(1879-1970)
The English composer, pianist and writer Cyril Meir Scott was born in Oxton, Cheshire, on 27 September 1879. At an early age he showed considerable musical gifts, reputedly being able to play the piano before he could talk. Whatever the truth of this story, his precocious abilities led to his being sent, at the age of twelve, to study at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, where he remained for about 18 months. One of his teachers there was the composer and Wagner-disciple Englebert Humperdinck.
Further studies followed in Liverpool, and then, from 1895, once again in Frankfurt, this time under composer Iwan Knorr. From 1898, Scott was back in England, initially teaching in Liverpool, but also composing. This early period saw the composition of two symphonies (the first being conducted by Hans Richter, who was also championing the music of Elgar around this time), much chamber music, and the first of his many piano pieces and songs.
Scott's developing fame, however, was not confined to Britain. In the period just before the first world war, for instance, Scott was startled to receive a letter from the widow of Gustav Mahler which reported that she had enjoyed playing his violin sonata with her brother-in-law, the eminent violinist Arnold Rose, leader of the Rose quartet. Another continental performer who adopted Scott's music was the outstanding pianist and Debussy-specialist Walter Gieseking. Indeed, such was the reputation of Scott in mainland Europe that many of his major works were published in Germany by Schott of Mainz.
On 29 February, 1912 Scott participated in a concert of the Societé Musicale Indépendante in Paris, playing his Second Piano Suite. Also performing at the same concert were his friend Ravel, and Fauré. Another of Scott's friends during this period was Debussy, who invited Scott to visit him whenever he was in Paris. Indeed, Debussy supplied the publishing house of Schott with a eulogy to his friend for inclusion in Schott's catalogue of music by Scott. At this time (and subsequently), Scott's music was often likened to Debussy's, although Debussy himself claimed to have heard little similarity.
By the early 1920s, Scott was established as a leading modernist composer, both in Britain and abroad. In 1928, his one-act opera The Alchemist, for which he wrote his own libretto, was performed at Essen, and in the early 1930s his ballet Karma was performed in Dortmund. However, Scott increasingly became known in Britain for his piano miniatures, with picturesque titles like Lotus Land or The Waterwagtail, mostly composed to commission from his British publisher. Scott came to resent the popularity of these works as they gave the impression that he was principally a miniaturist, and diverted attention from his major compositions. One could well imagine that a sentimental title like Reverie, under which part of the guitar Sonatina was apparently performed in London in 1928, would not have pleased him greatly.
Alongside his musical interests, Scott maintained throughout his life a deep interest in Indian philosophy, mysticism and the occult, on which he was something of an authority and about which he wrote extensively. He was capable, however, of seeing an amusing side to these esoteric interests. In his autobiography he recalls an incident in which a fortune teller, after studying his hand, identified his creative nature, but warned him against imitating 'such hideous composers as Cyril Scott.
From the 1940s onwards his musical style no longer found favour, and, although he continued to compose, his work was neglected. His reputation in Britain was soon eclipsed by that of younger composers, principally Walton, Britten, Tippett and others of their generation. Scott's piano pieces, however, still had many devotees, but performances of his major works were rare. He died on 31 December 1970 at his home in Eastbourne. (Allan Clives Jones, preface of Cyril Scott’s Sonatine, Edizioni Musicali Bèrben)