{"id":2301,"date":"2017-10-23T23:04:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T04:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=2301"},"modified":"2017-10-23T23:06:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-24T04:06:56","slug":"macdowells-new-england-idyls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2017\/10\/23\/macdowells-new-england-idyls\/","title":{"rendered":"MacDowell’s “New England Idyls”"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Edward MacDowell\u2019s \u201cNew England Idyls,\u201d he combines classical European harmonic elements with titles and epigraphs that evoke a purely American setting. \u00a0The resulting character pieces are incredibly descriptive and strive towards an American musical national style equivalent to the Russian style created by Mussorgsky and the Polish style created by Chopin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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the original art featured on the cover of “New England Idyls”<\/p><\/div>\n

European harmonic idioms of the 19th century are very prominent in \u201cNew England Idyls.\u201d \u00a0The third piece in the set, entitle<\/span>d \u201cMid-Wi<\/span>nter,\u201d<\/span>is particularly rich in Romantic German- and French-sounding harmonies. \u00a0Throughout the movement there is intense chromatic saturation, typical of Wagner and Strauss. \u00a0Also reminiscent of these composers is the harmonic shifts by <\/span>third <\/span><\/i>instead of by fourth and fifth, which MacDowell employs to very dramatic effect. \u00a0MacDowell also writes colorful non-functional harmonies that are reminiscent of Debussy (of whom MacDowell was an almost perfect contemporary).<\/span><\/p>\n

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one example of MacDowell’s epigrap<\/p><\/div>\n

Complementing his Romantic harmonies are MacDowell\u2019s epigraphs.\u00a0Similar to the titles of Debussy\u2019s piano preludes, these short snippets of text frame the colorful, descriptive music, lending a sort of program to each piece.\u00a0 Unlike Debussy\u2019s brief and cryptic inscriptions, however, MacDowell\u2019s texts are substantial and highly specific, evoking images of the New Hampshire countryside. \u00a0Most of the movements describe natural features such as <\/span>An Old Garden,<\/span><\/i> In Deep Woods, To An Old Pine<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0Two others describe other facets of the American experience: Native American culture is represented (for better or for worse) in <\/span>Indian Idyl<\/span><\/i>, and a facet of white America\u2019s religious history is portrayed in <\/span>From Puritan Days<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/webfiles.wulib.wustl.edu\/units\/music\/supplcat\/b10311282.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

As we have seen, MacDowell strives to create an American classical music by adopting a European musical style and imbuing it with American textual imagery from his own personal experiences in New Hampshire. \u00a0Whether or not he succeeds in this endeavor is up to the listener to decide.<\/span><\/p>\n