Cyril Scott: Bells, from 'Poems'

Cyril Scott (1879-1970) is best known today for his piano piece 'Lotus Land', but is other works (harmonically advanced for their day) are beginning to be recorded and performed more widely than for many years. This piece (published in 1912) is prefaced by a poem from Scott's own collection 'The Grave of Eros and the Book of Mournful Melodies with dreams from the East'. Note: for anyone with a score, I have assumed that the LH semiquaver F at the end of bar #8 is a natural, as printed in the Schott edition, but accept that it could be an F#. It is impossible to tell from the context, but if anyone has seen the manuscript, let me know the answer on this! For more information on Scott's life and music, have a look at the site set up by his granddaughter Amanta (herself a musician): http://www.cyrilscott.net
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Played by Phillip Sear
http://www.psear.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cyril
• ScottTwilight
• Year
• piano
• English
• British
• classical
• phillip
• sear

[zestyqueen]

I really like your technique and sound. :) I've enjoyed listening to Scott's songs. I'm starting to learn Lotus Land and Sphinx. I really enjoy listening to his impressionalist sound.

[PSearPianist]

Thanks very much. Scott's music is well worth exploring and I hope you get a lot of pleasure out of the pieces you are working on.

[ktinxx]

Your recordings are my first introduction to Cyril Scott - of whom I had never heard before today - and I am blown away by the beauty of his music! Thank you so much for opening up a world for me.

And please keep recording new pieces!

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video - I will certainly record more pieces!

[konzolmester]

I want to know more about Cyrill Scott and the music he wrote. I feel hes someone special that I must know more about.

[PSearPianist]

Have a look at the site to which I provide a link in the description. This will tell you a lot about Scott's life and available recordings. He is certainly a special composer, but as far as I know, no-one has ever written an authoritative biography of him.

[PSearPianist]

I hope I will get the chance to hear Esther Fisher's recording one day.

[Gothick49]

Great technique, and I appreciate the more stately pace you bring to this, especially to the climax. It was a great surprise to me when I had the chance to hear a recording of Esther Fisher (aka Lady Barran, Scott's performing partner in the 1930s) play this on a tribute radio broadcast from, if memory serves, the 1960s; she took the whole thing REALLY fast, as if it were marked at a quick tempo. Presumably a reflection of Scott's own preferred performance technique (rather Lisztian!).

[PSearPianist]

My pleasure!

[wolkowy1]

Thank you for the beautiful and rare pieces that you bring us with so delicate touch and expression.