The Scottish composer Erik Chisholm was nicknamed McBartók because his use of traditional Scottish music was similar to his friend Bartók’s treatment of Hungarian folk music. Both composers found a way to integrate ethnomusical sources into classical structures and an imaginative 20th-century idiom. During the Second World War, Chisholm was stationed in India where he fell under the spell of Hindustani music, particularly traditional Indian ragas, and began incorporating them into his work. He noted a resemblance between Indian music and the Scottish bagpipe music called Pìobaireachd – for example, their use of improvisation over a drone. In 1947, Chisholm accepted a university post in Cape Town, South Africa, where he died in 1965 at the age of 61. While in South Africa he wrote several operas and wrote a book that helped revive interest in the music of Janácˇek. Chisholm’s output is barely known today. In 2012, Hyperion released a marvelous disc of his Piano Concertos No 1, Pìobaireachd (1937) and No 2, Hindustani (1949), neatly encompassing his major musical influences. Both are authoritative, colourful and significant works. On this new release, we get two pieces from his Scottish period. The composer’s orchestration of three of his 24 Preludes…

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