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MacDOWELL, Edward – To A Wild Rose (Pastorale), Op.51 No.1 – 5 CELLOS

Other Identification:
American composer Edward MacDowell (1860–1908) was noted for his artistic qualities as a child, not only in music, but also in art and writing. He studied in Paris, where he struggled with the French language, before continuing in Germany (under Raff) where he fared much better. Liszt spoke favourably about MacDowell and encouraged him to compose. After finishing conservatoire, he spent a couple of years giving concerts before, in 1884, he started a teaching position in Wiesbaden.
He returned to the U.S. in 1892, and was appointed professor of Music at Columbia University in New York. However, the burden of administration greatly affected his health. MacDowell finally resigned in 1904, his health shattered, and died in 1908.

Movements or sections:
One of his daily exercises was to write a short melody every morning, which he would then discard. He used this to practice his technique of melodic composition. “To a Wild Rose” somehow survived (legend has it that his wife picked it up out of the bin!). Having survived, it became part of his Woodland Sketches for solo piano, finished in 1896.

Perhaps some other pieces in the collection are more dramatic, but ‘To a Wild Rose’ has remained a huge MacDowell favourite through the years. It symbolizes untamed beauty, simplicity, and natural charm, but also innocent love, resilience, and a deep, harmonious connection with nature, often evoking a sense of nostalgia, tenderness, and pure, modest adoration.

The composer’s love for roses was so great that he was buried under a boulder, around which many rose plants grew.

Instrumentation: QUINTET OF FIVE CELLOS
Arranged by David Johnstone

Downloads of 2 PDFs:
[1 – General Score
[2 – All individual parts

Approximate difficulty:
David Johnstone’s version for five cellos (or larger cello ensemble, even a cello orchestra) has above all the aim of maintaining this sense of ‘semplice’. It makes for a beautiful chamber music piece where vibrato should be light (even sparing), and the crescendo and diminuendos are carefully measured, never exaggerated. The technical difficulty could be said to be ‘medium’, and should cause no problems to more advanced players.

Dedicatee of this presentation (if applicable): The arrangement is dedicated to a dear and worthy colleague, JANET HORVATH

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