Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrote around 20 pamphlets and books on occult topics and natural health.
Biography
Scott was born in
Oxton,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
to Henry Scott (1843-1918), shipper and
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
of Greek and
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, and Mary (née Griffiths), an amateur pianist of Welsh origin. He showed a talent for music from an early age and was sent to the
Hoch Conservatory
Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium – Musikakademie was founded in Frankfurt am Main on 22 September 1878. Through the generosity of Frankfurter Joseph Hoch, who bequeathed the Conservatory one million German gold marks in his testament, a school for ...
in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to study piano in 1892 at age 12. He studied with
Iwan Knorr
Iwan Otto Armand Knorr (3 January 1853 – 22 January 1916) was a German composer and music teacher.
Life
A native of Gniew, he attended the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied with Ignaz Moscheles, Ernst Friedrich Richter and Carl Reinecke. I ...
and belonged to the
Frankfurt Group, a circle of composers who studied at the Hoch Conservatory in the late 1890s. At 20, the German poet
Stefan George
Stefan Anton George (; 12 July 18684 December 1933) was a German symbolist poet and a translator of Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Hesiod, and Charles Baudelaire. He is also known for his role as leader of the highly influential literar ...
helped Scott organize a performance of Scott's first symphony. He played his Piano Quartet with
Fritz Kreisler
Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...
, Emil Kreuz, and Ludwig Lebell in St. James' Hall in 1903.
In 1902 he met the pianist
Evelyn Suart
Evelyn Suart, Lady Harcourt (30 April 188126 October 1950) was an English pianist.
She was born in 1881 in Sindapore, India, the daughter of Brigadier-General W. H. Suart, , with whom he had a long artistic association. She championed his music, premiering many of his works, and introducing him to his publisher, Elkin, with whom he remained for the rest of his life. Evelyn Suart was also a Christian Scientist, and it was through her that Scott became interested in
metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
.
Arthur Eaglefield Hull
Arthur Eaglefield Hull (10 March 1876 – 4 November 1928) was an English music critic, writer, composer and organist.
Cyril Scott, Composer, Poet and Philosopher
("Library of Music and Musicians", London: K. Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1919). Scott dedicated his Scherzo, Op. 25 to Evelyn Suart.
[
]
Music
His experiments in free rhythm, generated by expanding musical motifs, above all in his First Piano Sonata of 1909, appear to have exerted an influence on Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring
''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...
(see The Cyril Scott Companion, pp. 45–47). He used to be known as 'the English Debussy', though this reflected little knowledge of Scott and little understanding of Debussy.[ Hurd, Michael]
Cyril Scott, in Grove Music Online, 2001
/ref>
Alternative medicine
Scott had an interest in alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...
, health foods, occultism
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism an ...
, naturopathy
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturop ...
, philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
.[Scott, Desmond. “The Therapeutic Books.” ''The Cyril Scott Companion: Unity in Diversity'', edited by Desmond Scott et al., NED - New edition ed., Boydell & Brewer, Woodbridge, Suffolk; Rochester, NY, 2018, pp. 359–370.] In a series of books and pamphlets, he urged the sick, even those with cancer, to trust diet and alternative medicine and avoid trained medics and surgery. Scott was an alternative cancer treatment
Alternative cancer treatment describes any cancer treatment or practice that is not part of the conventional standard of cancer care. These include special diets and exercises, chemicals, herbs, devices, and manual procedures. Most alternative ...
advocate and authored two works on this subject. He also recommended people to consume black molasses and cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice, and used in salad dressings, marinades, vinaigrettes, food preservatives, and chutneys. It is made by crushing apples, then squeezing out the juice. Bacteria an ...
.
Compositions (selective list)
Dramatic
Opera
* ''The Alchemist'' (1917–18)
* ''The Saint of the Mountain'' (1924–25)
* ''The Shrine'' (c. 1925–26)
* ''Maureen O'Mara'' (1945)
Ballet
* ''The Incompetent Apothecary'' (1923)
* ''Karma'' (1924)
* ''Masque of the Red Death'' (1930)
Incidental music
* ''Othello'' (1920)
* ''Return to Nature'' (1920)
* ''Smetse Smee'' (c. 1925–26)
* ''Susannah and the Elders'' (1937)
Orchestral
* Symphony No. 1 in G major (1899)
* ''Pelleas and Melisanda'', overture, Op. 5 (1900) ater revised as Op. 20* ''Lyric Suite'', Op. 6 (1900)
* ''Heroic Suite'', Op. 7 (c. 1900)
* ''Christmas Overture'' (c. 1900)
* Symphony No. 2 in A minor (1901–02) ithdrawn and revised as ''Three Symphonic Dances''* ''Princess Maleine'', overture, Op. 18 (1902) ithdrawn and revised as ''Festival Overture''* ''Aglavaine et Sélysette'', overture, Op. 21 (c. 1902)
* Rhapsody for orchestra No. 1, Op. 32 (1904)
* ''Aubade'', Op. 77 (1905, revised c. 1911)
* ''Three Symphonic Dances'', Op. 22 (c. 1907) evised from Symphony No. 2* ''Egypt'', ballet suite (1913)
* Two Passacaglias on Irish Themes (1914)
* ''Britain's War March'' (1914)
* ''Suite Fantastique'', for chamber orchestra (c. 1928)
* ''Neptune'', poem of the sea (1933, revised 1935) riginally titled ''Disaster at Sea''* Symphony No. 3, ''The Muses'', with chorus (1937)
* ''Ode descantique'', for string orchestra (c. 1940)
* ''Hourglass Suite'', for chamber orchestra (c. 1949)
* Symphony No. 4 (1951–52)
* ''Neapolitan Rhapsody'' (1959)
* Sinfonietta for organ, harp and strings (1962)
Concertante works
* Piano Concerto in D major, Op. 10 (1900)
* Cello Concerto, Op. 19 (1902)
* Piano Concerto No. 1 (1913–14)
* Violin Concerto (c. 1925)
* ''Philomel'', for cello and orchestra (c. 1925)
* Double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra (1926)
* ''The Melodist and the Nightingale'', for cello and orchestra (1929)
* ''Early One Morning'' for piano and orchestra (1930–31, revised 1962)
* Concertino for two pianos and orchestra (1931)
* Double concerto for two violins and orchestra (1931)
* ''Passacaglia Festevole'', for two pianos and orchestra (c. 1935)
* Cello Concerto (1937)
* Concerto for harpsichord and orchestra (1937)
* Concerto for oboe and strings (1946)
* Concertino for bassoon, flute and strings (1951)
* Piano Concerto No. 2 (1958)
Choral music
* Magnificat, for soloists, chorus orchestra and organ (1899)
* ''The Ballad of Fair Helen of Kirkonnel'', for baritone, chorus and orchestra, Op. 8 (1900)
* ''My Captain'', for voice and piano, Op. 38 (1904)
* ''Nativity Hymn'', for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1913–14)
* ''La belle dame sans merci'', for baritone, chorus and orchestra (1915–17)
* ''Festival Overture'', for chorus and orchestra (1929)
* ''Mystic Ode'', for chorus and chamber orchestra (1932)
* ''Summerland'', for chorus and orchestra (1935)
* ''Ode to Great Men'', for tenor, female chorus and orchestra (1936)
* ''Hymn to Unity'', for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1947)
Chamber music
* Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 3 (c. 1899)
* Piano Quartet in E minor, Op. 16 (1899)
* String Quartet, Op. 12 (c. 1900)
* Sextet for piano and strings, Op. 26 (c. 1903, rev. 1914 as Quintet, performed and later withdrawn)
* String Quartet, Op. 28 (c. 1903)
* String Quartet in F major, Op. 31 (c. 1904)
* Violin Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 59 (1908)
* String Quartet No. 1 (1919)
* String Quintet No. 1 (1919)
* Piano Trio No. 1 (c. 1920, publ. 1922)
* Piano Quintet No. 1 (1920, publ. 1924, previous Quintets had been performed, but later withdrawn)
* Quintet for flute, harp, violin, viola and cello (1926)
* String Trio No. 1 (1931)
* ''Sonata Lirica'' for violin and piano (1937)
* Viola Sonata (1939, revised 1953)
* String Trio No. 2 (1949)
* Piano Trio No. 2 (1950)
* Violin Sonata No. 2, ''Sonata Melodica'' (1950)
* Cello Sonata (1950)
* String Quartet No. 2 (1951)
* Quintet for clarinet and strings (1951)
* Piano Quintet No. 2 (1952)
* String Quintet No. 2 (1953)
* Violin Sonata No. 3 (1955)
* Trio for clarinet, cello and piano (c. 1955)
* Violin Sonata No. 4 (1956)
* Piano Trio No. 3 (1957)
* String Quartet No. 3 (1961)
* Flute Sonata (1961)
* ''Trio Pastorale'' for flute, cello and piano (1961)
* String Quartet No. 4 (1964)
Piano solo
* Piano Sonata in D major, Op.17 (1901)(W 329)
** Handelian Rhapsody, for piano (revision, ed. Percy Grainger), Op. 17 (1909) (W 134)
* Scherzo, Op.25 (1904)
* 2 Pierrot Pieces, Op.35 (1904)
* 2 Piano Pieces, Op.37 (1904)
* ''Solitude'', Op.40–1 (1904)
* ''Vesperale'', Op.40–2 (1904)
* ''Chimes'', Op.40–3 (1904)
* ''Lotus Land'', Op.47–1 (1905)
* ''Columbine'', Op.47–2 (1905)
* ''Summerland'', Op.54 (1907)
* 2 Alpine Sketches, Op.58 (1908)
* ''Dance Nègre'' (1908)
* ''Sphinx'', Op.63 (1908)
* Piano Sonata No.1, Op.66 (1909)
* 4 Piano Pieces, Op.67 (1909–10)
* Piano Suite, Op.71–1 (1910)
* ''Water-Wagtail'' (1910)
* Berceuse in E-flat (1911)
* ''Pierrette'' (1912)
* 3 ''British Melodies'' (1912)
* ''Rainbow Trout'' (1916)
* Piano Sonata No.2 (1935)
* Piano Sonata No.3 (1956)
Other instrumental solo
* ''The Ecstatic Shepherd'', for solo flute (c. 1922)
* ''Celtic Fantasy'', for solo harp (1926)
* Sonatina, for solo guitar (c. 1927) (commissioned by Andrés Segovia
Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students.
Segovia's contribution to the m ...
)
* ''Idyll'', for solo violin (1928)
Literature
Prose
*1917
The Philosophy of Modernism, in its Connection with Music
'
*1920 '' The Initiate: Some Impressions of a Great Soul'' (Anon.)
*1920 ''The Adept of Galilee – A Story and an Argument'' (Anon.)
*1924 ''Autobiography: My Years of Indiscretion''
*1927 '' The Initiate in the New World'' (Anon.)
*1928 ''The Art of Making a Perfect Husband''
*1930 ''Childishness: A Study in Occult Conduct''
*1932 '' The Initiate in the Dark Cycle'' (Anon.)
*1933 ''Vision of the Nazarene'' (Anon.)
*1933 ''Music: Its Secret Influence Throughout the Ages''
*1936 ''The Greater Awareness''
*1939 ''Man is my Theme''
*1939 ''The Ghost of a Smile''
*1942 ''The Christian Paradox''
*1952 ''Die Tragoedie Stefan George''
*1953 ''Man the Unruly Child''
*1953 ''Simpler and Safer Remedies for Grievous Ills''
*1953 '' The Boy Who Saw True''
*1969 ''Autobiography: Bone of Contention''
Alternative medicine
*1939 ''Victory Over Cancer: Without Radium Or Surgery''
*1940 ''Health, Diet and Commonsense''
*1938 ''Doctors, Disease and Health''
*1946 ''Crude Black Molasses''
*1946 ''Medicine, Rational and Irrational''
*1948 ''Cider Vinegar''
*1953 ''Simpler and Safer Remedies for Grievous Ills''
*1955 ''Sleeplessness: Its Prevention and Cure by Harmless Methods''
*1956 ''Constipation and Commonsense''
*1968 ''Cancer Prevention: Fallacies and Some Reassuring Facts''
Occultism
*1935 ''Outline of Modern Occultism''
*1957 ''Occultism: An Alternative to Scientific Humanism''
Poetry
*190? ''The Shadows of Silence and the Songs of Yesterday''
*1907 ''The Grave of Eros and the Book of Mournful Melodies''
*1909 Translation: ''The Flowers of Evil'' (Charles Baudelaire)
*1910 Translation: ''Poems of Stefan George (Selections from his Works)''
*1910 ''The Voice of the Ancient''
*1912 ''The Vales of Unity''
*1915 ''The Celestial Aftermath: A Springtime of the Heart and Faraway Songs''
*1943 ''The Poems of playboy''
Bibliography
* Hull, A. Eaglefield: ''Cyril Scott. Composer, Poet and Philosopher.'' London, 1918.
* Sampsel, Laurie J.: ''Cyril Scott: A Bio-Bibliography.'' Greenwood, 2000.
* Collins, Sarah. ''The Aesthetic Life of Cyril Scott.'' Boydell, 2013.
* Scott, Desmond, and others (edd.), ''The Cyril Scott Companion.'' Boydell, 2018.
See also
*
* '' The Initiate'', by Cyril Scott
References
External links
Cyril Scott
(official website)
*
*
*
*
Sheet music by Scott
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Cyril
1879 births
1970 deaths
19th-century British composers
19th-century classical composers
19th-century classical pianists
19th-century English musicians
19th-century British male musicians
20th-century British male musicians
20th-century classical composers
20th-century classical pianists
20th-century English composers
Alternative cancer treatment advocates
Alternative medicine activists
British male pianists
Composers for piano
English classical composers
English classical pianists
English male classical composers
English occult writers
English opera composers
Male classical pianists
Male opera composers
Hoch Conservatory alumni
English occultists
People from Birkenhead
Pupils of Iwan Knorr