Piano Quintet Op 38 / String Quartets Op32 & Op70

Arthur Foote (1853-1937) was not a prolific composer; his work nevertheless places him on the fringes of the American music repertoire. Naxos's box mentions several romantic composers Foote reminds us of, leaving out some others whose names come to mind during the Second Quartet (especially Schubert, who seems to inhabit the variations movement). None of this music sounds very original, although the last quartet seems further to develop some of Reger's relentless chromaticism. Probably the best piece is the Piano Quintet, in which fervent playing from Barbagallo (this is his last recording) helps drive the music. The Da Vinci Quartet plays very well, and this is certainly an economical way to explore a corner of the repertory. --Leslie Gerber