For those not in the know, cellist Julian Schwarz makes his debut on Delos with a trailblazing album featuring Arthur Foote’s complete cello works, including the world premiere commercial recording of his cello concerto.

As the only composer of the Boston Six to have been entirely trained in the United States, Arthur Foote could be viewed as the United States’ first homegrown talent.

Albeit largely, and inexplicably, unperformed and undercelebrated, his refined sense of melody and lush harmonic language are bewitching; he produced a wealth of music for cello and piano which is here performed by GRAMMY®-nominated cellist Julian Schwarz, pianist and partner Marika Bournaki, and the internationally acclaimed conductor Gerard Schwarz with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Foote: 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 1
No. 1, Andante con moto
No. 2, Andante
No. 3, Allegro con fuoco

Foote: Aubade, Op. 77

Foote: Scherzo, Op. 22

Foote: Cello Sonata in E Minor, Op. 78
I. Allegro appassionato
II. Andantino con moto
III. Vivace assai

Foote: Cello Concerto in G Minor, Op. 33
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Andante con moto
III. Allegro comodo

Complete with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, and Marika Bournaki, Julian first brings us Foote: 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 1: which opens on the achingly yearnful No. 1, Andante con moto, the gratifyingly grandious No. 2, Andante before culminating on the vibrancy of No. 3, Allegro con fuoco.

Next we are gifted the affectingly ambient Foote: Aubade, Op. 77 which is seamlessly backed by the strident fare of Foote: Scherzo, Op. 22, which is itself in turn followed by Foote: Cello Sonata in E Minor, Op. 78 which opens on the sweepingly immaculate Allegro appassionato, the affecting Andantino con moto, rounding out on the resonating Vivace assai.

The last piece of this most glorious set is Foote: Cello Concerto in G Minor, Op. 33: which itself opens on the confident stance of Allegro ma non troppo, before bringing us the sumptuously elegant Andante con moto, coming to a close on the flourishingly playful, yet always dedicated and proficiently cinematic in scope Allegro comodo.

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