Breaking down each CD in Kirsten Johnson’s 3-disc Arthur Foote: Complete Piano Music recording:
In the first CD’s opening Trois Morceaux cycle, it becomes quickly apparent that Frederic Chopin is probably Foote’s salient influence; the first and third movements (‘Impromptu’ and ‘Mazurka’) are especially reminiscent of the Polish master’s sound and style. The central ‘Gavotte,’ however, seems to have more of a sense of Brahmsian brusqueness to it. The following Cinq Pieces, Op. 6, also mostly redolent of Chopin, offer a romantic-era update of the Baroque suite, with three dance movements and an ornate, harmonically rich ‘Nocturne’ following the opening ‘Prelude.’ The `Sarabande’ seems to breathe an air of wide-eyed innocence, a-la Schumann. The fourth movement – ‘Petite Valse’ – is a cunning (and tricky) little marvel for the left hand alone, with the waltz-beat chords often “implied” to make room for the lovely melody.
Foote left us no formal piano sonatas – but we do have two fine suites from him that are rather sonata-like in style and structure. The Op. 15 Suite No. 1, in four movements, begins with a ‘Prelude’ – again of Brahmsian intensity – followed by a dandy ‘Fugue’ that reveals Foote’s sure command of classic counterpoint. After a ravishing ‘Romance,’ the cycle ends with a sparkling ‘Capriccio’ of exquisite delicacy. The Suite No. 2, Op. 30, is particularly sonata-like, launching its three-movement course with a dramatic movement entitled ‘Appassionato,’ in which lurks a touch of Beethoven’s stormy spirit. A substantial and varied ‘Romanze’ follows, leading into the finale: a headlong, octave-heavy ‘Toccata.’
Interspersed amid these two cycles are two smaller groupings of pieces plus a rather nondescript ‘Pedal Study’ in F (no opus number). The two Op. 8 pieces are a rather somber, minor-hued ‘Gavotte’ and a quirky, but intriguing ‘Eclogue’ that lapses in and out of 5/4 meter. The pair of Op. 18 pieces offer prime examples of Foote’s “Salon” music: the elegant and virtuosic ‘Serenade’ smacks again of Chopin, as does the rather serious-sounding (considering its title) ‘Humoresque.’
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