To many MacDowell is remembered for his To
a Wild Rose (from the Woodland Sketches) and little else. Yet he
composed a few orchestral suites, symphonic poems, as well as numerous
piano pieces and songs. They say that MacDowell was America’s first
important composer, but Gottschalk (1829-1869) has a far stronger claim
to that title. He was among the earliest to use America’s indigenous
rhythms and melodies his music, offering a direction which others ignored
for nearly half a century.
MacDowell was in essence a European composer and in
his music it is rare to find any significant use made of American themes
or rhythms. His miniatures, composed after 1895, certainly take their
inspiration from the very fields, lakes and forests of the America that
MacDowell deeply loved. These are richly melodic compositions produced
by a gifted ‘German’. MacDowell has a rightful claim to being 'the first
American-born composer to have his works favourably compared with those
of his European-born peers'.
Born in New York, from Scottish-Irish descent, he had
piano lessons from the age of eight. Amongst his teachers was the great
Teresa Carreño (1853-1917), a much-married Venezuelan virtuoso
who later became one of the first pianists to include MacDowell's compositions
in her programmes. In 1876 he went to Europe to study with Marmontel
at the Paris Conservatory where one of his fellow students was Debussy.
In Paris, Edward later took lessons from Louis Ehlert (1825-1884), a
former pupil of Mendelssohn and Schumann.
Moving to the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt his first
teachers were Carl Heymann (piano) and Joachim Raff (composition). Raff
became a major influence on MacDowell's style, first in the development
of his compositional style and second by introducing his pupil to Liszt.
The American performed part of Schumann's Quintet in Liszt's presence
during a visit to Frankfurt and later played Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody
No 14 to the composer.
The Piano Concerto No 1 in A minor is dedicated
to Franz Liszt. The concerto, so the story goes, was composed in just
two weeks. It was Joachim Raff who spurred MacDowell into writing it.
Calling on his American pupil one day, he asked MacDowell what work
he had in hand. Standing rather in awe of Raff at that time, MacDowell
without thinking blurted out that he was working on a concerto (in fact,
he had no thought of doing so). Raff asked him to bring the work to
him the following Sunday by which time MacDowell had just managed to
write the first movement. Evading Raff until the following Sunday -
still not finished - he put him off again until the Tuesday by which
time he had completed the concerto. Raff was so delighted with the results
that he advised his pupil to travel to Weimar and show the work to Liszt.
This MacDowell did, playing the work to the great man with Eugen d'Albert,
no less, playing the orchestral part at the second piano.
Despite this impressive background, one could hardly
regard this first Piano Concerto as a high ranking work, especially
when set beside MacDowell's later pieces (someone once said they would
give all his sonatas and both concertos for the two pages of To a
Wild Rose). Somewhat immature, I find the development is predictable
and certain bar groups tend to become repetitious. I agree with the
notes that the work is of academic interest but doubt that ‘one can
sense the white-hot inspiration in which it was written’.
After the opening maestoso
chords (enhanced in a second edition, published in 1910 apparently),
the soloist leads off into the fiery Allegro con fuoco (first movement).
A gentle, lightly scored Andante tranquillo (second movement) suggests
those ideas of simple lyricism that were later to become trademarks
of the MacDowell's miniatures and this contrasts considerably with the
crude opening movement. The Presto has a strong opening before launching
into its virtuoso theme, deftly handled by Seta Tanyel. Changing chromatic
moods are found to be punctuated by Dvořákian
horn chords that lead to a rousing finale. [Interestingly, this Concerto
was written 8 years before the more famous New World symphony was performed
(1893) so did Dvořák borrow from MacDowell when in America forming
his friendship with Herbert? No mention
is made of any of this in the notes yet the concertgoers at the time
must surely have recognised the similarity.]
The Second Modern Suite, dedicated to Mrs Joachim
Raff, follows Liszt’s suggestion to write a series of pieces for solo
piano. Many of the six pieces in this second suite were written apparently
when commuting between Frankfurt and Darmstadt in order to give lessons.
The themes are engaging and convey a number of moods. The Fugue
unmistakably echoes Bach (and Raff) whilst the Rhapsodie hints
of Brahms and the Scherzo of Schumann.
The Piano Concerto No 2 in D minor opens with
the orchestra setting a dreamily tranquil scene before the piano interrupts
with a short passage recognisable as similar to the ‘Warsaw concerto’.
An enjoyable love theme later runs through the first movement. The work
wakes up with true inspiration in the second movement with catchy thematic
and rhythmic content, and clever orchestration. It provides an opportunity
for good virtuosity and Tanyel rises to the occasion. It is understandable
that this movement is sometimes played as a separate piece. The third
movement moves to a sombre mood and back to the opening ‘Warsaw’ theme.
Eventually it gathers strength to bring the piece to a rousing crescendo
before relaxing into a dreamy passage. Energy gathers again for a spectacular
The recording is first class
with an exciting resonant bass lift to the piano’s lower octave, providing
additional depth to the instrument. The piano is not placed too forward
to drown orchestral detail and their excellent playing. Brabbins handles
the orchestra sensitively and provides a good degree of colour. [I am
not too sure why Hyperion have placed an 8 second playout spacer at
the end of track 12.] Interesting and lengthy notes are given on the
composer, but little is mentioned about MacDowell’s ideas in planning
the pieces, which would have been useful to know about. The notes are
provided in English, French and German.
Raymond J Walker
See also review
by Rob Barnett
Romantic Piano Concerto Series