Piano Music in the 19th Century Edward MacDowell

Piano Music in the 19th CenturyEdward MacDowell • 1861 - Edward MacDowell Born in New York • 1876 - went to Paris to study - Student of Savard in composition and Marmontel in piano at the Paris Conservatory • friend and classmate of Claude Debussy • 1878 - overwhelmed at the hearing of Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto performed by Nikolai Rubenstein • 1882 - Studied in the summer with Louis Ehlert

Piano Music of the 19th CenturyEdward MacDowell • 1882 - introduced to Liszt in Weimar - played his piano concerto for Liszt which was published on Liszt’s recommendation in 1884 • 1882-1885 were very productive years • 1884 - Married Marian Nevins • left for Germany in search of greater technique • in two years succeeded his teacher at the Frankfort Conservatory

Piano Music in the 19th CenturyEdward MacDowell • 1887 - 1888 returned to America and lived in Boston until 1898 • 1888 • Made his first appearance as a pianist with the Kneisel Quartet • Returned to the United States for good • The BSO premiered his Second Piano Concerto • The BSO premiered all of MacDowell’s subsequent orchestral works, including the Indian Suite • 1896 - accepted the position of Professor of Music at Columbia University

Piano Music in the 19th CenturyEdward MacDowell • Considered (at the time) to be the leading contender for the title of Great American Composer. MacDowell was only the second American composer to achieve an international standing (Gottschalk was the first) • MacDowell was born exactly 8 years to the day before Gottschalk died • MacDowell’s direct link to Gottschalk was Teresa Carreno, one of Gottschalk’s pupils, to whom MacDowell dedicated his Second Piano Concerto

Piano Music in the 19th CenturyEdward MacDowell - works • His compositions had been published in Europe and America for 20 years by 1900 • MacDowell performed his first and second piano concertos with the Boston Symphony

MacDowell and the Virtuoso • As a teacher, MacDowell charged $5.00 per hour for lessons (very high fee) • He expanded the coloristic and expressive possibilities of the piano • 12 Virtuoso Studies, Op. 46 • composed in Boston in 1894 • all have programmatic titles • “Hexentanz”

Edward MacDowell • 1904 - MacDowell resigned from Columbia due to philosophical differences with the administration • 1905 - Was the end of his career due to overwork and diagnosed as insane in 1905 • His last years were provided for by President Grover Cleveland, Andrew Carnegie, J. Pierpoint Morgan, Victor Herbert, Horatio T. Parker, Frederick Converse and George Chadwick • MacDowell died in New York on 1/23/1908 - 12th anniversary of the first performance of the “Indian Suite”

Suite No. 2, Op. 48 (Indian Suite) • Premiered by the BSO 1/23/1896 • Drawn from actual “Indian” themes • Melodies found by MacDowell’s pupil, Henry F. Gilbert • Theodore Baker’s “Uber die Musik der nordamerikanischen Wilden” (noted American Musicologist) • five movements • Legend - Iroquois and Chippewa themes • Love Song - Iowa melody • In War-Time - Iroquois scalp dance • Dirge - a lament sung by Kiowa women • Village Festival

Edward MacDowell“Indian Suite” • MacDowell, age 34, was considered “the greatest musical genius America has produced” and was named Professor of Music at Columbia University • This performance is by the Westphalian Symphony Orchestra; Siegfried Landau, conductor (VOX BOX - CDX 5092)

The MacDowell Colony • The MacDowell Colony, a retreat for artists, was created by Marian MacDowell, Edward’s former student and his widow, on the MacDowell farm shortly after Edward’s death. It has become one of the country’s most important artist’s retreat. • The MacDowell Colony is located at Peterborough, New Hampshire

The MacDowell Colony • http://www.macdowellcolony.org/mdhome.htm • http://www.nhptv.org/kn/itv/mcd/mcdowell.htm

Piano Music in the 19th Century Edward MacDowell