I just heard on the radio a piece by Claude Debussy called Marche Ecossaise. Debussy was commissioned to write this piece in 1891 by a Scottish general named Meredith Reid, who wanted a march based on a traditional Scottish melody that was associated with his clan. Debussy originally composed it for four-hands piano but later orchestrated it
It was the orchestral version I just heard. It is rather moody, and there are plenty of hints of the kind of musical experimentation Debussy would get seriously into in future years. It's a nice enough piece, but a military march it ain't. And four-hands piano? General Reid would be in the same boat as Woody Allen trying to play the cello in the marching band.
If you were a Scottish general and you wanted somebody to compose a march, wouldn’t you ask somebody who could write you a piece of music you could actually march to? He could have asked Edward Elgar. A couple English dudes who could really have done justice to this tune were Holst and Vaughan Williams, but they were both youthful unknowns in 1891.
I don’t think Debussy was a house-hold name in 1891 either. It would be interesting to know how the General came to know about him at all, wouldn’t it?
Well, like I said, it's a nice enough piece, but if you're in a marching mood, stick with John Philip Sousa.
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