Cyril Scott's Bygone Memories by Ann Fontanella at Wigmore Hall, London

This is one of my favorite pieces. Cyril Scott was an English pianist and prolific composer. He was born in 1879. At age 12, he went to Frankfurt, Germany, to study at the Hoch Conservatory where studied piano under Lazarro Uzelli and theory with Engelbert Humperdink (his real name). Cyril Scott returned to England in 1898 and remained there as a composer and poet until his death in 1970.
I played this live at Wigmore Hall in London.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• wigmore hall
• Cyril Scott

[FidlerBrit]

Very nice playing - not to be too nit-picky but the 7/8 measures are meant to be played as written - they are not written as 2 beat measures, 1 of triplets and 1 of quadruplets, but as true 7 beats. The piano part has 7/8 in those measures too. Part of Scott's charm in this piece is his writing of uneven measures changing from 5 to 6 to 7 to 6 to 9 to 8 beats in a measure and drifting .... Proof is in the 10/8s and 5/8s in the last piece of the Tallahassee Suite and numerous other works.

[Annfontanella]

@FidlerBrit , I actually took the signatures to imply that the music should feel very free and have a quality of the improvised...but what's the world without different ideas! Thanks for listening!

[FidlerBrit]

@Annfontanella I see that someone posted a recording of Heifetz playing it a little while back and you can hear he took the same liberties with measures, so I guess it's OK to play it a bit different from the score (who am I to criticize Heifetz ... ) but I'd still like to know how Scott's dedicatee, Zimbalist played it. Personally, I play it in rhythm and I like it that way. The whole suite is really evocative of lazy Florida, which I am not sure Scott ever visited.

[Annfontanella]

@FidlerBrit , that would be amazing. I've checked for Zimbalist playing it on youtube but haven't found any recordings....I live in FL :). It's the Salsa-land!

[peachsm1]

wow amazing XD!! i think this is my most favourite piece that you've uploaded XD!

i admire your skill tis awesome! all of the songs you've played are on my ipod XD!!! hearing you're violin makes me wanna play the violin, you're very very inspiring ! i want to go to one of your concerto's someday, if that makes sense XD :)!!!!

[Adorado31]

Beautiful

[JESUS1John]

I THINK YOU MIGHT BE A GENIUS

[voxhunden]

The violin playing sounds like coming from a 78" gramophone record. Which should be taken as a compliment. Jascha Heifetz would have wished he could paint a musical picture with so much integrity and depth like you can, Ann:) And in such vastly different painting styles as well - how on earth do you do it?

[lvbandmore]

Beautiful double-stop portamento in the B section. Nice!

[gtrs4life]

Very nice! Thanks for the notes in the video.