Obscure Music Monday: Foote's Serenade Op. 25

Arthur William Foote (March 5, 1853 - April 8, 1937) was an organist and composer, and a member of the "Boston Six", a group of composers from New England that lived in the late 19th century and early 20th century, that also included Amy Beach, George Whitefield Chadwick, Edward MacDowell. John Knowles Paine, and Horatio Parker. Foote graduated from Harvard, and was the first composer of note to be trained entirely in the United States.

Foote was a prolific composer, and wrote a few works for string orchestra, including his Serenade Op. 25. This work clocks in around 30 minutes, and has five distinct movements that were pieced together from other unpublished works of his. The first, Praeludium, immediately opens with a bright, cheerful theme. There's lush, thick writing for nearly all the string sections. The second movement, Air, is reminiscent of Bach's own Air on the G String, particularly in regards to tempo and the mood it sets; there are some achingly beautiful lines in this emotive movement. The next movement, Intermezzo, is in three, like a grand waltz. There's a charming pizzicato section within the work, giving it a wonderfully light-hearted feel, even if just briefly. The penultimate movement, Romanze, is exactly that: thick textures, longing melodies, and Romantic harmonies. Foote takes some interesting harmonic detours here and there, making this dramatic movement particularly interesting. The work finishes off with a Gavotte, which starts in minor but then moves to major, brightening the mood, but returns back to minor.