Erik Chisholm

Infobox Person
name = Erik Chisholm
birth_name =


image_size = 175px
caption =
birth_date = 4 January 1904
birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
death_date = 8 June 1965
death_place = Cape Town, South Africa
occupation = Composer and conductor
spouse = Diana Brodie (1st) and Lillias Scott (2nd)
parents = John Chisholm and Elizabeth Macleod
children = Sheila, Fiona and Morag

Professor Erik William Chisholm (4 January 1904 – 8 June 1965) was a Scottish composer and conductor often known as "Scotland’s forgotten composer". According to his biographer, Chisholm "was the first composer to absorb Celtic idioms into his music in form as well as content, his achievement paralleling that of Bartók in its depth of understanding and its daring",cite web | url = http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php |title=Erik Chisholm: Home Page|accessdate=2007-08-15] which led to his nickname of "MacBartók". He was also a founder of the Celtic Ballet and, together with Margaret Morris, created the first full-length Scottish ballet, "The Forsaken Mermaid". He was also the dean and director of the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town for 19 years. Chisholm founded the South African College of Music opera company in Cape Town and was a vital force in bringing new operas to Scotland, England and South Africa. By the time of his death in 1965, he had composed over a hundred works.

Early life and education

Erik Chisholm was the son of John Chisholm, master house painter, and his wife, Elizabeth McGeachy Macleod.cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/58761?_fromAuth=1|title=Raymond Holden, ‘Chisholm, Erik William (1904–1965)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004|accessdate=2007-08-15] He left Queen’s Park School at the early age of 13 due to ill-health but showed a talent for music composition and some of his pieces were published during his childhood. He had piano lessons with Philip Halstead at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and later studied the organ under Herbert Walton, the organist at Glasgow Cathedral. [cite web|url=http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst1879.html |publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|title = Overview of Erik Chisholm|accessdate=2007-08-15] By the time he was 12 he was giving organ recitals including an important one in Kingston upon Hull.cite web |url = http://www.musicweb-international.com/Chisholm/Janacek/index.htm|last = Wright|first = Ken (tribute to Erik Chisholm)|coauthors =Chisholm, Erik|date = 1971|publisher = Pergamon Press|title = The Operas of Leos Janáček|accessdate = 2008-06-08] The pianist Leff Pouishnoff then became his principal teacher and mentor. In 1927 he travelled to Nova Scotia, Canada, where he was appointed the organist and choirmaster at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, New Glasgow, and director of music at Pictou Academy.

A year later he returned to Scotland and became the organist at Barony Church; however, as he had not graduated primary school, he could not study at a university. Due to the influence of his future wife, Diana Brodie, he approached several influential music friends for letters of support for an exemption to enter college. [cite journal|url=http://www.news.uct.ac.za/mondaypaper/archives/?id=4273|first=Fiona|last=Chisholm|publisher= Monday Paper |volume=23|date=17 February 2004|issue=1|title=Feisty dean once barred from university education|accessdate=2007-08-15] In 1928, he was accepted to study music at the University of Edinburgh, under his friend and mentor, the renowned musicologist Sir Donald Tovey. Crisholm graduated with a Bachelor of Music in 1931 and a Doctor of Music in 1934. While at university, he had formed the Scottish Ballet Society in 1928 and the Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music in 1929 with fellow composers Francis George Scott and Pat Shannon. In 1930 to 1934 he also worked as a music critic for the Glasgow Weekly Herald and the Scottish Daily Express.

Scottish career and World War II

After his education, Chishom's work was described as "daring and original", according to Sir Hugh Roberton, [cite web|url=http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/members/index.php?entity_name=erik_chisholm&section=home&sub=full_biography|publisher=Scottish Music Centre|title=Full biography of Erik Chisholm |accessdate=2007-09-28] while also displaying a strong Scottish character in works such as his "Pibroch Piano Concerto" (1930), the "Straloch Suite for Orchestra" (1933) and the Sonata "An Riobhan Dearg" (1939). In 1930, he became the conductor of the Glasgow Grand Opera, [cite journal | url = http://www.jstor.org/view/00274666/ap030741/03a00400/0 |title=Obituary |publisher=The Musical Times|volume=106|issue=1470|date=August 1965|pages=623|accessdate=2007-08-15] and in 1933 he was the soloist at the première of his piano concerto no. 1 in Amsterdam. He conducted the British premières of Mozart's "Idomeneo" in 1934 and Berlioz's "Les Troyens" and "Béatrice et Bénédict" in 1935 and 1936, respectively. He was also the founding conductor of both the Barony Opera Society, the Scottish Ballet Society, the Professional Organists' Association, and in 1938 he was appointed music director of the Celtic Ballet. As director he composed four works in collaboration with Margaret Morris, the most famous being "The Forsaken Mermaid"; the first ever full-length Scottish ballet to be written. Chisholm had many friends in the music world, including composers like Bartók, Hindemith, Delius, Bax, Medtner, Szymanowski, Ireland, Bush, and invited many of them to Scotland to perform their works. [cite journal|last = McLellan|first = William|coauthors = McQuaid, John|url = http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?section_id=4|title = Scottish Composers|publisher = Con Brio|date = 1952|accessdate = 2008-06-05]

At the outbreak of World War II, Chisholm, a conscientious objector, was declared unfit for military service on the basis of poor eyesight and a crooked arm. [cite web|url=http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?id=160|title=My Job in Wartime (From a radio broadcast in Features Programmes and Topical talks).|accessdate=2007-11-14] During the war he conducted performances with the Carl Rosa Opera Company in 1940, and later joined the Entertainments National Service Association as a colonel touring Italy with the Anglo-Polish Ballet in 1943 and served as musical director to the South East Asia Command between 1943 and 1945. He first formed a multi-racial orchestra in India, however after arguments with his superior, Col. Jack Hawkins, he was removed to Singapore. Here in 1945 he founded the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Many of the musicians were ex-Prisoners of War, and from them Chisholm recruited Szymon Goldberg as leader. Goldberg had successfully hidden his Stradivarius violin up a chimney in the prison camp for three and a half years. [cite web |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music/scotlandsmusic/pdfs/scotlandsmusic_41.pdf |title = Scotland's Music|publisher = BBC|date = 21 October 2007|accessdate = 2008-06-07] Chisholm created a truly cosmopolitan orchestra of fifteen nationalities from East and West, which gave 50 concerts in Malaya within six months. [cite web|url = http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/db/CART/product_details.php?product_id=660&no_rurl=1|title = Erik Chisholm: Songs for a Year and a Day|date = 2003|publisher = Scottish Music Centre|accessdate = 2008-06-08] After returning to Scotland, Chisholm married his second wife, Lillias, the daughter of Scottish composer Francis George Scott. In 1946 he was appointed professor of music at the University of Cape Town and director of the South African College of Music.

South African career

on a piano roll; becoming acquainted with the music of India and lastly being offered the chair of music at Cape Town University in 1947." cite news|url = http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?section_id=17| first = Agnes| last = Walker|title = Dr Erik Chisholm: an appreciation|publisher= The Edinburgh Tatler |date = 1965|accessdate = 2008-06-05] That year, Chisholm revived the South African College of Music where he eventually would teach composer Stefans Grové and singer Désirée Talbot. Using Edinburgh University as his model, Chisholm appointed new staff, extended the number of courses, and introduced new degrees and diplomas. In order to encourage budding South African musicians he founded the South African National Music Press in 1948. With the assistance of the Italian baritone singer Gregorio Fiasconaro, Chisholm also established the college's opera company in 1951 and opera school in 1954. In addition, Chisholm founded the South African section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) in 1948 and pursued an international conducting career. [cite web|last=Mears|first=Caroline|coauthors=May, James|title='Chisholm, Erik'|publisher = Grove Music Online |accessdate = 2008-06-05|url = http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?section=music.05630]

The South African College of Music's opera company became a national success and toured Zambia and the United Kingdom. In the winter of 1956, Chisholm's ambitious festival of South African Music and Musicians achieved popular success in London with a programme of Wigmore Hall concerts and the London première at the Rudolf Steiner Theatre of Bartók's opera "Bluebeard's Castle". The company also performed Menotti's "The Consul" as well as Chisholm's own opera "The Inland Woman", based on a drama by Irish author Mary Lavin. In 1952 Szymon Goldberg premièred his violin concerto at the Van Riebeeck Music Festival in Cape Town. His opera trilogy "Murder in Three Keys" enjoyed a six-week season in New York in 1954,cite web|url=http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?id=70|title=Erik Chisholm And The Future Of South African Opera |first=Guy|last= Willoughby|accessdate=2007-11-14] and two years later he was invited to Moscow to conduct the Moscow State Orchestra in his second piano concerto "The Hindustani". In 1961, his company premièred South African composer John Joubert's first opera, "Silas Marner".

Chisholm did not support the South African policy of apartheid and had socialist leanings. Chisholm convinced Ronald Stevenson, a fellow Scot, to perform at the University of Cape Town. During a performance of Stevenson's "Passacaglia", the programme made references to Lenin's slogan of "peace, bread and land" and also in salute of the "emergent Africa". The following day, South African police searched Chisholm's study in a failed attempt to link him with working for the USSR.cite web|url=http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FTEM%2FTEM57_225%2FS0040298203000226a.pdf&code=cc60d6de34ea67f6d298f403f4d38dc7|title=Composer in Interview: Ronald Stevenson - a Scot in 'emergent Africa'|accessdate=2007-09-28]

Later years and legacy

Sir Arnold Bax called Erik Chisholm "the most progressive composer that Scotland has ever produced." [cite journal|url=http://www.news.uct.ac.za/mondaypaper/archives/?id=4896|title=Chisholm remembered in centenary competition|volume=23|issue=36|date=22 November 2004|publisher=Monday Paper|accessdate=2007-09-28] After 19 years at the South African College of Music, Dr. Chisholm composed an additional twelve operas drawing inspiration from "sources as varied as Hindustan, the Outer Hebrides, the neo-classical and baroque, pibroch, astrology and literature". [cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Oct03/Chisholm_Piano_Music.htm|last=Sutherland|first=Colin Scott |title=Review of "Erik Chisholm, Piano music" |accessdate=2007-09-28]

Chisholm died of a heart attack at age 61 and left all his music to the University of Cape Town. Although he composed over a 100 works, only 17 were published, of which 14 were issued in printed score. As Scottish composers are few and the quality of his music is often good, his apologists have argued that his works should be heard more regularly. His style was called varied, eclectic, and challenging [cite web|url = http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?id=166| title = Overview of Chisholm|last = Purser|first = John|accessdate=2008-06-05] but his music was also known to be harsh and often unattractive to audiences. Even so, a number of his works, including his pieces for piano and voice, have been revived and recorded.

He had a lifelong interest in Scottish music and published a collection of Celtic folk-songs in 1964. He was also interested in Czech music, and completed his book "The Operas of Leoš Janáček" shortly before his death. His services to Czech music were formally recognized in 1956, when he became one of the few non-Czech musicians to be awarded the Dvořák medal. [cite journal|url = http://www.jstor.org/pss/957619|title = Janáček's 'Fate' |last = Tyrrell |first = John|publisher = The Musical Times|volume = 113|issue = 1547|date = January 1972|pages=34-37|accessdate = 2008-06-05] The Manuscripts and Archives Library at the University of Cape Town holds the Chisholm collection of papers and manuscripts; his published scores are in the College of Music library and many copies have now been sent to the Scottish Music Information Centre in Glasgow. In his memory, the South African College of Music offers a memorial scholarship in his name and the Scottish International Piano Competition hosts the Erik Chisholm Memorial Prize. [cite web|url=http://www.scottishinternationalpianocompetition.com/awards_2004.htm|title=Scottish International Piano Competition|accessdate=2007-09-28]

A forthcoming biography of Erik Chisholm, written by John Purser with the foreword by Sir Charles Mackerras, "Chasing A Restless Muse: Erik Chisholm, Scottish Modernist (1904-1965)" is due to be released in 2009. [cite web|url=http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?id=94|title=Forthcoming Biography|accessdate=2007-08-15] Recently, many of his works have been released on CD, performed by pianist Murray McLachlan. His widow, Lillias, married the clarinettist John Forbes. [cite web |url = http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/cnmi/inventories/acc11567.pdf|pages = 32|title = Inventory of Ronald Stevenson's Musicological correspondence|publisher = National Library of Scotland: Manuscripts Division|date = 2000|accessdate = 2008-06-07]

Works

Erik Chisholm wrote well over 100 works, including 35 orchestral works, 7 concertante works (including a violin concerto and two piano concertos), 7 works for orchestra and voice or chorus, 54 piano works, 3 organ works, 43 songs, 8 choral part-songs, 7 ballets, and 9 operas including one on Robert Burns. He also made several interesting arrangements by composers such as Handel and Mozart. He arranged a string orchestra version of Alkan's Symphonie Op. 39, a composer still largely unknown at that time, which is said to surpass even the "Transcendental Etudes" of Liszt in scale and difficulty.cite web|url=http://www.erikchisholm.com/resources/doc/Michael%20Jones%20Introduces%20Erik%20Chisholm.doc |first=Michael |last=Jones |date=2000|title= A lecture given by Michael Jones at the Ronald Stevenson Symposium|accessdate=2007-08-15]

Pianist Murray McLachlan divided Chisholm's works into four periods: the Early Period, the "Scottish" Period, the Neoclassical Period and the "Hindustani" Period.cite journal|url=http://www.erikchisholm.com/resources/doc/Unsung%20heoes%20murray.doc|date=2003|first=Murray|last=McLachlan|publisher=Piano|title=Unsung heroes, Making Time|accessdate=2008-03-24] The "Early Period" is extremely large, beginning with some impressive teenage efforts including an exquisite Sonatina in G minor, written at 18, and clearly showing something of the influence of John Blackwood McEwen.

The "Scottish" Period began in the early 1930s where all his works were tinged with a remarkable Scottish nationalistic colouring, indicating most persuasively the ambitions of the composer like contemporary Bela Bartok, to nourish his style on the music of his ancestors and countrymen. Chisholm's "Sonatine Ecossaise", 4 Elegies, "Scottish Airs", and Piano Concerto no. 1 "Pibaireachd" display a style of percussive bite and energy which made much use of dissonances, note clusters and pounding rhythms in the "Bartók manner" along with material derived from Scottish Folksong and rhythmic dance figurations. His style is so similar that Chisholm's critics have repeatedly referred to Chisholm as "MacBartok".cite news| url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/01/06/bmurr06.xml|title = The drone of bagpipes and Bartok's ghost|publisher= The Telegraph|date = 6 January 2004|accessdate = 2008-06-05]

Chisholm's Neoclassical Period refers to several of his works which were inspired by ancient and obscure motifs from the pre-Classical era. His Sonatina no. 3, evidently based on several ricercare motifs originally written by Dalza, fuses Brittenesque harmonies and gentle dissonances in quintessentially pianistic textures.

His "Hindustani" Period reflects Chisholm's love of the East, the occult and his friendship with Sorabji. Important examples of this period are his 2nd "Hindustani" Piano Concerto and the Six Nocturnes, "Night Song of the Bards". These compositions display luscious textures, transcendental technical demands and intensity which are comparable to other piano works by Busoni, Szymanowski, Medtner, and Sorabji.

Writings

Chisholm, E. (1971) "The Operas of Leoš Janáček" ISBN 0080128548.

Notes

References

* [http://www.fmr.co.za/pages/presenters/sheila-chisholm.php Biography of Sheila Chisholm on FMR]
* [http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/existing/Chisholm/newsclips.htm Newspaper Articles on Erik Chisholm]
* [http://www.britishclassicalmusic.com/chisholm.html Erik Chisholm]
* [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Oct01/Chisholm.htm Review of a CD of Erik Chisholm's works by Philip Scowcroft]
* [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Aug01/Chisholm.htm Review of the CD of Songs for a Year and a Day by David Hackbridge Johnson]
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-4666%2819320601%2973%3A1072%3C508%3AEC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K William Saunders, "Erik Chishom", "The Musical Times", Vol. 73, No. 1072. (Jun. 1, 1932), pp. 508-509.]

Further reading

* [http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php?id=81 Chisholm, Morag, 'Erik Chisholm and The Trojans', Musicweb, 2003.]
* Galloway, D., 'Dr Erik Chisholm: a retrospective profile', "Opus", Vol. 1, No. 1 (1966).
* Glasser, S., 'Professor Erik Chisholm', "Res Musicae", Vol. 6, No. 4 (1960), 5–6.
* Hinton, Alistair, 'Kaikhosru Sorabji and Erik Chisholm', "Jagger Journal", 10 (1989/90), 20-35.
* Pulvermacher, G., 'Chaucer into opera', "Opera", Vol. 13 (1962), 187–8.
* Saunders, W., 'Erik Chisholm', "MT", Vol. 73 (1932), 508–9.
* Saunders, W., 'Scottish chiefs, no. XV: a chief composer', "Scots Magazine", Vol. 19 (1933), 17–20.
* Scott-Sutherland, C., 'A peek into Erik Chisholm's archives', "British Music", Vol. 21 (1999), 67–71.
* Shephard, D., 'Erik Chisholm's new piano concerto', "Scottish Music and Drama" (1949), 25.
* Walker, A., 'Erik Chisholm', "Stretto", Vol. 6, No. 1 (summer 1986).
* Wright, K., 'Erik Chisholm: a Tribute', "Composer", Vol. 17 (Oct 1965), 34–5.

Persondata
NAME = Chisholm, Erik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Chisholm, Erik William
SHORT DESCRIPTION = 20th century Scottish composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH = 4 January 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH = Glasgow, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH = 8 June 1965
PLACE OF DEATH = Cape Town, South Africa