About
In July 1884, MacDowell and his wife, Marian, spent their honeymoon in England, and were both captivated by performances of Shakespeare plays at London's Lyceum Theatre. The young composer started immediately on sketches based on six characters, but completed only two, Hamlet and Ophelia, which were published the following year. MacDowell recycled some of the music from his sketch for Benedick, from Much Ado about Nothing, as the second movement of his Second Piano Concerto. Having lived in Germany from 1885 to 1888, the couple returned to America and Edward reactivated his career as a concert pianist. The Second Concerto was the perfect vehicle to display his virtuosity, and he gave the first performance in New York in 1889. Composed during the same period as the Second Concerto, the Romanze for Cello and Orchestra was written at Wiesbaden in 1887, and MacDowell dedicated it to the virtuoso Bohemian cellist and composer David Popper. The Suite in A minor was the first work MacDowell composed after the couple's move to Boston, and reflects his lifelong love of nature. Set in five movements, it received it's first performance in 1895 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Emil Paur.
Tracklist 11 tracks
-
1 I. Hamlet 06:54
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Hamlet
- Duration
- 06:54
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
2 II. Ophelia 06:19
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. Ophelia
- Duration
- 06:19
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
3 I. Larghetto calmato 12:43
- Track
- 3
- Title
- I. Larghetto calmato
- Duration
- 12:43
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Performer
- Xiayin Wang
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
4 II. Presto giocoso 04:37
- Track
- 4
- Title
- II. Presto giocoso
- Duration
- 04:37
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Performer
- Xiayin Wang
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
5 III. Largo - Molto allegro 07:19
- Track
- 5
- Title
- III. Largo - Molto allegro
- Duration
- 07:19
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Performer
- Xiayin Wang
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
6 Romanze, Op. 35 03:49
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Romanze, Op. 35
- Duration
- 03:49
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Performer
- Peter Dixon
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
7 I. In a Haunted Forest 05:21
- Track
- 7
- Title
- I. In a Haunted Forest
- Duration
- 05:21
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
8 II. Summer Idyll 02:11
- Track
- 8
- Title
- II. Summer Idyll
- Duration
- 02:11
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
9 III. In October 03:52
- Track
- 9
- Title
- III. In October
- Duration
- 03:52
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
10 IV. The Shepherdess' Song 03:03
- Track
- 10
- Title
- IV. The Shepherdess' Song
- Duration
- 03:03
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson
-
11 V. Forest Spirits 04:26
- Track
- 11
- Title
- V. Forest Spirits
- Duration
- 04:26
- Composer
- Edward MacDowell
- Ensemble
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Wilson