Edward
MacDowell
Edward Alexander MacDowell was
born on December 18, 1860, in lower east side Manhattan, New York. His parents
were Thomas MacDowell, a milkman, and his musically inclined mother was Frances
Knapp MacDowell. MacDowell’s mother wanted him to learn piano. She employed
Juan Buitrago, a Colombian violinist who was living with the MacDowell family
for the time being. MacDowell’s other piano teachers were Teresa Carreno and
friends of Buitrago. The MacDowell family moved to Paris, France, in 1877.
Edward was admitted to the Paris conservatory. Later he continued his education
at Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory in Frankfort, Germany. He studied piano with Carl
Heymann and composition with Joachim Raff. MacDowell also taught piano at
"Schmitt's Akademie für Tonkunst" in Darmstadt for a year. In 1884,
MacDowell married Marian Griswold Nevins, an American, who was a student of
Edward’s for three years. Marian sadly suffered from an illness that left her
unable to have children. From 1885 to 1888, MacDowell spent most of his time on
composition work. In the autumn of 1888, MacDowell decided to return to the
United States, because of financial difficulties. The MacDowell’s lived in
Boston where Edward became Professor of Music at Columbia University until
1904. As Edward taught and composed from 1896 to 1898, he directed the
Mendelssohn Glee Club. He also composed music for the group to perform. In
1896, Hillcrest Farm was purchased by Marian MacDowell to serve as their summer
home located in Peterborough, New Hampshire. MacDowell was inspired by the
beautiful setting. He was most likely inspired by in this new environment. In some
of his smaller pieces, he caught much of the American spirit by blending
romantic techniques with an intimate feeling for the American scene. "If a
composer is sincerely American at heart," MacDowell said, "his music
will be American." MacDowell's compositions included two piano concertos,
two orchestral suites, four symphonic poems, four piano sonatas, piano suites
and songs. He also published dozens of piano transcriptions of mostly 18th
century pre-piano keyboard pieces. MacDowell published 13 piano pieces and a 4
part song under the pseudonym of Edgar Thorn in 1896 to 1898. During American
Academy of Arts and Letters, they had invited Edward as one of their early
selections for membership in 1904. The MacDowell’s envisioned starting a
colony for artists in Peterborough, New Hampshire, close to their home.
MacDowell was a wonderful piano teacher, and two of his students were John
Pierce Langs and Edward Sapir. Edward MacDowell died on January 23, 1908, in
New York City, at the early age 48. His wife Marion cared for him until the day
he died. Marion, in 1907, founded the
Edward MacDowell Association. She led it for more than 25 years. Their dream
had come true.
Source: Wikipedia
Sea
Piece
The Sea Pieces were composed in
1898. They reveal MacDowell at the height of his lyric and dramatic ability.
Source: Wikipedia
