Dawn and Twilight: The First & Last Violin Sonatas of Cyril Scott

By the end of his life in 1970, the British composer Cyril Scott had sunk into obscurity save for a few pieces that dangled tantalizingly on the fringes of classical repertory. The advent of the 21st century has ignited a rediscovery of this iconoclastic composer, and 'Dawn and Twilight' is a part of this movement premiering his first and last violin sonatas played with sensitivity and fantastic musical engagement with Andrew Kirkman on violin and Clipper Erickson on piano. Composed in 1910 and 1956 respectively, the sonatas permit a 'bookend' glimpse into Scott's musical development in the context of a classical music world almost completely transformed during this period. The first composed with a predictably youthful swagger premiered to accolades by Claude Debussy and Sonata Nr. 4 composed as Scott neared his eighth decade is permeated by the contemplative and mature perspectives of a lifetime of tenaciously prolific work despite the public acclaim that eluded him.