Seattle Symphony Releases Arthur Foote’s CD

Born in Massachusetts, Arthur Foote was unusual among 19th century American composers in that practically all of his training took place in the United States. His individualistic style recalls the classical structure of Brahms while reveling in exotic harmonies and colorful orchestrations typical of late romanticism.

Foote’s “Symphonic Prologue,” Francesca da Rimini, based on the story of the doomed lovers Francesca and Paolo as immortalized in Dante’s Inferno, is a thrillingly original musical vision, and offers a fascinating comparison to Tchaikovsky’s well-known tone poem of the same name.

Also featured on this CD are exquisite character pieces inspired by the medieval Persian mystic Omar Khayyam. In contrast to the lush orchestration of his Francesca da Rimini, Foote’s Four Character Pieces after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam gives much more prominence to the atmospheric qualities of individual instruments.

Foote’s Suite in E major for string orchestra was one of his most successful works, and is sometimes compared to works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Elgar. The Gavotte from Air and Gavotte was probably composed in 1866, when Foote was only 13 years old. The Air, written over 20 years later, is based on the Air from J.S. Bach’s Third Suite for Orchestra. Together, the two pieces offer listeners an interesting insight into the development of Foote’s compositional style. -- www.seattlesymphony.org