Derek B. Scott: Orchestral Music, Volume Two
Derek Scott, born in Birmingham in 1950, has an international reputation as an historian of the British music hall and other forms of light entertainment. But he is an outstanding composer in his own right, his music treading a fine line between a very English whimsy and a profoundly felt and natural response to his (often Celtic) subject matter. These works reveal a master craftsman and natural tunesmith, who manages to unite good humour, unerring technique and deep feeling in music of immediate appeal. His two symphonies – originally written for brass band – embody a return to the formal, Classical clarity of Haydn, though expressed with the satisfyingly beefy textures of the modern orchestra. He lists among his influences Shostakovich and Sibelius and, less predictably, The Beatles and The Kinks.
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra
Paul Mann, conductor
Listen To This Recording:
- I Allegro moderato
- II Adagio
- III Scherzo: Allegro vivace ma non troppo
- IV Finale: Allegro
- I Allegro
- II Adagio
- III Scherzo: Allegretto
- IV Finale: Andante con moto – Allegro
- Adagio – Tempo di marcia – Allegro – Andante – Tempo di marcia – Adagio
Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 23 (1995; orch. 2021)
Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 26 (1996–97; orch. 2021)
The Silver Sword: Tone-Poem, Op. 39 (2021)
FIRST RECORDINGS
MusicWeb International :
‘The ever-excellent Liepāja Symphony Orchestra is directed by Paul Mann, who has demonstrated a consistent curiosity for, and mastery of, contemporary British symphonic writing. Scott’s symphonies are ultra-approachable examples of the genre; welcoming, playful, sonorous and attractive.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
MusicWeb International :
‘Professor Scott’s use of the winds, brass and percussion is masterly, lending vibrant colour to his scores. […]
I have enjoyed this disc enormously. The recording is first-rate, often spectacular. The orchestra play exqusitely, Paul Mann conducts them inspiringly, and obviously the music provides the bedrock for the production. […]
Toccata Classics are to be congratulated for releasing such good recordings of Derek Scott’s music.’
—Jim Westhead, MusicWeb International