Sir Alexander Campbell MACKENZIE (1847-1935)
Complete Music for Solo Piano - Volume Two
Rustic Scenes, op.9 (1876) [13:11]
Five Pieces, op.13 (1877) [16:04]
Sehnsucht (1862) [02:43]
Ungarisch (1862) [03:37]
Odds and Ends – Par ci, par lą, op.83 Books 1 & 2 (1916) [12:31]
Fantasia, op.70 (1909) [16:55]
Christopher Howell (piano)
rec. 2017/18, Studios of Griffa & Figli s.r.l., Milan, Italy
SHEVA COLLECTION SH229 [64:52]
Sir Alexander MacKenzie was born in Edinburgh of a musical family; his father Alexander and grandfather John were both violinists. From 1857 he studied in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen just a short distance from Weimer; He soaked up the culture there for 5 years and had his own music performed by the Weimar Ducal orchestra of which MacKenzie was a member. After leaving Germany he studied piano, violin, composition and theory at the Royal Academy of Music where his Violin Sonata was played. After a shaky start in his home town of Edinburgh his works began to find favour in London and, but for a couple of extended stays in Italy, this was where he made his home. He conducted the Novello Oratorio concerts, including a performance of Liszt's St Elisabeth which Liszt attended and, in 1888 took over from Sir George Macfarren as Principal of the RAM, remaining in that post until 1924.
His piano works range from a set of Variations and shorter works written during his time in Germany, collections such as the Rustic Scenes and Scenes in the Scottish Highlands written during his early career and, after a three decade interval, the Fantasia and English Air and variations and others written during his years at the head of the RAM. The earliest works on this volume exist only in manuscript; Sehnsucht is a heartfelt little song without words whilst Ungarisch is a jaunty work with a slower central section in the minor key. Despite its energy it is a far cry from the dash and verve of Liszt's Hungarian works. Rustic Scenes and Five Pieces date from around 1876/77; The Rustic scenes kick off with a gentle triple time Rustic dance before we here the Mendelssohn like Forester's Song with its hunting calls. Curfew is a slow elegant waltz tune whilst Harvest Home seems to portray an energetic and excitable celebration.
The Impromptu that opens the set of five pieces has a melody over a simple accompaniment with a touch of whimsy in the more harmonically adventurous central section. One might expect a Gigue from a Scot to sound more Highland than the 19th Century Scarlattian version we hear; no matter, it is still a well crafted little gem. Saga, the third piece, is headed with a lines from Longfellow's The Saga of King Olaf; the outer sections are chilly and mournful enclosing a presto that represents the Ocean rhyme of the Skald; “It will cheer me” cries King Olaf though judging by the sombre mood that returns his cheer was short-lived. I note that the rhythm of the accompaniment is different in the score I have – the left hand plays triplet broken chords in my score whilst Christopher Howell plays straight semi-quavers; Novello did issue MacKenzie's early sets in four volumes in 1892 so perhaps there was a revision. The set ends with the delicately whirling waltz of a Coquette and the descriptive Evening in the fields. Alternating between an ambling stroll and the occasional faster dash the calm of the evening seems to be interrupted by the call of hunting horns – maybe the pace picks up to find out why the hunt is out so late?
The remaining works on the disc date from MacKenzie's renewed interest in the piano after the turn of the century. Since 1880 the only solo piece to emerge was the Morris Dance in 1899; admittedly he made a big contribution to the piano repertoire with his Scottish Concerto in 1897 but otherwise he was occupied with other genres in this period. From 1916 we hear Par ci, par lą, or Odds and Ends, four short character pieces published in two books. Refrain is a touchingly reflective work bathed in autumnal shades throughout whilst High Spirits is exactly that; a bouyant and engaging waltz that bobs and weaves along without a care – humeur folle is the French subtitle but this madness is more subdued than the dizzying, crazy lunacy of a work like Massenet's Valse folle. We are not told what tale is being recounted in Telling a story but any peril is mild and the storyteller's voice is generally reassuring. The last of the set is a rather stiff mock-baroque Pavane and Musette.
The most ambitious work on the disc is the 17 minute Fantasia (forgive me if I want to add quasi una Sonata). This is vastly different to his earlier character sketches, a big-boned almost orchestral work that opens in a march-like manner, growing more complex in its textures as it finds a more lyrical voice. The more melodic second theme is heralded by stentorian chords in a jagged dotted rhythm with triplets singing through. I feel that the pace slackens here as the triplets enter – some of the drive of the dotted notes is unfortunately lost. The next section is all based around the lyrical second theme; after a simple start it grows more harmonically advanced as the theme develops into a more lively motif and some quite heavily textured piano writing. Both of the opening themes are now played with warmer accompanying textures. The scherzo-like section that follows, allegretto capriccioso doesn't maintain the light-hearted mood in which it opens for long and there is much passionate writing before the return of the second theme, now accompanied by echoes of the scherzo. After a recapitulation of the earlier material and an appearance of the scherzo the work closes with the opening theme in a grand peroration.
Christopher Howell and the enterprising Sheva Collection are to be commended for tackling MacKenzie's entire piano output. For the most part the playing is accomplished and while nothing here is going to set the world on fire these are attractive pieces and it is good to hear some more of the voice behind the marvellous Scottish Concerto (Hyperion CDA67023 review). The notes by the pianist are excellent and the sound is warm and clear. I enjoyed this CD and will seek out the other volumes, reviews of which can be found here - Volume 1 ~ Volume 3.
Rob Challinor
Previous reviews: John France ~ Jonathan Woolf
