Edward MacDowell: A Study

A carefully argued biographical and critical study traces the subject's family origins, early musical training, studies abroad and friendships with figures such as Liszt and Grieg, and describes the domestic and teaching settings that shaped his output. The author examines compositional methods, surveys early experiments and matured works, and offers focused readings of major piano sonatas, songs and orchestral pieces while noting impressionistic elements in his style. The narrative is supplemented by letters, manuscript facsimiles, portraits and a systematic list of works that together illuminate both the creative process and the music's formal and expressive characteristics.