Farwell: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Featuring

Lisa Cheryl Thomas
Arthur Farwell

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Compositional Technique

Farwell's 'Tone Pictures after Pastels in Prose' are nine short piano pieces inspired by prose poems from authors like Charles Baudelaire and Théodore de Banville, reflecting an integration of the arts.

Composer Biography

Farwell received compositional advice from Charles Whitefield Chadwick, a prominent New England composer, and had his work reviewed by Edward MacDowell, a leading American Romantic composer.

Composer Biography

While in Germany, Farwell studied with Engelbert Humperdinck, a German composer known for his opera 'Hänsel und Gretel', who refused payment for lessons.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Farwell's interest in Native American music was sparked by Alice Fletcher's 'Indian Story and Song', and he aimed to preserve the original cultural setting of the melodies he used.

Composer Biography

Arthur Farwell, the composer, initially studied electrical engineering at MIT but decided to become a composer after hearing Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Despite his reputation as an 'Indianist', Farwell's works based on Native American melodies account for only about ten percent of his extensive output.

Performer Biography

The pianist, Lisa Cheryl Thomas, has Native American ancestry, counting Cherokee, Blackfoot, and Sioux tribes among her ancestors, and specializes in 'Indianist' piano repertoire.