Arthur Foote
Encyclopedia
Arthur William Foote (5 March 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts
– 8 April 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts) was an American classical composer
, and a member of the "Boston Six." The other five were George Whitefield Chadwick
, Amy Beach
, Edward MacDowell
, John Knowles Paine
, and Horatio Parker
.
The modern tendency is to view Foote’s music as “Romantic” and “European” in light of the later generation of American composers such as Aaron Copland
, Roy Harris
and William Schuman
, all of whom helped to develop a recognizably American sound in classical music. In some sense, then, he is to music what American poets were to literature before Walt Whitman
.
Foote was an early advocate of Brahms
and Wagner
and promoted performances of their music. Foote was an active music teacher and wrote a number of pedagogical works, including Modern Harmony in Its Theory and Practice (1905), written with Walter R. Spalding. It was republished as Harmony (1969). He also wrote Some Practical Things in Piano-Playing (1909) and Modulation and Related Harmonic Questions (1919). He contributed many articles to music journals, including "Then and Now, Thirty Years of Musical Advance in America" in Etude (1913) and "A Bostonian Remembers" in Musical Quarterly (1937).
The Grove Music Encyclopedia says:
A good part of Foote's compositions consists of chamber music
and these works are generally among his best. The Chamber Music Journal
, discussing Foote's chamber music, has written, "If his name is not entirely unknown, it is fair to say that his music is. This is a shame. Foote’s chamber music is first rate, deserving of regular public performance." His Piano Quintet
, Op.38 and Piano Quartet
, Op.23, are singled out for special praise. With regard to the Piano Quintet, the author writes, "Each of the movements is a gem. The Scherzo is particularly fine and the rousing finale beyond reproach. I believe that the only reason this work never received the audience it deserved and deserves is because it was written by an American who was 'out of the loop.'” As for the Piano Quartet, the opinion is that "it is as good as any late 19th century piano quartet."
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
– 8 April 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts) was an American classical composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and a member of the "Boston Six." The other five were George Whitefield Chadwick
George Whitefield Chadwick
George Whitefield Chadwick was an American composer. Along with Horatio Parker, Amy Beach, Arthur Foote, and Edward MacDowell, he was a representative composer of what can be called the New England School of American composers of the late 19th century—the generation before Charles Ives...
, Amy Beach
Amy Beach
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Most of her compositions and performances were under the name Mrs. H.H.A. Beach.-Early years:Beach was born Amy Marcy Cheney in Henniker, New Hampshire into...
, Edward MacDowell
Edward MacDowell
Edward Alexander MacDowell was an American composer and pianist of the Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites "Woodland Sketches", "Sea Pieces", and "New England Idylls". "Woodland Sketches" includes his most popular short piece, "To a Wild Rose"...
, John Knowles Paine
John Knowles Paine
John Knowles Paine , was the first American-born composer to achieve fame for large-scale orchestral music.-Life:He studied organ, orchestration, and composition in Germany and toured in Europe for three years...
, and Horatio Parker
Horatio Parker
Horatio William Parker was an American composer, organist and teacher. He was a central figure in musical life in New Haven, Connecticut in the late 19th century, and is best remembered as the teacher of Charles Ives....
.
The modern tendency is to view Foote’s music as “Romantic” and “European” in light of the later generation of American composers such as Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
, Roy Harris
Roy Harris
Roy Ellsworth Harris , was an American composer. He wrote much music on American subjects, becoming best known for his Symphony No...
and William Schuman
William Schuman
William Howard Schuman was an American composer and music administrator.-Life:Born in Manhattan in New York City to Samuel and Rachel Schuman, Schuman was named after the twenty-seventh U.S. president, William Howard Taft, although his family preferred to call him Bill...
, all of whom helped to develop a recognizably American sound in classical music. In some sense, then, he is to music what American poets were to literature before Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
.
Foote was an early advocate of Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
and promoted performances of their music. Foote was an active music teacher and wrote a number of pedagogical works, including Modern Harmony in Its Theory and Practice (1905), written with Walter R. Spalding. It was republished as Harmony (1969). He also wrote Some Practical Things in Piano-Playing (1909) and Modulation and Related Harmonic Questions (1919). He contributed many articles to music journals, including "Then and Now, Thirty Years of Musical Advance in America" in Etude (1913) and "A Bostonian Remembers" in Musical Quarterly (1937).
The Grove Music Encyclopedia says:
- “In his finest works Foote was a memorable composer. His style, firmly placed in the Romantic tradition, is characterized by lyrical melodies, expressive phrasing, and clear formal structure. He excelled in writing for strings and achieved particular popularity in his lifetime with the Suite in E major, Op. 63. and A Night Piece for flute and strings. Of his works for full orchestra, the Four Character Pieces after the Rubáiyát of Omar KhayyámRubaiyat of Omar KhayyamThe Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám , a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer...
, Op. 48 is noteworthy for its colourful instrumental writing ...”.
A good part of Foote's compositions consists of chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
and these works are generally among his best. The Chamber Music Journal
Chamber Music Journal
The Chamber Music Journal is published by The Cobbett Association for Chamber Music Research.It is a quarterly periodical devoted exclusively to non-standard, rare or unknown chamber music of merit. . ISSN 1535 1726. It is considered one of the leading chamber music reference sources in English...
, discussing Foote's chamber music, has written, "If his name is not entirely unknown, it is fair to say that his music is. This is a shame. Foote’s chamber music is first rate, deserving of regular public performance." His Piano Quintet
Piano quintet
In European classical music, a piano quintet is a work of chamber music written for piano and four other instruments, most commonly piano, two violins, viola, and cello . Among the most frequently performed piano quintets are those by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, César Franck, Antonín Dvořák...
, Op.38 and Piano Quartet
Piano quartet
In European classical music, piano quartet denotes a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments...
, Op.23, are singled out for special praise. With regard to the Piano Quintet, the author writes, "Each of the movements is a gem. The Scherzo is particularly fine and the rousing finale beyond reproach. I believe that the only reason this work never received the audience it deserved and deserves is because it was written by an American who was 'out of the loop.'” As for the Piano Quartet, the opinion is that "it is as good as any late 19th century piano quartet."
Chamber music works
- Three Pieces for Cello & Piano, Op. 1
- String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 4
- Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 5
- Three Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 9
- Sonata for Violin & Piano, Op. 20
- Scherzo for Cello & Piano, Op. 22
- Piano Quartet in C major, Op. 23
- Three Pieces for Oboe (or Flute) & Piano, Op. 31 (Flute = Op. 31B)
- String Quartet No. 2 in E major, Op. 32 (Finale performed separately as Tema con Variazione)
- Romanza for Cello & Piano, Op. 33 (slow movement of Cello Concerto, Op. 33)
- Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 38
- Melody for Violin & Piano, Op. 44
- Suite in E major for strings, Op. 63 (premiered and first recorded by the Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
) - Piano Trio No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 65
- Ballad for Violin & Piano, Op. 69
- String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 70
- Two Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 74
- Legend for Violin & Piano, Op. 76
- Aubade for Cello & Piano, Op. 77
- Sonata for Cello & Piano, Op. 78
- Sonata for Viola & Piano, Op. 78A
- Nocturno & Scherzo for Flute & String Quartet, WoO. (1918, Nocturno also known as A Night Piece')
- At Dusk for Flute, Harp and Cello, WoO
- Sarabande & Rigaudon for Oboe (or Flute), Viola (or Violin) and Piano, WoO
External links
- The Chamber Music of Arthur Foote. Sound-bites and information from several works.
- Arthur Foote - biography page at the Unitarian Universalist Association web site
- Art of the States: Arthur Foote Three Character Pieces, op. 9 (1885)