The Piano Concerto No. 2 in

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, Op. 23 by

Edward MacDowell Edward Alexander MacDowell (December 18, 1860January 23, 1908) was an American composer and pianist of the late Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites ''Woodland Sketches'', ''Sea Pieces'' and ''Ne ...

was completed in late 1885.

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' and was one ...

. ''Booklet notes to'' Olympia OCD 353.Jeremy Nicholas
''Booklet notes to'' Hyperion CDA67165
Although some obvious similarities with

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

's,

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

's and

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

's concertos have often been stated, MacDowell’s composition proves to be quite original, at least compared to his First Concerto. It was the first major piano concerto written by an American. It was also the only large-scale composition by MacDowell to remain in standard repertoire.

History

Macdowell's First Concerto was written and performed in 1882, when he was only 22. It was published in 1884. The composer soon began working on his Second. Finished in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

in late 1885, for some years it remained unperformed. In 1888 MacDowell returned to America. On March 5, 1889Bill Lloyd
''Booklet notes to'' Naxos 8.559049
he performed the new concerto in Chickering Hall (

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) with

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

under Theodore Thomas. The program of this concert also included the American premiere of

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

's Symphony No. 5. Next year (1890)

Breitkopf & Härtel Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf. The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...

published the orchestral score and an arrangement for 2 pianos (prepared by MacDowell himself). It was dedicated to

Teresa Carreño María Teresa Gertrudis de Jesús Carreño García (December 22, 1853June 12, 1917) was a Venezuelan pianist, soprano, composer, and conductor. Over the course of her 54-year concert career, she became an internationally renowned virtuoso pia ...

, a famous pianist, who used to be one of MacDowell's earliest piano teachers. The first recording of this concerto was made by

Jesús Maria Sanromá Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet. Jesus may also refer to: People Religious figures * Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Act ...

in 1934 with

Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symp ...

under

Arthur Fiedler Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was an American conductor known for his association with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one o ...

Van Cliburn Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (; July 12, 1934February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 during the Cold Wa ...

chose this concerto for his professional debut when he was eighteen.Rob Barnett.
A review of two Macdowell recordings
'

Instrumentation

The work is scored for solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, timpani and strings.

Structure

The concerto consists of three traditional movements, all in

sonata form Sonata form (also ''sonata-allegro form'' or ''first movement form'') is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle ...

. However the first movement is largely slow (instead of being fast) and the second is a lively scherzo (instead of a slow one). Principal theme of the first movement (motto) reappears in the third. A typical performance lasts 25–28 minutes, half of which takes the first movement. The first movement opens with a lilting, almost Wagnerian, introduction played by orchestra (''Larghetto calmato''). A stentorian cadenza follows, and after a short reprise of the introduction the proper sonata form begins (''Poco più mosso, e con passione''). The theme of the cadenza is incorporated in the first subject, while the introductory one is later transformed into the second (in

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consis ...

). The development section is interrupted by the reappearing of the initial cadenza, much more elaborated. After this music proceeds to the recapitulation. Soon states orchestral tutti the main theme, after which the cadenza is heard for the last time. It ends in a gloomy mood. The orchestra repeats the principal theme in D minor, sounding like a funeral march. Surprisingly the soloist soon changes the key to

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

, which becomes the key of the second subject. The movement ends peacefully with a brief coda. The tone of the scherzo has much in common with the final of MacDowell's First Concerto. According to the composer, it was inspired by

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

's portrayal of Beatrice in

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

. There first subject here is a

perpetual motion Perpetual motion is the motion of bodies that continues forever in an unperturbed system. A perpetual motion machine is a hypothetical machine that can do work infinitely without an external energy source. This kind of machine is impossible, a ...

theme, it sounds somewhat folk-like when played for the second time. Then comes a more lyrical second theme in E-flat minor, which after a shortened version of the first subject is repeated in B-flat minor. A new, full reprise of the scherzo theme is heard and leads to a coda. The finale is the most complicated movement. It begins again with a dark introduction (''Largo'') recalling the main theme of the first movement. Even the piano cadenza manage to reappear. This section is in D minor, but the finale itself (in an unusual ¾ time) turns out to be in D major (''Molto allegro''). Its main theme gives place soon to a second idea (''Poco più mosso'', in F major), rhythmically pert and skittish. Nor statement of this requires long time, and a new valse-like theme (in

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes neede ...

) is presented in the brass, which is derived from the principle theme of the first movement. After some 30 bars it ends abruptly with piano stating the cadenza theme (''Poco più lento''). The recapitulation of the first theme entrancingly imitates musical snuff-box; it is slightly expanded and lacks the final section. Different reminiscences upon the valse theme follow (mostly in D major, showing it to be the real second subject of this movement) before the skittish melody returns (''Poco più mosso'', again in F major). It is followed by the final section of the first theme and the coda providing a most brilliant conclusion.

Recordings

(piano) with

(1934) * Alexander Jenner (piano) with

Vienna State Opera Orchestra The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...

Henry Swoboda Henry Swoboda (October 29, 1897 – August 13, 1990) was a Czechoslovakian conductor and musicologist and, with James Grayson and Mischa Naida, co-founder of U.S. ''Westminster Records'' which flourished in the late 1940s and throughout the 19 ...

- (LP, 1952) *

(piano) with Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra,

Howard Hanson Howard Harold Hanson (October 28, 1896 – February 26, 1981)''The New York Times'' – Obituaries. Harold C. Schonberg. February 28, 1981 p. 1011/ref> was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American class ...

- (LP, 1952/54?) - a digitized version available from

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

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* Vivian Rivkin (piano) with

Dean Dixon Charles Dean Dixon (January 10, 1915November 3, 1976) was an American conductor. Career Dixon was born in the upper-Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem in New York City to parents who had earlier migrated from the Caribbean. He studied conducting ...

- (LP, 1954/58?) - reissued on MCA Record
MCAD2-9842, disc 1
(1992) *

(piano) with

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

Walter Hendl Walter Hendl (January 12, 1917April 10, 2007) was an American conductor, composer and pianist. Biography Hendl was born in West New York, New Jersey, and later went on to study with Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia ...

(1960) - reissued on

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

GD60420 *

Eugene List Eugene List (July 6, 1918March 1, 1985) was an American concert pianist and teacher. Early life Eugene List was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent his formative years in Los Angeles, where his father Louis List (originally Lisnitzer) ...

(piano) with

Carlos Chávez Carlos Antonio de Padua Chávez y Ramírez (13 June 1899 – 2 August 1978) was a Mexican composer, conductor, music theorist, educator, journalist, and founder and director of the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra. He was influenced by nativ ...

- (LP, 1962)

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...

CLP 1710 - reissued on Millennium Classics MCD80086 *

Earl Wild Earl Wild (November 26, 1915January 23, 2010) was an American pianist known for his transcriptions of jazz and classical music. Biography Royland Earl Wild was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1915. Wild was a musically precocious child and ...

(piano) with

RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra The RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, sometimes also known as the Victor Symphony Orchestra, RCA Victor Salon Orchestra, the RCA Victor Orchestra and the RCA Orchestra, was an American studio orchestra founded in 1940 by the RCA Victor record label for ...

Massimo Freccia Massimo Filippo Antongiulio Maria Freccia (19 September 1906 – 16 November 2004) was an Italian American Conducting, conductor. He had an international reputation but never held a post as music director of a major orchestra or opera house. Unus ...

- (LP) - reissued on Chesky CD76A (1992) * Marjorie Mitchell (piano) with American Arts Orchestra, William Strickland - (LP, 1968)

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

- reissued on Vanguard *

Roberto Szidon Roberto Szidon (21 September 194121 December 2011) was a Brazilian classical pianist who had an international performing and recording career, and settled in Germany. Life and career Szidon was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1941. He gave his fi ...

(piano) with

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his ...

- (LP, 1970)

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

2530 055 *

(piano) with Westphalian Symphony Orchestra (Recklinghausen)

Siegfried Landau Siegfried Landau (September 4, 1921February 20, 2007) was a Germany, German-born American Conducting, conductor and composer. He was born in Berlin, the son of Ezekiel Landau, an Orthodox rabbi, and Helen (Grynberg) Landau. He was a music student ...

- (LP, 1973) *

Donna Amato Donna Marie Amato (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American pianist. She teaches at University of Pittsburgh. Life Amato studied under the renowned teacher and virtuoso, Ozan Marsh throughout her early musical training. After receiving ...

(piano) with

, Paul Freeman (1985) - '' Archduke Records (LARC1 and MARC1), reissued on Olympia Records OCD 353, reissued on ALTO ALC1012'' *

Claudette Sorel Claudette Sorel (10 October 1932 – 6 August 1999) was a French-American pianist and educator. She was an advocate of equal rights for women in the arts, and especially equal rights for women whose aspirations were to become pianists. Earl ...

(piano) with

, Franco Autori - (CD, 1992?) - reissued on Emsco Productions 8156 (1998) * Thomas Tirino (piano) with Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vassili Kazandjiev - Centaur CRC 2149 (1992) *

André Watts André Watts (born June 20, 1946) is an American classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University. In 2020, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society. Life and early performances Born in Nurember ...

(piano) with

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins to a ...

Andrew Litton Andrew Litton (born May 16, 1959, New York City) is an American orchestral conductor. Litton is a graduate of The Fieldston School. He studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and conducting with Sixten Ehrling at the Juilliard School of Music in New ...

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long associ ...

CD-80429 * Norman Krieger (piano) with

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, also known as the "RSO", was established in 1953 by Gibson Morrissey and a number of other music lovers. Gibson Morrissey served as the conductor until his death in 1975. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra has professi ...

, David Wiley (1998) * Stephen Prutsman (piano) with

National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO; previously known as RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra) is the largest professional orchestra in Ireland. Housed at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, since January 2022, it used ...

Arthur Fagen Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

(1999) -

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* Seta Tanyel (piano) with

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional rad ...

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studied compositi ...

(2000) -

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label. History Hyperion is an independent British classical label that was established in 1980 with the goal of showcasing recordings of music in all genres and from all time period ...

br>CDA67165
(Romantic Piano Concerto Vol.25) * Derek Han (piano) with

Chicago Sinfonietta The Chicago Sinfonietta is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is nationally and internationally acclaimed as a cultural leader and a powerful advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and is renowned for its groundbreaking, d ...

, Paul Freeman - (2002) * Frederick Moyer (piano) with

Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra The Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra was a Bulgarian orchestra whose origins date back to 1945. It is rooted in the hundred-year-old orchestral traditions of the largest cultural center of Thrace. The German neo-classical band Haggard performed with t ...

Nayden Todorov Nayden Todorov ( Bulgarian: Найден Тодоров; born Plovdiv 1974) is a Bulgarian conductor. Biography Todorov was born on 8 April 1974 in Plovdiv. In 1993 he graduated from the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music in Plovdiv i ...

- JRI Recordingsbr>J122
(2007) * Paul Van Nees (piano) with

Music Minus One Music Minus One (MMO) is a music production and recording company in Westchester, New York. Their recordings are meant to be accompanied by the listener on whichever instrument (or voice type) is excluded from the recording, as an aid to practice, ...

MMO3090

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Classical music, Music 1885 compositions Compositions by Edward MacDowell MacDowell 2