Solitude

Cyril Scott (1879-1970) was a remarkable
English composer. He came from a cultural family; his father was a classical scholar, his mother a fine amateur musician. Having displayed a natural penchant for music as a child, he was sent to Frankfurt am Main at age 12, remaining there for a year and a half before returning to England. Scott acquired fame mainly as a composer of some exotically flavored piano pieces, of which "Lotus Land" became a perennial favorite.

In many of his pieces, Scott showed himself a master of musical miniature. He wrote in a distinctly modern idiom, very much in the style of French Impressionism; employed sonorous parallel progressions of unresolved dissonant chords; made frequent use of the whole-tone scale. His writing for piano is ingratiating in its idiomatic mastery; his harmonious modalities exude an aura of perfumed euphony.

From his early youth, Cyril Scott was attracted to occult sciences, and was a believer in the reality of the supernatural; he published books and essays on music as a divinely inspired art, and inveighed violently against jazz as the work of Satan.

Scott left no original organ music, but there are 2 books of fine transcriptions. The first, from which this is taken, were done by Arthur Wormald Pollitt, Mus.D. (Dunelm) (1878-1933). He was a chorister at Manchester Cathedral; studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music, and Assistant organist of Manchester Cathedral.

"Solitude" was "unrewarding" to play. I think I got the notes right, but, I spent more effort than I think the piece is worth. It's obviously an impressionistic piano "mood piece," and I just don't think these "translate" very well.

I feel that the transcriber, Arthur Pollitt did a fine job in "arranging" these as organ pieces, but his registrations are problematic. Also, I question whether or not he actually ever "PLAYED" these pieces! My guess would be that he did not.

The score is attached below, as well as photos of Cyril Scott.