Arthur FARWELL (1872-1952)
Piano Music Vol. 1
The Vale of Enitharmon, Op. 91* (1930) [9:16]
Impressions of the Wa-Wan Ceremony of the Omahas, Op. 21** (1905)
[14:03]
Polytonal Studies, Op. 109* (1940-1952) Series 1 [37:54]
Lisa Cheryl Thomas (piano)
rec. 24-25 July 2011, Old Granary Studio, Suffolk. DDD
Text Included
*First recordings/**First complete recording
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0126 [60:53]
Arthur Farwell was one of the foremost advocates for American music in the
early years of the 20th century. In addition to his composing, writing, lecturing,
conducting and organizing, he established and ran the Wa-Wan Press, which,
from 1901 to 1912, published scores of new works by American composers, usually
with an American Indian emphasis. BY the way, Wa-Wan means “to sing to somebody”.
As a composer Farwell is best remembered for his own Indianist pieces, but,
as this disc demonstrates, such works were only a small part of his overall
output.
Lisa Cheryl Thomas has chosen three works for this new disc and they neatly
demonstrate the three major tendencies of Farwell’s output: Indianist, Impressionist,
and Experimental. Impressions of the Wa-Wan Ceremony of the Omahas
is an eight part suite describing a several-day ceremony in which individuals
and tribes establish close ties with one another. The individual sections
are based on the actual Omaha themes as used in various parts of the Wa-Wan
ceremony as members of the first tribe approach the camp of the second, perform
various musical and other rites, and join with the second tribe in a final
affirmation of peace. Farwell’s treatment of the original themes varies in
interest, but the strongest sections (3, 5, 8, and 9) are quite beautiful.
The titles of the sections of Wa-Wan Impressions are:-
No. 1 Receiving the Messenger [2:17]
No. 2 Nearing the Village [1:58]
No. 3 Song of Approach [2:01]
No. 4 Laying Down the Pipes [1:11]
No. 5 Raising the Pipes [1:00]
No. 6 Invocation [2:13]
No. 7 Song of Peace [1:47]
No. 8 Choral [1:36]
The Vale of Enitharmon dates from twenty-five years later
than the Wa-Wan Impressions. Enitharmon is a character in
several of the works of William Blake and personifies spiritual beauty. Farwell’s
piece is Impressionistic and reminds one of the music of Griffes, although
there are also moments of Scriabin. Farwell develops his material with great
intensity and the broadening of both harmony and mood in the far-away central
section is especially impressive. This is a work that deserves to be better
known.
In the late 1930s Farwell’s music became more experimental and around 1940
he began a series of what he called Polytonal Studies. They
are actually bi-tonal and only twenty-three out of the proposed forty-six
were completed, many without dates or consecutive numbering. Of the twelve
recorded here, some are little more than pedagogical studies while others
are works of great beauty. All of them show greater imagination in the use
of bi-tonality than most similar exercises. Especially interesting are No.
3, with its key-signatures of C major/A major (and a lovely middle section);
the unquiet No. 9 (G major/D-flat major), and the jaunty No. 10, which belies
its tonalities of D major and B-flat major. The last study on this disc, No.
34, is also impressive.
Lisa Cheryl Thomas is of Native American descent and while this might help
explain her facility with the Wa-Wan Impressions she shows equal
skill with Farwell’s other idioms. Her playing is precise but also full of
intensity and she wisely glides over Farwell’s occasional sentimentalities.
She also provides an excellent full-length essay on Farwell and other Indianist
composers. The acoustic of this disc’s venue blurs some of the softer moments
of The Vale of Enitharmon, but is effective in highlighting the bi-tonalities
of the Studies. At present Farwell is represented on disc only by
some songs (Albany),
his excellent incidental music to Lord Dunsany’s The Gods of the Mountain
(Bridge)
and a few isolated piano solos (Pristine).
This will make Ms. Thomas’ present recording and its promised successor most
welcome to devotees of American and early 20th century music.
William Kreindler
Piano music in a variety of styles by an early 20th century American best-known
for his “American Indian” music.
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