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Arthur Farwell: Piano Music, Vol. 2
Toccata

Arthur Farwell: Piano Music, Vol. 2

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Details

Composer
FARWELL, ARTHUR
Artist
Lisa Cheryl Thomas
Format
CD
Label
Toccata
Released
Apr 29, 2014
Catalog #
TOCC0222
UPC
5060113442222

About



FARWELL Dawn, op. 12. Tone Pictures after Pastels in Prose, op. 7. Polytonal Studies, op. 100: Series II. Mesa and Plain, op. 20/2: Pawnee Horses • Lisa Cheryl Thomas (pn) • TOCCATA 0222 (65:03)


I reviewed Volume One of this Farwell series in Fanfare 36:5, where I gave background details for this composer and concluded with the statement that the second volume was awaited with enthusiasm. Here it is, full of delights. Lisa Cheryl Thomas provides excellent and detailed booklet notes. Farwell’s op. 12 Dawn (1902) reflects the importance held by Native Indians for the rising of the sun. Here Farwell quotes two melodies from the Nebraska Omaha tribe. It is played with great affection and confidence by Lisa Cheryl Thomas. The recording captures her lovely round sound well; it also supports the levels of detail she finds, and her clear mastery of voice-leading.


The nine movements of Tone Pictures after Pastels in Prose (1895) are inspired by prose poems of Theodore de Barville, Baudelaire, Charles Bernard, and Judith Gautier. Quotations are included in the helpful booklet, along with descriptions of the music. The decidedly Chopinesque third piece (“The Stranger,” after Baudelaire) is most effective, with a left-hand singing melody that seems evocative of the cello (the booklet rightly links it to Chopin’s Étude op. 25/7). Thomas brings the sort of adult knowing to childhood wonder that makes one posit she would be an excellent Kinderszenen interpreter to this music, particularly perhaps “Indifference to the Lures of Spring” (after Gautier). There is indeed a marked spirit of reflection through most of these pieces, a mood that Thomas captures to perfection. Her right hand cantabile is particularly attractive.


The arrival of the Polytonal Studies, composed between 1940 and 1952, brings a marked change in style. It also continues on from Volume One, which presented the first 11: here is Nos. 12 through 26. The more progressive harmonic language seems to draw depth from Farwell’s pen. There is a delicious Stravinskian tinge to the B-Minor/G-Minor (No. 14), a sort of two-part of invention, a trait that recurs in the D-Minor/E-Minor (No. 16), although here the music seems to strain to return to a purer Bachian mode of expression. The C-Minor/E?-Minor (No. 15) has a reflective quality that almost at times tends towards the blues. The more extended studies last around five minutes, and in the case of No. 18 (F-Minor/F?-Minor), this results in a miniature tone poem. The grand No. 19 (G-Minor/B-Minor) comes as a surprise. The opening implies a full scale transcription of a Bach organ prelude and fugue (although true fugue-like writing only arrives in No. 21, the B?-Minor/G-Minor): Thomas in her notes posits links in No. 19 to Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev (and indeed a Russian tinge creeps in as the music progresses).


Native American rhythms (and harmonies) permeate the final offering, “Pawnee Horses” (1905). It seems as if though piece acts as summary of the heart of Farwell’s music, and makes the perfect close to the disc.


FANFARE: Colin Clarke

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. 1 Dawn, Fantasy on 2 Indian Themes, Op. 12 05:20
    Track
    1
    Title
    Dawn, Fantasy on 2 Indian Themes, Op. 12
    Duration
    05:20
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  2. 2 I. Roses and Lilies: Gracefully, with swaying motion 01:40
    Track
    2
    Title
    I. Roses and Lilies: Gracefully, with swaying motion
    Duration
    01:40
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  3. 3 II. The Sages Dance: In even rhythm - well accented 01:32
    Track
    3
    Title
    II. The Sages Dance: In even rhythm - well accented
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  4. 4 III. The Stranger: Mysteriously - with agitation 01:57
    Track
    4
    Title
    III. The Stranger: Mysteriously - with agitation
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  5. 5 IV. Indifference to the Lures of Spring: Sadly 01:49
    Track
    5
    Title
    IV. Indifference to the Lures of Spring: Sadly
    Duration
    01:49
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  6. 6 V. The Red Flower: Slowly - Longingly 02:00
    Track
    6
    Title
    V. The Red Flower: Slowly - Longingly
    Duration
    02:00
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  7. 7 VI. Anywhere out of the World: With restless discontent - not too fast 02:34
    Track
    7
    Title
    VI. Anywhere out of the World: With restless discontent - not too fast
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  8. 8 VII. Evening on the Water: Slowly and gracefully 01:30
    Track
    8
    Title
    VII. Evening on the Water: Slowly and gracefully
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  9. 9 VIII. A Poet Gazes on the Moon: Sombrely 02:16
    Track
    9
    Title
    VIII. A Poet Gazes on the Moon: Sombrely
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  10. 10 IX. The Round under the Bell: With wild fury 01:52
    Track
    10
    Title
    IX. The Round under the Bell: With wild fury
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  11. 11 XII. in C Minor / G Minor: Moderately 03:27
    Track
    11
    Title
    XII. in C Minor / G Minor: Moderately
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  12. 12 XIII. in C Minor / F Minor: Very moderately 04:06
    Track
    12
    Title
    XIII. in C Minor / F Minor: Very moderately
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  13. 13 XIV. in B Minor / G Minor: Moderately fast 02:42
    Track
    13
    Title
    XIV. in B Minor / G Minor: Moderately fast
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  14. 14 XV. in C Minor / E-Flat Minor: Somewhat slowly, but with motion 05:37
    Track
    14
    Title
    XV. in C Minor / E-Flat Minor: Somewhat slowly, but with motion
    Duration
    05:37
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  15. 15 XVI. in D Minor / E Minor: Rather fast 02:22
    Track
    15
    Title
    XVI. in D Minor / E Minor: Rather fast
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  16. 16 XVII. in F Minor / E Minor: Somewhat slowly 04:52
    Track
    16
    Title
    XVII. in F Minor / E Minor: Somewhat slowly
    Duration
    04:52
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  17. 17 XVIII. in F Minor / F-Sharp Minor: Fast 02:43
    Track
    17
    Title
    XVIII. in F Minor / F-Sharp Minor: Fast
    Duration
    02:43
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  18. 18 XIX. in G Minor / B Minor: Slowly 02:11
    Track
    18
    Title
    XIX. in G Minor / B Minor: Slowly
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  19. 19 XX. in E-Flat Minor - A Minor: Deliberately fast, without hurrying 05:39
    Track
    19
    Title
    XX. in E-Flat Minor - A Minor: Deliberately fast, without hurrying
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  20. 20 XXI. in B-Flat Minor / G Minor: Moderately fast 04:16
    Track
    20
    Title
    XXI. in B-Flat Minor / G Minor: Moderately fast
    Duration
    04:16
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  21. 21 XXVI. in D-Flat Major / F Minor: Very moderately 03:18
    Track
    21
    Title
    XXVI. in D-Flat Major / F Minor: Very moderately
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas
  22. 22 No. 2. "Pawnee Horses" 01:19
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 2. "Pawnee Horses"
    Duration
    01:19
    Composer
    Arthur Farwell
    Performer
    Lisa Cheryl Thomas