Album

Despite what the French, Germans, and Italians may believe, England has produced great composers: Byrd, Tallis, Dowland, Purcell, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Britten are all indisputably great composers. But England, like the other great nations of Europe, has also had its share of deeply mediocre composers. The generation of English composers who came of age in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods produced a bumper crop of mediocrities. Granville Bantock, Charles Villiers Stanford, Charles "Hubert" Parry, and William "Havergal" Brian, produced between them a cornucopia of pretentious balderdash, sentimental claptrap, and late-Romantic orchestral flapdoodle.

Except for a single Lyrita LP from the '70s that is still prized by collectors for its fabulous sound, the world has been spared Cyril Scott (1879-1970). This 2003 Chandos recording by Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Philharmonic with pianist Howard Shelley wrongs this right by unleashing this awful disc on the world. To their credit, if that's the right word for it, everyone concerned gives their best. Brabbins' conducting is powerful and direct. The BBC's playing is colorful and cogent. Howard Shelley's virtuosity is present in every note. But Scott's music remains resolutely terrible. "The Muses" Symphony starts like bloated Bantock, degenerates into a wordless choir, and ends with pompous organ chords in massive C major. The Piano Concerto starts like third-rate Scriabin and, if it's possible, gets worse from there. "Neptune" starts like an engulfed Aplinesinfonie and becomes unlistenable within two minutes. For the listener who knows and loves the music of Bantock, Stanford, Parry, and Brian, Scott's music will be welcome. For everyone else it will be more balderdash, claptrap, and flapdoodle. Chandos' sound is magnificent.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
Cyril Scott Composer Symphony No.3 with chorus ("The Muses") Work 34:43 Joseph Cullen Chorus/Choir Director, Huddersfield Choral Society Chorus/Choir, Martyn Brabbins Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Melpomene: Muse of Epic Poetry and Tragedy. Andante sostenuto - Molto maestoso - Tempo tranquill	14:32			$2.49
2	2.Thalia: Muse of Comedy and Merry Verse. Allegro con spirito	5:40			$0.99
3	3.Erato: Muse of Love and Poetry. Molto tranquillo - Adagio con gran espressione	6:43			$0.99
4	4.Terpsichore: Muse of Dance and Song. Molto moderato e ritmico	7:48			$1.49
Cyril Scott Composer Piano Concerto No.2 Work 20:14 Martyn Brabbins Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Howard Shelley Piano
5	1.Con moto - Meno mosso - Vigoroso - Tempo 1 - Andante non troppo - Nobilemente tranquillo - Maest	9:46			$1.49
6	2.Tranquillo pastoral - Adagio - Tempo 1 - Quasi tempo 2 - Poco più mosso	4:48			$0.99
7	3.Energico - Grazioso - Moderato - Tempo 1	5:40			$0.99
Cyril Scott Composer Neptune, poem of the sea for large orchestra Work 24:21 Martyn Brabbins Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
8	Andante - Molto maestoso -	5:34			$0.99
9	Con moto - Largo -	1:40			$0.99
10	Tempo di valse - Molto cantabile - Wistfully - Molto cantabile e sonoro - Più tranquillo - Doppio m	3:39			$0.99
11	Allegro agitato -	9:28			$1.49
12	Adagio molto - Tristamente - Molto idealmente - Tranquillo poco a poco	4:00			$0.99