Edward MacDowell’s orchestral works are underrepresented on record (and in the concert hall) which makes this new Chandos series particularly valuable for listeners interested in lesser-known American Romantic repertoire. I enjoyed the first volume of this series (released November 2024) and find this new release even more impressive.
The album opens with a dramatic reading of MacDowell’s first tone poem, “Hamlet and Ophelia.” In 1884 MacDowel and his new bride traveled to London, where they saw several Shakespeare productions. The composer was particularly taken with Hamlet and began sketching two tone poems based on the main characters, though MacDowell is not trying to convey the action of the story, but rather the emotional states of each character. The music for Hamlet is therefore stormy, its harmonic language somewhat chromatic, featuring sudden shifts of mood.
The portrait of Ophelia is simpler and surprising: I expected something more fragile, expressing her descent into the madness that leads to her tragic death. MacDowell’s music paints a stronger, confident young woman in writing that shows his talent for writing a good melody and rich harmonies. Wilson inspires playing of finesse and ardor from his BBC players, who conjure greater atmosphere and drama than is heard in the recordings by the Ulster Orchestra under Takuo Yuasa (Naxos) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra led by Karl Krueger (Bridge).
Xiayin Wang’s performance of the first piano concerto is a highlight of the first volume in this series, and if anything, her reading of the second concerto is even more compelling. We already have some excellent readings that seem to fall into two interpretive camps: extroverted virtuosity (Donna Amato, André Watts, and Earl Wild) versus gentler lyricism (Stephen Prutsman and Seta Tanyel). Wang’s playing has both these qualities, and her brilliance and energy are matched by Wilson and orchestra.
In the liner notes to the Prutsman’s Naxos album, MacDowall’s playing is described: “his finger velocity was the most striking characteristic of his playing. For him it was a mere bagatelle. He took to prestissimo like a duck to water. He could in fact play fast more easily than he could slowly.” The same description fits Wang’s playing, especially in the second movement Presto Giocoso. Her reading takes 4’40” versus Tanyel’s 5’10” (Hyperion). Prutsman’s performance is only a few second longer than Wang but lacks her lucidity, while Watts (4’42”) misses the joviality of MacDowall’s tempo marking. Yet the rhapsodic lyricism of the final Largo is never shortchanged, the fulsome coloring of pianist and orchestra drawing out the lusciousness of MacDowall’s melodic writing.
John Wilson (image: © Astrid Ackermann)
In recent reviews of Wilson’s work with his Sinfonia of London, I have noted that he sometimes rushes through a climax, and that he can fuss over small orchestral details at the expense of the longer line. I found no such issue here, and he and the orchestra are clearly engaged by this music.
Mervyn Cooke’s excellent program notes disclose a few unflattering descriptions of the “Romance for Cello and Orchestra,” but the music, especially as heard in this charismatic performance featuring cellist Peter Dixon, strikes me as first-rate “light” music, with an appealing charm that matches similar repertoire by Elgar.
MacDowell’s began his first Orchestral Suite in 1890. Each of its five movements is inspired by nature the composer and his wife enjoyed during their time in Germany. The opening “Haunted Forest” inhabits the same sound world as Saint-Saëns “Danse macabre,” while “Summer Idyll” and “In October” will please listeners who love Grieg and Delius (listen to the fabulous horns in the latter movement). The final two movements, “The Shepherdess Song” and “Forest Spirits” are strong contrasts in color and mood, beautifully realized by the BBC players, with some particularly felicitous woodwind playing.
Excellent Chandos engineering, sophisticated orchestral playing and winning interpretations come together to make one of the most impressive recordings of MacDowell’s music. His oeuvre includes nine orchestral works, so there should be at least one more volume in this series. recommended.
Top image: ©️ The Classic Review, AI enhanced.
Recommended Comparisons
Piano Concerto: Prutsman | Tanyel | Cliburn | Watts
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Album Details |
|
|---|---|
| Album name | MacDowell orchestral works, Vol. 2 |
| Label | Chandos |
| Catalogue No. | CHAN20332W |
| Artists | Xiayin Wang, piano Peter Dixon, cello BBC Philharmonic John Wilson, conductor |
