Chisholm - Straloch Suite

Today I completed a project that has kept me occupied for many weeks, Erik Chisholm's Straloch Suite, written in 1933.
Erik Chisholm (1904-1965) was a Scottish composer, pianist, organist and conductor. His keen interest in, and treatment of, Scottish Piobaireachd (bagpipe) music earned him the nickname "MacBartók". His often startling and uncompromising modernity was little understood during his lifetime, and after his death his music fell into such neglect that he was dubbed "Scotland's forgotten composer". A prolific composer, much of his music remains unpublished and/or in manuscript, though recently a number of piano works were typeset and made available by the Scottish Music Centre. That his piano works are known at all is almost entirely thanks to the tireless advocacy of Scottish pianist Murray McLachlan, who recorded most of them for the Naxos label. Otherwise his music seems to be seldom played.
Chisholm was an important and interesting figure in the Scottish musical world of the 1930's. He corresponded with many composers, he twice personally invited Bartók to perform in Glasgow, he played the British premiere of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, he was a close friend of Kaikhosru Sorabji (who had a bit of a crush on him despite being gay while Chisholm was straight and married, and who kindled in Chisholm a deep interest in Hindustani music), he was an authority on Czech music and wrote a reference work on the operas of Leos Janacek, he founded a symphony orchestra in Singapore, and went to become the head of piano department of Cape Town University, South Africa.
The Straloch Suite is based on one of the earliest Scottish lute manuscripts. This performance of all 5 movements may well be a premiere, as Murray McLachlan recorded only the first three movements which he was given by the composer's widow Morag. The piano writing is muscular, with unusual harmonies, intervals and leaps. Parts of the third and fifth movements were very challenging for me and are (despite much cutting and pasting between takes) not as clean as I'd like them to be. But hopefully, all in good spirit.
Chris Breemer, piano
buymeacoffee.c...
00:17 I. Slow - Allegro con energico
04:08 II. Allegro con energico
11:36 III. Mesuré
16:03 IV. Allegretto grazioso
21:48 V. Allegro con spirito
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Recording date: Monday November 13, 2023
Piano: Kawai Novus NV10S
Setting: SK-EX Rendering
Postprocessing: Bass boost, Treble Boost, Concert Hall Light reverb
On the channel of Le Sheet Music Boi ( / @lesheetmusicboi )
there is a version of this performance with sheet music rather than video footage • Erik Chisholm - Stralo...

[@TheOrdener]

This composer is like nothing I’ve heard. One moment he seems harmonically very modern, then it makes me think of Hindemith’s Ludas Tonalis, but more folksy, kind of Americana (Copland and almost Keith Jarrett) then I feel in the world of Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque. And I’m only half way through! Thanks!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Chisholm's originality is astonishing. If you want to be completely blown away, listen to his set of Piobaireachd. Fascinating works, but difficult to grasp let alone play. They make even Szymanowski's Mazurkas seem simple. By comparison, this Straloch Suite is easy listening.

[@grahamtwist]

I am new to the music of Erik Chisholm, so many thanks for the introduction! The 'Straloch Suite' certainly has a distinct harmonic richness, but it does not push the boundaries of dissonance too far and so, as you remark to '@TheOrdener', makes for generally comfortable, easy listening (there is an undeniable Scottish quality in the writing as well as interesting nods to the composers that have clearly influenced Chisholme). The rhythmic vitality in the movements that demand speed dominate in quite a stark way, but again, do not push the listener too far from an appreciation of the tone poem being painted. I can understand why learning this music has been a challenging - as well as a rewarding - project for you, Chris. You never deliver anything less than captivating artistry and, although you are too modest to acknowledge so, always sheer musicianship in your realization of a score: B R A V O !

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you Graham ! Good to see you back. Indeed this is one of Chisholm's more moderate pieces. The suite is mostly not overly difficult, but there are some parts that are either technically demanding and/or hard to get into on account of the strange harmonies which need considerable time to seep into my old brain 😊 I'll need to play some of his more characteristic, typically Scottish works also.

[@LeSheetMusicBoi]

Wonderful performance !!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you ☺

[@RileyTuckerMusic]

Bravo Chris! Fascinating music by Chrisholm, I've never heard his literature so I thank you for the introduction. I definitely hear Bartók in his music!

[@ChrisBreemer]

MacBartok for sure ! It's not so here, but he can be even more radical than Bartok. I've now started working on his Scottish Airs. Wonderful how he treats the native Scottish material, every bit as good as Bartok in his folksy pieces.

[@pianothingsmusic]

Fantastic rendition, Chris 👏🏻 This seems to be a quite difficult work.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you ! Yes there is a lot of hard work here. Despite Chisholm being an awesome pianist (Rach 3 !) It does not always lie comfortable under the fingers