil e nc e L v e A te rma th e l o f f , o s f , and the ’ quent setting of C hristina R ossetti s F or a ’ e m ke D a od l D r a s S a . fi i s is captiv ating in its spontaneous melody and exquisite piano part . h A utumn S n In a more advanced style t e o g , the ’ Vill ane ll e of Th e P oe t s R oad with its original M n M aid e n harmonies , and the oo with its ban A tering queries and answers . mongst the very best of his songs are the early Two P oems: V i c e s o Visi n Will ws t 1 903 o f o and o , wri ten in , wonderfully daring in richness of texture and of N of originality setting . ew modes expression Two hine se S n s have been opened up in the C o g , ’ Wai tin A i c ni c H A G transl a g and P , to . . iles C T tion from the hinese . h e oriental feeling in these two wonderful songl e ts ' is delightfully W e n reproduced . hilst the first reaches the ' — to which Cyril Scott ~ occasionally t urns as ' ' indeed did al—so Brahms and othe r c omposers of equal repute and th 1s IS th e fol k - song ; for to ’ omit any mention of Scott s acti vity i n this di

l rection would be to ignore some of his happiest i I d d ~ n s . n e o r h is s nspiration e , e o two of true t interpretations have be e n inspired by this folk s e l e me nt notabl ’ A n Old S n E nd e d al ong y y o g , rr to and a a se t n of e x ready refe ed , lso t i g that

uis t l Th S an s o D e e . N o q i e y te nder lyric , e d f thing c ould be more truly patheti c than th e ' a m of se ttin so musical t osphe re this g , entirely s unlike th e way in which it h as be en e t before , i s s v S that to ay , imitati ely . olely through the means of a folk- song- like melody and varying n S tt h as harmo y , co brought forth the unspeak ’ N or ably simple pathos of Kingsley s Poem . has the simplicity suffered by a judicious use of mod I S n w ern harmonic device , and the final cadence e d and ye t retenti ve of an older worl simplicity . ' I h e re a re other songs containing this folk v ein to a gre ater or lesser deg ree - Th e Whi te K ni h t one u t of a e or v g being , b mor less nai e and H i L ov e l y kind and ki ndly L oving and Why so wan n l e r of v a d pa , neithe which , howe er , c omes up th e quality of the later A n Old S ong E nd e d a J A r u 0 n D e . b Th e S a ds of e nothe example , t i — f natur ma w the T di ferent e , y be mentioned e n n H S h as w l se E v e so g . ere cott andered into th e folk element of another country and pre

for th e a sad sus - d piano with , tained song melo y f t woven into th e te xture o i s prevalent gaiety .

- of ilac Time To le ave the folk type song, in L (written for M iss Maggie Teyte) to som e e xce p nal W W tio ly happy words by alt hitman , the e cstatic mood of the poet i s reproduced and am ~

l ifi d - - we b p e by a beautifully coloured sound , punctuated here and there by a little recurrent

v ocal a ra be sque , which exactly reproduces the happy exclamation anticipatory of pleasure and a filled with quick bre thing .

hilst th e t ritornels will be noti c ed

‘ m an a and d a rtist esigner lready referred tq , 1n memory of a close friendship Cyril Scott cate d one of his most touching songs of pa

& I n e ntitl e d S orrow . t c ontai s three short so z s E rn s m w stan a by est Dow on , hich bre ath se e ms almost smothere d by his

Excee ding sorrow

N ow e xc sorrow al l m in eeding y pa rt .

F or Si mple pathos t h e dia toni c mus ic would be difficult to surpass ; its v ery simplici ty being th e of f a its rare a ccident per ect be uty here . From gri ef- laden opening to its close the v ery qmn

i E ow-J t e sse nce of silent sorrow s caught . rnest D son h as supplied C yril Scott with a large number of sympathetic poems which seem to c oincide

- f with th e soul states o the composer . ’ A mongst th e m any facets of Cyril Scott s ~ one s m v s m v e rsatile ge nius, perhap ar el ost th e wo nature and i ts corresponding symbolism of human moods

of a re at the same time . H e h as the ra re gift pp ese moo s in th e e e lane s s a hending th d thr p , vi u l , l aesthetic and e motional al l at onc e : Vi e we re ~ once disc ussing c olo ur and m oveme nt and in th e course of argument Cyril Scott we nt to th e piano and playe d a re markable re nde ring of th e play of l R ai nbow o t in ar w r o r u a . L n T cle te ng , u . u c roma a -co o a i os s e t sual , h tic lly l ure d rp egg w p over a range of f our octav e s i n th e upper re gi on of th e oa w t w - n ke yb rd , hils slo , scarc ely movi g o i es l n th e ass su e s e e t o s of harm n b gg t d & qui po l t a for nno s clear wa e r . R the r too loud mi w ’ was th e o r a r c mpose r s e m k .

A noth e r e xampl e of hi s great powe r of repro ducin ds th of M g moo , is e musical setting argaret M ’ & n & aitland Radford s stanz as e ntitled R ai . Th e regular patte r of the se conds maintains a mo notonous sodden atmosphe re more accurately seiz ed than e ve n by D e bussy in hi s Ja rdins sous l a l ui e T i a m ot p . h s c re ate s on onous drab t it sav e throughou , ple asing by s v e risimilitude where lik e ns th e swe eping rain- drifts to a & weird procession of giant ghosts with hol low & an t i k n i th cien e ye s . Th e h gh e y se tti g s e

1 Now publ i she d (Sch ott C o. ) RH ;

r1g1na woul

‘ lish e rs woul d al ways state th e s s c e th e ong . In thi instan ac

A n unerring taste in poe try i s the

' c o t of th e s - c r onc mitan ong ompose .

& ’ f not se t an a uctioneer s catal ogu e to a s e s to and th Str us s em think , e perfect 1 e ve e a s se of fi if n pr nt d by en tness , ot by

' i tion o ch n m a , fr m oosing u suitable ateri l . ’ so it c ome s about that in a compose r s c hor

s in - h is s lyrics, a leaning toward s va n ous p on a v e x to his m v e gets aluable ind usi c , i t l to th e to c r no on y critic and the appre iato , al so to th e interpre ter of th e songs and th e

‘ m anist c o p . ’ Cyril Scot—t s chol ee wande rs ove r an immense field from the S c otc h Lulla by of

s f W R m o . n Walte r Scott to the lay . Patte n tra s Th two s lated from th e G reek . e poet wh o h ave ’ th e most impelled C yril Sc ott s responsive muse to utterance are E rnest Dowson and R osa mund ’ son I n D owson s Villane l M arriott VVat . l e of ’ ’ t R oad ove s A te r ma th A S n o th e Po e s , L f , o g f a i e rrot a nd M oonmaid e n m A rc dy , P , and any f hi s l a s S h as others o y , cott indeed found him h is fi self moved to some of nest expressions .

s W k s a o u a a to M r . atson ma e no less p werf l ppe l

twee n m n oder e es which a t ndenci ri se at the sa me time '

but coinc in in e g sse n e . id c x . f~ i ’ UN&UESTI ONAB LY one bf Cyril Scott s gre ate st

a t for V works is his S on a iolin and Piano , which w V T we have brie fly dealt ith in Chapte r . his

s 908 9 1 0 was w ritte n be twee n th e year 1 and 1 . of It is in h is most v igorous style , full fine themes marshalle d with a wonderful power and a rrayed

i s i n gorgeous harmony . It essentially a work for artists of th e fi rst rank and i s thoroughly mod

e m from the first bar to th e last .

w s m 1 9 1 am t l ~ Shortly after ard , 1 , c e h e Ta l a

e to Z m s h asse e S uite , dedicat d i bali t . Despite o the title , the only m vement possessing the

e to e x l nigger fe ling a marked tent is the ast . It is very diatonic and therefore very unlike Scott ; th e first the me must surely be a genuine

S o k - n w Southern tate s f l tu e , hilst the A ll eg ro 1 1 5 orifie d

s e ustifi pect , the piec j make of the fi rst movement v erie for muted iolin) , a dol c e far ni ente A as z it were , whilst la ily ~ pra 1r1e grass A te r Th e te - f q uire me nts of this Sui te do not make

' n f th demands o either o e players , and ’ c omposer s best non- tonal Th e three p 1eces of Opus 7 3

& m t th e a 9 S toe v o 1 1 0 . Th e g) belong , ye r

i on s fin shed mould . Cast imple ternary line s, th v iolin h as th e chief melody at first ; when this i i o th e v o a o taken o ver by the p an , i lin soars b v w m us and sus , ith a new elody equally spontaneo ain d Th e e wi t t e . middl portion rightly accords e i s to ot the mood of the whol . It rare find Sc

m h ui taking up the Valse for , but e i s entirely s ' c e ssful in r g his characteristic style i n th & etainin of t Valse t Tl: second number this se , riste . meaning of th e curious reference to a well- know theme with an entirely diatonic trea tme nt i s m

quite clear . Th e R omanc e 1s p art1c ul a 1 l y charming with 1 sw m ts u e s ue e gently aying har onies, i pict r q p s at t h e close are of e xq uisite swe aye d with th e re quisite delicacy of

invari abl rouse s a e ling , it y a keen d sire iti on e t .

Sonne t N o II in E maj or has th e same

h as charming intimacy , and in — ~ isode of indescribable weirdness it must ard for it refuses to be put into words ; but is true that in lyric verse the Sonnet i s t pure st diffic ul t and th e most re stra i ned

‘ form of poe try , th e n th e se two piece s of Scott justly . de serve this e xacting title C yril Scott 18 un i versally known in th e worl d and and e of song piano music , a wid and speedy re cognition of his violin and orc he st ral c omposi ~

r A nd s for tions i s much to be desi ed . thi many

‘ H e re in E n l A r our reasons . g and and in me ica , appre ciati on of him has too long been confined r c s e his r th e to particula lique , wher as works cove w of u n t a s hole range musical instr me s , and fine

s r c s a r s r l his malle pie e e , a com po e should sure y

d is e t r s o r be ju ged by h gr a er wo k , at any rate by a broad asse ssment of his complete output

n t rt and o by a me re pa of it . Th e Violin wo rks in particular wel l dese rve the wide recognition which must come to them in time ; for Scott is peculiarly intimate with the Violin tone ; not only does he h andle all the ol der violin technique freely and nimbly bu t he h as brough t many new devices and effects into H i s not the combination . pieces will commend themselves to the old - fashioned violinist wh o to th e C expects the pianist play inderella to him , to keep his fe w simple chords well in th e back

ground , to pause servilely whilst he gambles through a long and meaningless cadenz a and to

ad e w h the ostl udial gallop m ly hom it p chords . e two interests unified Th e constructio p 1eces is wonderful ly welded I n w r other o ds the y are duets , 2 accomp ani ment ; Wh at a reli

‘

‘ i s to th e a rtistically-minded t o hear ~vi o w of this order & Why should not violin just as artistic as that

’ ance with Cyril Sc ott s string music shoul d firs tw m h e rr R i e and Th take up the o elodies , C y p G e ntl e M aid e n(th e v iolin part is quite diatoni c and then he may pass to th e three pieces of Opt 3 le & Val se rist R omanc e & 7 , E gy, t e and (they a

&

‘ Th Tallahasse e S uite l t fairly diatonic) . e wi l a u a ch n the next step , s altho gh f irly profuse in & & We s tl maties it i s still tonal . pas into ~ & non- tonal style with the Two Sonne ts an ’ th e D e na: P rél ude s whilst th e Sonata shou

only be attempted by artists of the first rank . A solitary contribution for Flute and Fian c

l & S cotc h Pastora , may be mentioned here was published by H ansen of C hristiani a 1 1 9 1 4 and belongs to the order of the Violi

T EC H N IQU E A N I ) H A R M ON Y

1 26 C YR IL SC OTT

Th e merely casual observer too readily couples up Scott ’ s harmonic style with that of the brilli F C but ant rench Impressionist , laude D e bussy , the firs t examination of Scott ’ s work shows that ff his treatment is quite di erent , and thoroughly of W characteristic only himself . hereas the F rench master follows too closely along the seien — tific lines of overtones often to the extent of — mere mannerism Sco tt derives his harmony h f t through altoget er di feren channels . It would be difficult to find such a rich and lusty passage in the F rench composer ’ s works as the following (from the Jungl e B ook) and such are v e rv c om mon with Scott

N or could many of the musical passages which

for we have already quoted , if any , be mistaken

Debussy . Scott carries his harmony further into new

for i s not fields , the simple reason that he tied down to the scientific laws of acoustics as i s the H I S TE C H N IQUE A N D H A R M ON Y 1 27

F rench master , and he secures in consequence an endless variety ; whereas Debussy frequently seems as though he cannot get away from a fe w favourite arrangements of dominant ninths & W and certain hole tone scale effects . Scott ’ s harmony is never cloying but always vital , opalescent and varied in hue , and his many effects of chord colour are due entirely to the deli of ot cate accuracy his hearing . N only are his chords delicious in their sequential connection , but almost each one is a gem of euphony in itself . In no particular does the genius of C yril Scott seem to be more evident than in this matter of harmonic texture . H armony is of prime importance with Scott ’ s music and the quotation of a melodic fragment without the full harmony would be almost a wil im A ful representation of h . lthough he has o gone thr ugh a succession of harmonic styles , his harmonic technique did not unfold in a c onse cu tive way . H i s work cannot be divided into periods , but F distinct stages will be noticed . rom the some of hi s what ordinary productions primary stage , e he seems to have stepped almost immediat ly , at om least so far as his published works go , to the c plex style of such pieces as D agobah and the

S n T non- C hinese o gs . hen came his tonal C YR IL SC OTT — m u a of th e C period the sical l nguage oncerto , S c h e rz L nfl the o and the Quintet . ater the i u ence of folk - tun e s made itself felt in his modern n t setti gs for dia onic melodies .

H e h - b imself explains his non tonal style , as e ing derived from regardin g each chord as though it were in a separate key , and certainly this View helps one mate r ially in quickly grasping such pieces as the S c h e rz o and the song Voi c e s of Vi sion F or his harmony is chordal rather than contrapuntal , to be regarded vertically rather

a z t th n hori on ally . We find very few passages like the following from his C oncerto

1 3 0 C YR I L SC OTT

E ones , modal , mediaeval , and astern ; and he

th - inclines very little to e whole tone scale , E which , by the way , came from the ast (the Siamese) through the R ussians (chiefly Dargo k misky and M usorgs y) .

- Th e love of bell tones is no new thing , but few

ani e nt ranc composers , if have produced such ing effects as those curious combinations con sisting chiefly of fourths which we find in the of i a t ni c Piano C oncerto , at the end the D o B e lls S tud y , and elsewhere , especially in

(Poems) . H I S TE C H N IQUE A ND H A R MON Y 1 3 1

Sometimes these bell effects cause a strange

C av atina . creaking of enharmonies , as in the

Th e pedal - figure is turned to fine use in the i tt I rish R e e l e rre e &c . , P ,

{ El/6 m f zafz {m 00 4 p/ 1 3 2 C YR IL SC OTT

What harmonic metamorphoses may happen to a simple diatonic theme of Scott i s well shown by one of the chief themes in the C onc e rto

1 3 4 C YR IL SC OTT

Occasionally hi s melodic outline bears a s trong resemblance to that of the R ussian Scriabin &

but Scott ’ s treatment of the theme is altogether different . H ere is one of his harmoniz ations H I S TE C H N IQUE A N D H A R M ON Y 1 3 5

S as uch passages the following , in which the b a r n roken fourths play a prominent part , e pee l iarl y characteristic of Scott

T for hen again , he has the capacity writing melodies of a wonderfully sustained length as al

T for e ready said . ake xample the opening sub jcet of the Quintet (forty - one bars long) or the second (cantilena theme) in the last movement in the Violin Sonata One annotator has observe d 1 3 6 GYR I L SC O TT

that the melody seems to emerge from his music

as its flower and ecstasy , rather than as the source

of it ; and that when it comes , it has a syllabic in tensity which differs from the moulded B u phrase . t this impression only comes about S because with cott & melody and harmony are conceived as one whole and inseparable thing a fact much less frequently the case with many A nd composers , than is generally supposed . the & intensity is only syllabic to those unac c us t ome d to such a free and independent treatment

of the so ~ called chromatic notes for Scott i s cer ta inly as g reat as a melodist as he is original as a

harmonist . H i s use with the a ra be sque again is highly

Th e of characteristic . charm of this weaving patterns in music extends right back to the medi eval musicians with the i r intense likl ng for end A n less twisting convolutions in the plainsong . a ra be sq ue in music is a fanciful patterning of no tes which aims at pl e asmg the b e a re r on its

a of own ccount , just as the flamboyant tracery G othic architecture pleases and interests the I t s e y e . must be omething more than a mere u’ pc ggio and in its full glory should have one or more convolutions like th e twinings of a c onvol S ’ v ul us . It plays a very great part in cott s m usi c n u s of i , turni g p fir t in the form the l ttle

13 8 C YR IL SC OTT ated from the piano keyboard as a channel of ex Th . e pression orchestra has his love , and he is w turning his eyes to ards fresh fields to conquer . We have more than once talked on the won de rful possibilities of the modern organ with its tonal wealth and new expressive powers , and probably it will claim some of his attention in the near future . W to ith the orchestra again , he is careful avoid W the obvious . here a conventional composer — two would use three horns he employs say , low flutes and a solo viola (muted) ; and thus he ob tains the exac t tint for the archaic feeling of L a B e ll e D am e sans M e fci B ut he can touch also the highest lights with the most exhilarating e f feets ; witness the clever assimilation of the or c h e strati on to the timbre of the pianoforte in the c om ane l l a e f C oncerto , where harp , celesta , and p feets are made so many auxiliaries to establish intercourse on equal terms with the orchestra . H i s fastidious taste in the choice of instruments always keeps him far from the shoal on which so — many composers get stranded the love of mam F or moth orchestras with their appalling noise . t th e C onc e r o , for instance , a very moderate selec fi 2‘ 2 2 tion suf ces flutes , clarinets , bassoons ,

. 1 oboe , timpani , harp , and the usual strings It is a matter of surprise to me to hear people H I S TE C H N IQUE A N D H A R M ON Y 1 3 9 say oc c a sionail v that the music of C yril Scott is o To lacking in form and constructi n . my mind w he is far too conservative ith form , but this is more particularly the case with his shorter pieces . To my mind the simple ternary design a b a is far too naive ; a mere reference to the first sub ‘ sati sfie s jcet rather than a full repetition , my of sense symmetry and balance . & C S G a c om yril cott , writes Percy r inger , poses rather like a bird sings , with a full positive soul behind him , drawing greater inspiration from the mere physical charm of actual sound than from any impetus from philosophical pre occupations or the dramatic emotions of objective T S w life . hus while trauss is largely concerned ith philosophical themes and Debussy apparently of often full pictorial suggestions and influences , it is mainly sounds (how they sound rather than what they express) that coax utterance from C yril ’ Scott s touching and poetical emotional self . This preponderance of the purely musical ele ments in his art strikes m e as a result that might almost be expected of the conditions of music in & E N e v e re th e l e ss ngland , although this opini on of G n so rainger is true , it is o ly sometimes , for Scott has often produced his best work when depicting pictorial or emotional ideas as in the e ms Po for instance . 14 0 CYR IL SC OTT

We may fitti ngly finish this cursory survey ’ with D ebussy s e stimate C yril Scott is one of the rarest artists of the r i t . H p esen generation s rhythmical experiments ,

his technique , even his style of writing , may at n first sight appear strange and disconcerti g .

I nfle xibl e severity , however , compels him to carry out to the full his particular system of ze s Th . e thetics , and his only music unfolds itself somewha t after the manner of those Japanese b R hapsodies which , instead of eing confined of im within traditional forms , are the outcome agination displaying itself in innumerable arab

s ue s s of e q , and the inces antly changing aspects the inner melody are an intoxication for the ear — A ll are , in fact , irresistible . those qualities are more than suffi cient to justify confidence in & this musician so exceptionally equipped .

1 4 2 C YR I L SC OTT

M C

Exa mpl e of O rc h e s tra t i on H I S TE C H N IQU E A N D H A R M ON Y 1 4 3

(from th e Pi a nofort e Conce rt o)

C H A PTE R & I

TI I E POET AND PHI LO S O PH ER

A S w E A P oe so C S ith dgar llan , with yril cott , poetry is a passion as well as the sweetest of

T t intri all recreations . o leave music wi h its cacies and turn to verse is a rest and a delight which he can find through no other medium . M oreover it enables him to express ideas and philosophies which the more abstract medium f do A n o . music can never d yet , curiously enough , he feels that were he not a musician , he could not be a poet , and were he not a poet he would compose a very different sort of music . T h e . A two are blended and inseparable fter all , of the first requisite poetry is music , and a true poem must first appeal to the ear , before the

w on for reader ill be lured to search its meaning . B ut as the trouble with much music is its ob v iousne ss so is , it with poetry its sound is too it fi Obvious , s music insuf ciently subtle , even when

1 47 1 4 8 C YR IL SC OTT

i s o A nd so its meaning f deep import . whe n Scott first started writing verse he fel t that a new music in the line and stanz a wa s the goal to be striven for : and all the conventionalists who

tried to prove the error of his ways , could not

turn him from this method . Destiny put a teacher in his way in the shape of a F rench C B m poet , harles onnier , already entioned in our M e biographical chapter (friend of allarm ) , and of the most modern the modern , whose prin — c ipl e was contained in the precept always find a ne w rh ythm ; l e t your id e as always c ome to in ha n w m l n A n you th e s p e of a e e ody i words . d C Schtt out this precept , yril attempted to carry , because it seemed to him the only right one ; as forcible in poetry as it is in music . Th e of 21 first verses , written at the age , contained no philosophy of life they were mere fancies , mere pictures , mere songs , mere word

' ' but th é we nt of music , y to the creating a form which proved useful later on for the expression L Th e S ha ws o of ideas . ooking back at do f Sil e nc e and th e Songs of Ye ste rday (hi s first of h e little book verse) , found most of the lyrics , & u mere songs witho t words , and only allowed — a few to be reprinted including the two follow se t ing , which he to music

1 5 0 CYR IL SC OTT BUTTERCUP S

’ O e rs re a d c of c p with a haste aureal veiling butter ups , o e velvet and g ld n , e x c The early summ r meades e hale an amber aress , c oo c c o c to c our Presenting a l apri i us arpet , whi h listless o e eyes are beh ld n , And the sighs of olden

Ages full in languid l ov eliness .

c o o o The streamlet ns les kindly the will ws , with waters

refreshing , that glisten o o of e With smiles , and str ke their s mbre stumps plumag

divest , E ntoni n of c ou r g a tuneful rhythm rapture , that auses t o straining ears listen , And my tears t o christen

Silently your head up on my breast .

What sand in the ol d h our - glass filters its wearisome o j urney , reminding Again the distant c himes t o sound their wonted regret ; o o o o th e Fr m every terrestrial t il disburdened , we f ll w ’ oo - br klet s beam kissed winding , ou r - fi And dream tryst nding ,

Faint within a slumbrous oubliette .

That the critics should say he was unable to wa s scan , hardly a matter for surprise , since his

scansion was purposely unconventional , but that they should say he was influenced by Swinburne of seeing that he had hardly read a line that poet , W and hat he had read did not appeal to him ,

was S at least interesting if untrue . trange to

th e say , only poets that really appealed to him at that time were E rnest Dowson and Stefan TH E POE T A ND PH IL OSOPH E R 1 5 1

E B u G eorge . ven a delaire whom he translated as a tour d e fo rc e (inspired to do so by the e nc our nt A S age me of rthur ymons) , only appealed to w him in a very limited degree for , though he ent through what is called the decadent phase , he confessed he only did so half - heartedly and with I no conviction . ndeed , whatever little decad ence he admired wa s soon to be dispelled by an entire change in his outlook— the coming into contact with Oriental philos ophy and theosophy at about the age of 26 ; an attitude which tinctured all his creative activity especially his

F or Y a th e S verse . he regards og (as cience is called) as the most vital and most absorbing thing in life ; embracing all its activities and inspiring them with a meaning of unfathomable W profundity . ithout such an outlook , at once a science and a religion (or rather th e ra tional e of all religions) and a philosophy as well , life seems to him devoid of m eaning a mere drifting along the pathway of time , one knows not Th o . f whither us from the day that change , he used poetry no longer as a means solely to fabricate music in words , but to express what he considered the highest goal of life , and the third ‘ Th e V i c e o th e A nc i e nt book , o f , contained his attempts at this outpouring of the soul .

’ a t k i ns Lon on M & , d 15 2 C YR IL SC OTT

F rom th e pessimism (prompted by the spiri t of agnosticism) contained in the first book of to verse , he now turned an exactly antithetical on Ve danta one of note , and wrote a poem , the most ancient systems of Indian philosophy . Its

o s c ntent is , that all consciou ness is in reality one , and that its diversity is only in name and

F or form and not in absolute truth . all men not are potentially supermen , in the material sense of N ietz sche but in the spiritual sense ; and the object of all philosophy , art , and religion is to apprise humanity of this fact in order that humanity may become perfect and undying . to Indeed , when mankind realises this , according S cott , it must perforce see the world , with all f its frets , as something entirely di ferent ; for as to the poem referred , says

’ ’ o oo o What are the w rld s f lish t ys , and death s ephemeral o o s rr ws , th e fle e te r Seeming endless , yet by Endless , than light i ’ fl n ng s ashes . no to Think that never yesterday was , that there are o o m rr ws , Then future fiends are void and past despairs are empty ashes

E In a word , live in the ternal , as the Theosophist puts it ; for only by so doing is T Ve danta true happiness possible . his poem is followed by others called D re ams afte r

1 5 4 C YR I L SC OTT

L e t the mental plane . the mind but suppress its grosser modifications , and the subtler hidden & of N side ature , the speech of the silence

i A s makes tself perceptible . another poem puts it

o c Vo c of c And thr ugh the alm the i e Evening ame , I not o nor t was in the r ses , perfumes , the balmy bank , I o not o nor or so t r se fr m the stream , had it shape und or name , I o 1 t r se from Nowhere and to N owhere sank .

B ut o to hear this subtler speech f Nature , we must suppress all the more turbulent emotions ; jealousy , anger , intolerance and the like must be A nd so banished from the soul . in the same isc urse s book , we get a section headed D o which shows what the attitude of a superman would be towards those he loves : an attitude utterly devoid of the sense of possession which must be regarded as the root of most misery . It was about his 3 l st year that C yril Scott fa Th e Va l e s o Uni t finished another book , f y , and one in this he ventured into longer poems , being of in the form a ballad , in which he attempted to show how even a courtesan can be a mos t saintly character . In fact , to disclose good and

1 I id H mns o Au t um n a nd E v e ni n . b . y t g 2 N tt D a v id u . TH E POE T A N D PH IL OSOPH E R 1 5 5

C S beauty in all things must , with yril cott , be of of the aim the poet , and the awakening more tolerance and charity in others sho uld ever be one of his missions however unconsciously he ’ Th e ol d - l art may perform it . catch phrase , ’ & ur l art h as for po , really little meaning ; art has v a definite function , howe er much wiseacres may try to deny the fact : it does undoubtedly dis close beauties i n things which woul d otherwise remain hidden ; and thus it elevates the mentali ties of mankind . A e ad e t D Po , the poem that follows , shows that tendency in men to enjoy the fruits of the artist ’ s creativeness and yet chide him for of the imperfection of his character . Instead weighing the good actions that the genuine artist accomplishes against the weakness of his char o l acter , which often hurts n body but himse f , too people are often prone to forget this , and

for for in return all the beauty he gives them ,

i T c on g ve him nothing . hey fail to realise that v e ntions th e be can mean very little to artist , cause conventionality arises either from mental z o k la iness or fear f what others will say and thin . M oreover the true genius must ever have the capacity to feel deeper love and emotions than

for the man in the street , it is the very expression of these emotions which engenders poetry 1 5 6 C YR IL SC OTT

oo flo of o to He t k the wers l ve breathe their sweetness , And shape the soulful songs of his endeavour o of fie e tne ss His fervent heart f rgetful their , o for They faded , that his s ngs might live ever .

e — e o not h i mm th a nkl e ss c And y y b re with , ruel , ’ Ye t ook the harvest that his life s toil rendered ; o o of l But w uld have r bbed him the vital fue ,

And q uelled the furnac e that his muse engendered .

The soul of the true artist must be gauged by

A s what he writes . set forth in the latest volume

He is his songs and not his earth - seen life ’ f o c s or o O l ve and living , pea efulne s passi n s strife ; F or was o fl what he lived nly esh , but what he sang o was s ul ,

o o o . His life the shad wy half , his s ngs the wh le

N ot fl c of fool some what this esh ena ts deeds , N or h ow oft nor cc netherwards it falls , yet su eeds ; h ow v t o o - But di inely high s ul sublimity it yearns ,

- 1 That is th e truth c rowned symbol that disc erns .

In other words , the capacity and love for high of ideals shows the nature the soul ; the height , so s of to ay , the thoughts manifesting the true f worth o the character . Th e final poem in this section of the book is again connected with the portrayal of a per — sonal ity that my sterious being known as an

l Th e e s t i A t r t P nd e a ma h re ud h a tto Wi us . C l l f e . l e (C )

1 5 8 C YR IL SC OTT

So that the poet exhorts humanity

Let be at rest the oratory of your unseeing ; Wise is the man wh o kn oweth his unkn owing and is mute

Th e second section of this book is called Th e

r n ul - S m th G a d e of So y p a y , and is a collection

Th e E nv i f was of shorter poems . o o this section m used in the piano pieces entitled Po e s ( Schott) .

A s C n id e nc e s to the last section headed o f , there is h ere se t forth a eulogy of friendship in su v rsific ation a poem written in rather unu al e . ’ F riendship in the poet s eyes is one of the sweet m est and highest joys of hu an life .

o Ah , many l ves may glide Ac r oss the surfac e of the soul To or t o part abide , Ye t always , and at the end ,

Friend seeketh friend .

F or the poem goes on to say that friendship is as

A god wh o d oles al on e ’ o The mildly sweet , but ne er the s re And solely for his own D e mand e th never those wh o dwell

Beneath his spell .

o f c M re air than that we all , I of o o n witless dearth wisd m , l ve , c Whi h truly asketh all , o o c And s mewhat gives , but w uld en hain

I ts gl owing swain . TH E POE T A N D I ’ H I L OSOP H E R 1 5 9

F or o this best ws the best , I o o n that it l ves and letteth l ve , ’ N ot says with prid e s behest o o or L ve me al ne , else depart u From o t my heart .

No p oorer at its c l ose c c Than at its dawn , su h hearts embra e ; flo A tranq uil way it ws , o no c o And sh uld it wither , leaves rse

Of charred remorse .

T in here are several more poems this section , but space does not permit of th e ir being dealt

Th e one with . mysticism contained in the final R e tr w of entitled osp e c t is however orthy note , since it does much to explain the title of th e V l ni t Th e U . H v iz . e a s whole book , , of y ere the poet in his meditations looks back on all the o fleeting beauties f the year , beginning with the springtide

I wander back the j ourneyed way o Unt the earliest feathered mummer , Wh o hails the entire song of summer fu Within his musi c l array .

Then he goes on to review all his joys and loves w and sorrows , but ith the unmoved vision of retrospection

A nd dews of anc ient weepings waft e - e Th ir bitterness absterg d sweetness , ’ o c c o And l ve des ends in Heaven s mpleteness , To o take my heart in j yful haft . 1 60 C YR IL SC OTT

’ I of o d seen the suns gl ry set , ’ I d seen both dawning and dec aying ;

And , what in Springtide wandered maying , ’ Sink into Autumn s oubliette .

Till finally he comes to that state where with the soul ’ s eternal vision he sees beyond the & shadows of transition a substance that endures not and only that , but he senses the sublimely mystical truth that each individual soul is a part , and W - absolutely essential to the orld soul .

o And never a Spring were with ut me , And without me there were no Summer ; no o no c o There is g er and mer ,

F or all is one v ast Unity .

In other words , the soul is in reality perfect ,

one A l l - eternal and with the soul . We now pass on to the last published Th e C e l e sti al A te rma th A S ri n tid e book , f , p g of th e ar n F ar- a n A t e e H t a d way S o gs . fter h re l ud e o P , in which the poet sets forth the bject of poetry in the lines among others

’ A p oet gives that other s eyes may see What else were working worth than this sublimity ?

A Th e C e l e sti al long poem follows , entitled

A te rma th on - ins i r f , being a eulogy a few soul p ing days spent at the end of summer in har

l VV n C h a tto i d us Lond on 1 1 . , , 9 5

1 6 2 C YR I L SC OTT

’ find a place in Scott s realism ; it is merely that he does not blind his eyes to the truth (or what he thi nks to be the truth) respecting certain emotional phases of life and love . H e thus de picts real emotions , which is realism in a sense , but contrives to beautify them , and this beauti

fic a ti on i s what constitutes the idealism . Th e import of the various poems is set in a frame - work which that remarkable stylist of E G M nglish , eorge oore , regards as a requisite of true poetry , namely , a framework of flowers &

al l . th and fair things Indeed , such verses as e t G M o n following , come up to wha eorge o re o reading th em considered the highest standard of beauty

c ov x An al e hung with smila , o o o o fi And sweet with r ses fr m m re s uthern elds , ’ o c of c Emb wers us mid fragran e near lila s , c o Whi h the s ft garden yields .

A far -off flute has faded - o Behind the gently sunset hal ed hill , Where evening birds erewhile have serenaded f The dreamful da fodil .

Some of the poems entitled F a r- awa y Songs

— r n rin a t A u are word pictures Of Sp i g , Of Sp g tumntid e O A u tumn O Wa r m Wi nte r a s , f , f D y ,

S n w- sc a e B all ad o a n A n r S umme r A o p , f g y ,

S a sse a' Vill a e so One g , and forth . , however , called A La ke - Sid e C e me t e ry contains more than TH E POET A ND PH IL OSOP H ER 1 63

- for mere pictorial word music , it touches on the f T philosophy o Death . his portrays that inconsistency often found in the C hristian of community , mourning over (with all its lugubrious accessories) those wh o have passed out of the body Th e writer shows here the deep but unrecognised distinction between be T lief and real knowledge . hus he reflects

I e now— o o see th m th se travailed nes , ’ I of o , glad initiate death s rare mead ws ’ The y wander mid the c ypressed shadows To deck with buds the urns of bron z e ; S o so wearied , yet mighty in Belief ,

Where but one gleam of Kn owledge had disbanded grief .

Th e poet is therefore an optimist in the more

of . correct , yet not extreme , sense the word E ven death is not sorrowful to him wh o under i t of stands , for in truth , ignorance is the cause L most sorrows . amentations are only a form of L e selfishness . t the mind but identify itself with the truly important things of life (he z of philosophi es) , especially in the sense the

i s no for eternal things , and there room mourn ing over departed one s . It is quite beyond the limits of this book to dwell in any further detail upon the wide range ’ of C yril Scott s imaginative conceptions as a Th poe t . e reader needs only to re fer to his works 1 6 4 C YR IL SC OTT to become acquainted with the intellectual wealth ’ of S T m and prodigality cott s genius . here is ore of f hi the seer than o the prophet in s poetry . Th of e simplicities life , which make up the rou tine of existence for the majority of men and Th women , have little attraction for him . e passions and emotions with which these poems T mostly deal are not elemental . hey verily exist , but they are the result of a chain of influences

— ae and social , intellectual , sthetic religious stretching back a thousand years and more ; and C yril Scott proves himself a genius in being able

r H i s to lay them bare for ou inspection . knife H e has a very keen and delicate edge . probes

for D is deep , and in such a poem , example , as c ours es in Th e Voi c e of th e A nci e nt (page he opens up , with marvellously clever touch , the profound secrets of the psychical nerve tissue of —a that curious creation human soul . Th e style of these poems seems to indicate the point of view from which the author looks at truth . It is clearly formed to suit his highest A s and most predominant thought . might be man— expected , the style is the calm , even , musi L of cal , and mystic . ike other writers genius , T Scott is sometimes below his usual level . hen

his ideas are more commonplace , and his style B ut i s becomes mere mannerism . that not often .

1 7 0 C YR I L SC OTT

H h as . e sidedness innumerable modes , and T many of those even are richly subdivided . ake , for E W B instance , his astern vein . ith antock

S - S and aint aens , this stops with the extreme — Vividness and variety of colour the pictorial

S - S side . aint aens must have travelled in the Orient only over the ro utes of the personally conducted parties ; he probably took his F rench

h e H e hi c f with him . certainly gives us in s A l e rian S ui te A ri c a M e l di e s e rsane s S am g , f , o p , n lil h son a d e a . of D , etc , only the lightest surface B ut . C S painting yril cott , without even visit ing the Orient , breathes the very philosophy

of E . H ow and occultism the ast he can do this , H e I know not . attributes it , in his Dedication of E I m re ssi ns E the gypt p o , to his own past gyp B Omar K ha am tian lives . antock in setting yy satisfies himself with depicting all the glowing

C S s colours of the Persian Poet . yril cott give to the visual thing too , and goes the very heart of and soul the matter as well , for he is deeply O learned in riental lore , and extremely sensitive t B ut ure l o its magic appeal . he has the p y pic tori al w side too ; or , as he ould put it , writes T occasionally entirely on the physical plane . hen o R he is m re visualising than avel , more direct T than Stravinsky . ake for instance his realistic

R kki - tiki - t v n th S nake aradi se i a i a d e , his P C ON C L USION 1 7 1

B i rds (he himself has a vein of pure exultant of T carolling like the fantasias birds) . ake again

- his the graceful , lightning like whirling of fascinating R ainbow- Tro ut and the comic of E l e hant an e E clumsiness his p D c . ven the philosophic and occult sides of his music have Th H indu hi differentiations . e music of s Jungl e B oole gives quite a different feeling from of hinx D a oba h the dark magic the Sp , the g , E t T and many pieces in gyp . hen there is the C S of d yril cott the brilliant Impressionist perio , somewhat closely allied to the M odern F rench schools of K oe c hl in and F lorent Schmitt ; and later he gives us that remarkable style of se n suous music - making which throws a side the last ol — hold with the d styles the central keynote . A nd this brings us to another characteristic vein of his ; a mood most difficult of all to de

in for its fine words . It has basis that natural ism which inspired our C onstable alike with the F C M T rench masters , orot and illet . hese art i sts depict in no full - featured terms ; with them & & nothing is positive or fixed , but they perceive (in the words of Thomas H ardy) how the I n & definite can yet be defined . It is the pure m of fresh mood of early orning , the pensiveness evening— never the noontide glory which causes th l of e sou s these artists to vibrate most. 1 7 2 C YR IL SC OTT

- C a . so sympathetic lly It was with hopin , but

here we have the essence of things intensified . This mood is the very opposite of the vivid art

o S or f the painter argent , of the composer

S or u - to - d ate ne ss of trauss , the startling p T A ugustus John or of G rainger . hese men have

z of sei ed upon the prevailing spirit their age ,

. S whereas other artists , criabin , Debussy and S S of N cott , converse with the pirit ature

herself , far from the madding crowd , in solitude and al oofne ss f It i s the sentiment of the of C C on true landscape painte r alone , orot and m stable , which these usicians possess , and which is seen in such pieces as the Te nth S ona ta of ’ ’ S L a re s- midi d un a une criabin , p f of Debussy , a ti na n ui t f the C av or the S e c o d S e o Scott . A nother of the most interesting of C yril ’ Scott s activities is his harmonisation of old H e h as o f melodies . revived these old things n beauty and placed them in new surrou dings . S uch a tendency , as he has explained , is found

a nd in literature , even in painting , since some

of - R the Pre aphaelites , and such a painter

H so n t as odler , are near the a cient in both spiri and manner that they may be classed as revival i st S of s . cott rightly holds that a thing beauty

is not a joy for ever , and thus he says in the E nv oy to Th e C e l e sti al A fte rma th

1 7 4 CYR I L SC OTT and Verdi would not have taken over VVag of nerian accessories at the end his career . C yril Scott has somehow achieved an absence

ure l of tonality in setting these p v tonal things . Th e best instances of which are to be found as already mentioned in his P assac agli a for orches o 1 F S tra N . (on the Irish amine ong) and in his use of Th e G i rl I l e ft be hind me in the piano

- l A s f meditation S e a Z I a rge . an example o ’ S m of nc cott s free treat ent a ient melodies , I would mention his p1anoforte piece founded on

S um e r i s i c um e n i n the thirteenth century tune . ' Th e composer here treats the intonation of th e leading note as arbitrarily as the early medieval Th singers themselves would probably do . e note B Th e is B flat as often as it is natural . fact that the piece ends on an F major chord with a terrific glissando (including B natural) does not greatly assist the anxious enquirer af ter scales Th e ol d W A ll thr u h and tonalities . elsh tune , o g th e i ht a nd Th e Wild N g , the Irish melody , H ills o C l are f , however still preserve the feeling of a steady tonic centre , although doubtless there are a few anxious moments for those who keep the more generally accepted harmonies in mind . W C h e rr R i e ith the violin pieces , y p , and the Th e G e ntl e M aid e n beautiful Irish air , , the modern atmosphere or aroma , call it what you C ON C L USION 1 7 5

' Th m . e will , is to y mind much more successful violin part there confines itself to the diatonic o melodies , whilst the piano supplies an emoti nal background of a modern order A lthough I confess tha t some of these settings of his do not o t o carry c nviction me , these two violin pieces seem to be ideal presentments of this novel style . There is little doubt that the musi c of C yril Scott is destined to take a high place in the music A nd of the future . not only the music , but also of the manner of it , the calmness the musician o himself , partly leading me to this c nclusion . H e was heralded with no fanfares he is afflicted with no jumbo - manias ; he demands no over

or al grown gargantuan orchestras choruses , though his treatment of them is nearly always quite new and individual ; he has never courted the press , nor indulged in floods of advertising , covert or otherwise ; rather has he deliberately

shunned publicity , and not infrequently know in l H e g y alienated the more conservative critics . once said that F ame is an evil contrivance to ’ A s - waste one s time . to money making , it is t of H ow the grea est waste time imaginable . can anybody centre his mind on trying to write beautiful things when he is thinking of money ? To make more money than the bare comforts of v to f life demand , ought ne er be the aim o the art 1 7 6 C YR I L SC OTT

i t own ist ; if comes his way of its accord , that is

A s another matter . to winning over the critics , & the more slated one is the better : t o be im

one mediately understood , means is not worth understanding . It is hardly to be wondered at that a man wh o can write

N ot wise is even he wh o sings for h a y of e Of future laud in lieu pr sent laurel , ’ F r f o b oth are but the toys o children s play .

should not court publicity . If I am worth any it thing , time will prove ; if I am worth nothing , h t & t en all the bet er if my writings are not heard . A nd his final reflection on this matter is that F ’ ame wastes a young man s time , and tires an ’ old N man s body , therefore ature is not unkind when it only permits some people to be famous t af er their death . T here is , in consequence , about his music as a whole , as about his nature , that calm and reserve , that poise and quiet confidence , which I can only liken to the chief characteristics of the music of — the grandest of all musical geniuses unknown

i for in h s generation and long afterwards , but — now regarded as strikingly mod ern Johann S e basti an B ac h This does not imply that his music is void of vitality and of passion ;

1 7 8 C YR I L SC OTT

B G like eecham or oosens , and such exquisitely temperamental vocal interpreters as M iss Jean

W M M T M r H aterston , iss aggie eyte , . ubert

E i sd e ll or M r G E C , . ervase lwes uriously enough , however , some of the very singers who one would think might be at tracted to the songs have refrained from taking them up and these ,

of s moreover , with the type talent and voice so e

i ll t A n inc s e c a o . d e p y suited them yet , why this

’ sant outcry for good E nglish songs when they are to hand even without the asking ? True it is that each year a larger number of vocalists are recog ni sin of S g the merit the cott songs , but it has taken the courage and enterprise of a few more enlightened artists to bring this tardily about .

M G - K E specially have we to thank iss rainger err , M iss Jean Waterston and M iss B eryl F reeman for actually forcing the E nglish public to accept

C S Sir H Wo yril cott , just as enry od forced the English to accept Debussy : renouncing mere love of applause for the nobler aim of introd uc ing sincere art into the concert halls . ’ Th e sources of a composer s inspiration are un of doubtedly interest , although naturally they of to tend , with the evolution music , become less o special and more fundamental as time goes n . Whereas one traces the music of C hopin to the of V u Polish dances and songs , the music a ghan C ON C L USION 1 79

W e W W illiams , like the po try of alt hitman ,

s a B largely to the e , the music of eethoven to na S S ture , of chumann to literature , of criabin to , ‘ o f to colour , and s forth , it is more di ficult decide ’ of C S i n i To the sources yril cott s sp ration . literature assuredly he owes much , and he him Th e self frequently turns his pen to it for relief . close and intimate connection between his music of too and the poetry his songs , , shows what a H i s power this sister art possesses over him . theosophic and occult studies have also left a deep too impress on his music . Doubtless , the music of — W S others whom he admires agner , trauss ,

S G R - travinsky , Debussy , rainger , avel has B ut stimulated his muse in a healthy way . there is a power within him which gives impulse more than any other : it is the joyful welling forth of music itself as a natural force . It often gushes o ut after the manner of an extemporaneous per form anc — in e a sheer glad carolling , a happy of out warbling like that the natural song birds , A nd of the very joy of life itself . surely enough this composer should have a happy time of it . F reed from harassing cares by the thoughtful of o action his publishers , relieved fr m teaching except when he chooses , his life has had no great obstacles to cast their shadows over his radiant N ot of creativeness . yet at the crest his powers , 1 80 C YR IL SC OTT we may reasonably look for even finer works from his pen .

In an age when the whol e of Europe is plunged into a turmoil of elemental strife , when the huge errors of an apparently materialistic age o have brought ab ut such dire results , the value of such idealistic and optimistic music cannot be

- our over estimated . In desire to be rid of the G of B music of the heavy erman type ruckner , the megalomania of M ahler and the risky sanity S o w of ch nberg , we have thro n ourselves some what thoughtlessly into the arms of the lachry mose R ussians and ‘at the present moment we seem inclined to swallow anything under a Slav

or f patronymic , good , bad , indi ferent , with equal

Our B relish . ritish composers are at the least of of the equal those any other country , and

s should be o recognised . Perhaps this survey of C S yril cott , the man and his music , may con tribute its quota towards such a consummation .

A PPEN DI& I L IST OF M USIC A L C OM POSITION S

LARG ER WORK S

F i r m n F st S y pho y . irst performed at Darm

N ow . stadt . ( destroyed) S e n m h n F Si r c o d S y p o y . irst performed by H W L Th re e enry ood . ater converted into Orc h e stral D anc e s and first so performed in B irmingham , conducted by the composer .

H e r i c S ui te for F o Orchestra . irst performed by

R M T re ichter at anchester . his work was

garded later by the composer as immature ,

and withdrawn .

Ov e rtu re M F to Pelleas and elisande . irst per

n F 2nd E r formed i rankfort . dition e

worked from an earlier attempt .

O v e rtur M al in C F e to Princess e e with horus . irst

2 d E r performed in Vienna . n dition ( e

worked) . C h ristmas Ov e rture for Orchestra with N a ti v ity

H mn for C y horus and Orchestra . Intended

V w r iennese performances stopped by a .

1 83 1 8 4 C YR I L SC OTT

B all a d of F a i r H e l e n of K i rkc onne l for baritone S O M F r . S r i olo and rchestra ung by . rede c A ustin .

Two assa c a lias on T O a P g Irish hemes for rchestr . First performed by B eecham at a P hilh a r C monic oncert . ’ ian rt n rt F P ofo e C o c e o . irst given in B eecham s E F F . S : A u e ne r nglish estival ull core g . R ha s d O p o y for rchestra . A u bad e for u E w O . 2 d rchestra dition re orked .

B r Performed in Darmstadt , Dresden and e

. S lin Published by chott .

L a B e ll e am e S ans M e r i D c .

CHAMBER M US I C

i n a t t F a rte u r e O 1 6 . P ofo Q , p . irst played by K reisler and others at a B roadwood C oncert t ’ H B . J . in S . ames all ( oosey) t n G S ri g Q ua rte t . Performed widely in ermany W by the B ehner Quartet party . ithdrawn

and partly reworked . l no rt u nt t a t on of Pia fo e Q i e . Performed e his w B o n C oncerts at echstein H all . 2 n o So a ta f r Violin and Piano . Performed in

C B N e w o &c . ologne Frankfurt , erlin , Y rk ,

1 A wa i ti ng p ubl i c a t i o n

2 t o S c h o t C .

1 8 6 C YR IL SC OTT

l e S A s e . n B C o p o g ( oosey . ) A utumnal n . S o g ill ane ll e S n V . o g E ve nin H mn S n g y . o g Two Pi e rrot Pi e c es L e nt (i) o . A ll e r (ii) g o . Two S ongs ( E lkin) A V l e i c ti n (i) a d o . S rr w (ii) o o . w i n T o P a o Pi e c e s ( B oosey C o . )

n . (i) M y C aptain . So g ( Elkin) (ii) Trafalga r: S ong ( B oo sey o h F D ag ba for Piano ( orsyth) .

C hine e e r na e s S e d .

S litud e E (i) o ( lkin) . V (ii) e sp e ral e . C im e s (iii) h . I mp romptu ( E lkin) E i n (i) l e e .

ll n & o h B a e r B C . (ii) T e ad Si g . ( oosey )

M a r (iii) y . Th re e S ongs ( Elkin) i il e e (i) A G ft of S nc . ’ n me i n Si r l e ase & (ii) Do t c o , , p Th hi t K ni h t (iii) e W e g . M issing . M issing . L IST OF M USIC A L C OM POSITION S 1 87

Two C hi nese Songs ( Elkin) t n (i) (a) Wai i g . n (b) A Pi c i c .

11 n i n ( ) A S o g of W e . Two Pi e c es for Piano ( Elkin) L t L n (i) o us a d . m in (ii) C ol u b e . M issing . M issing . S ong and Pi e c e ( E lkin) A s ode l S for . (i) p , ketch Piano , A te rda S n (ii) f y o g . Three Songs ( E lkin) S n o L n n (i) o g f o do .

11 A R n R t ( ) ou d e l of es . A B l ac kbi rd S n (iii) o g . M issing . S umme r Time (E lkin) l a time (i) P y . A S n r m th e E ast (ii) o g f o .

‘ E v e ni n I d ll (iii) g y . F ai r F lk (iv) y o . tt rn (v) N o u o . (i) Two Old E nglish L yri cs ( E lkin) L v e l K i nd and K i ndl L vin (a) o y y o g . (b) Wh y so P al e and Wan? ’ & 11 S n L v e s u r l ( ) o g , o Q a re . 1 8 8 C YR IL SC OTT Op us 6 Two S n s E 5 . o g ( lkin)

A twai n (i) . ii I n u anc e ( ) so ci .

Thr e S n for P E 57 . e o gs iano ( lkin)

re l ud (i) P e . L ull a b (ii) y . S cotc h L ull a b (iii) y .

A lso Two S k e tc h es for Piano ( Easy) ( Elkin)

C u k all (iv) c oo C . V Twili B ll s ( ) gh t e . 5 8 T L t l l . (i) h re e i t e Wa tz e s ( Elkin) A ll e r h e rz nd (a) g o poc o S c a o . n nt n (b) A da e L a g uido . l e r tt ra i s (c) A l g e o G c o o . l i n k t h s ( 11) Two A p e S e c e . n (iii) D a se N egre . M 9 . 5 . issing

M . 60 . issing

Two S n s E 6 1 . o g ( lkin) n d (a) S e re a e . n F i r B a t (b) I a a y o . Thre e S ongs (E lkin) L e (i) A L ost ov . i i n (ii) A V s o . t m nt (iii) A n E as e rn L a e .

63 S hinx E . . p for Piano ( lkin)

1 9 0 C YR I L SC OTT

Thre e pi e c e s for Violin and Piano ( Schott) E l (i) egy . R m n e (ii) o a c . Valse tri ste (iii) . (a) Trois D anc e s Tri stes for Violin and Piano ( Schott) ’ an l é ia ue (i) D se e g q . ns ntal (ii) D a e o ri e e . n an (iii) D a se l go ure use .

V l r (b) a se Cap i c e for Piano .

C h ans ne tt (c) o e do . S e c ond S ui te for Piano ( Schott) re l u (i) P d e .

11 A a ( ) i r v n e .

S l e mn anc e (iii) o D .

C ri F (iv) ap c e and uga . I ntr u t n (v) od c i o .

6 . M 7 issing .

A u bad e O S for rchestra ( chott) .

LATER WOR K S WI THO UT OPUS NUMBERS VI OL I N A N D P I ANO

I nte rm ez z o ( E lkin) Ta ll a hasse e S ui te ( Schott) ( 1 9 1 1 )

B n M e m ri e s (i) ygo e o . t S n (ii) A f e r u down . ii i n r (i ) A r e t D a se neg e . L IST OF M USIC A L C OMPOSITION S 1 9 1

C h e rry R ip e ( Schott) D e na? P re l ud e s ( Schott)

Th e G e ntl e hI aid e n (Sch ott)

P I ECE S FOR P I ANO WI THOUT OPUS NUMBERS

A n E n li sh Val N F r g se ( ovello) . irst piece eve

T o . published . hen f llowed

A l um Si i b of x P e c e s ( Forsyth) . Th re e F ri volo us Pi e c e s Two Vill ane ll es for Vocal Quartet with piano

and viola accompaniment (unpublished) . Ov e r th e P rai ri e (Two Impressions) B e rc e use ( Elkin) B ri tish BI e l odi es ( Elkin) i h t (i) A ll th rough the n g .

l r (ii) Th e wild hill s of C a e . m n i n (iii) S um e r i s i c u e . Pi e rre tte ( E lkin) I mp re ssions from th e Jungl e B ook ( Schott) ( 1 9 1 2) T un ’ (i) h e J gl e . n (ii) D aw .

- - k (iii) R i kki Ti kki Tavi and th e S na e .

M ni n n n un l e (iv) o r g So g i th e J g .

anc th E e h nts (v) D e of e l p a . 1 9 2 C YR IL SC OTT

E gypt ( Schott) ( 1 9 1 2)

n m m his (i) I th e Te pl e of M e p . B th Wa te r th N il e (ii) y e s of e . E ti B n (iii) gyp a n oa t S o g .

F u ne r M h t R a m s (iv) al a rc h of t e G re a a se . n th i ri t th il e (v) S o g of e sp s of e N . Po e ms ( Schott) 1 9 1 2)

(i) Poppi e s .

Th e G ard e n S ul - S m a th (ii) of o y p y . B ll (iii) e s .

Th Twili ht th e e a r (iv) e g of y . a r di se - B i rd (v) P a s . P astora l S ui te ( Elkin) ( 1 9 1 3 )

C ur nte (i) o a .

st ra (ii) Pa o l e .

R i a u n (iii) g do . R nd (iv) o o .

assa (v) P c agli a . P re l ud e S ol e nne ll e ( Elkin)

C ava tina

S e a M a rge ( E lkin) D anse R omanti q ue Diatoni c S tudy

' Od e H e roi q ue R ussia n D anc e

M ini at ure s

I rish R e e l

' ' 1 94. C YR I L sc o rr

N ight S ong ( E lkin)

I nv c a ti n o o . Tyrol ese E v eni ng S ong L ooking B ac k ( Elkin) The S ands of D e c R e qui e m The Pilg rim C rane s Th e L i ttl e B e ll s of S e v ill a M od e rn F i nge r E xe rci ses

FLUTE A N D P I ANO

' Sc otc h P astora l ou Ye banks and brae s H C ( ansen , openhagen) .

CELLO A N D P I ANO

i m ure u S P e rrot a o x ( chott) .

VOCAL &UARTET (Piano and Viola obligato)

Two Vi ll ane ll e s

VI OLA A N D P IA NO

L T n F antasi e (written for M r . ionel ertis) U pub h d l is e . ORGAN TRANS C RI P TI ON S

Pi e c es (transcribed by A rthur W Pollitt) ( Elkin) Ve s e ral e (i) p . A l i ne S k t h (ii) p e c .

C hans ne tte (iii) o . A S n t t (iv) o g from h e E as . S li e (v) o tud . B e rc e use (vi) .

i e c e s A E a l e fi ld H P (transcribed by . g e ull) ( Elkin)

e r (i) Od e H mq ue .

Ov e r th rai ri e (ii) e P . ia tonic tu (iii) D S dy . a tin (iv) C av a . E v e nin I d ll (v) g y . re l u S l nn ll e (vi) P d e o e e .