Such lyrics, in most cases authored by the composer, are often perceived as controversial by modern standards, and should be understood exclusively within the mid-19th-century framework. In that context, Foster was an innovator, consistently striving to raise the level of his texts; he actually reduced the impact of many of the clichés and stereotypes common at the time. If read and listened to in a historically informed perspective, the Foster pieces provide a unique musical illumination of 19th-century songwriting in America.

**Please find the complete ICAMus - Scuola di Prato performance texts revised on the original sheet-music edition, with a new Italian translation by Aloma Bardi**.

Foster 2011 Performance Program - Texts & Translation