Women of the MacDowell Colony: 14-18 March

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  • french frank
    Administrator/Moderator
    • Feb 2007
    • 30455

    Women of the MacDowell Colony: 14-18 March

    Following Barbara Strozzi next week, CotW will focus on Women Of The MacDowell Colony

    "You can see why composers love the place: birches, beeches, maples, breathtaking natural beauty and, above all, silence. Since composer Edward MacDowell founded his “colony” in 1907, some 5,000 artists have visited to find inspiration and peace.

    Among the so-called colonists are more than a century of women composers who have left their mark on classical music. This week, Donald Macleod explores the breadth and impact of their work and recalls his own trip to the colony, soaking up the beauty of the site in the dazzling colours of fall in New England.

    Today [14 March] that crimson light falls partly on Marian MacDowell, pianist wife of Edward, who was instrumental not just in setting up the colony but also had carte blanche in the early days to select who came. There’s music from 19-time visitor Marion Bauer, Chinese composer Wenhui Xie, and Amy Beach who left considerable funds to the colony after her death in 1944. Listeners also hear from Marian MacDowell’s biographer, Robin Rausch."
    It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
  • ferneyhoughgeliebte
    Gone fishin'
    • Sep 2011
    • 30163

    #2
    What an excellent idea - Marion Bauer wrote one of the best and most influential studies of contemporary Music in 1933, Twentieth-Century Music: How it Developed and How to Listen to It, which - at a time when scores by the Second Viennese School, Bartok, Hindemith and others weren't easily available, her book consisted of very little commentary from her, and copious Music examples, many in piano reductions so that readers could have a go at actually performing them. It was a great favourite of Milton Babbitt's (and therefore highly influential on a whole generation of American composers) who wrote the Preface to the book's 1978 reissue. It will be very satisfying to hear some of her own Music for the first time.
    [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

    Comment

    • french frank
      Administrator/Moderator
      • Feb 2007
      • 30455

      #3
      Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
      It will be very satisfying to hear some of her own Music for the first time.
      "Music featured in the programme [Monday, I presume]:

      Beach: A Hermit Thrush at Morn (Op. 92)
      Joanne Polk (piano)

      Wenhui Xie: Sonettia a Orfeo
      Alda Caiello (soprano)
      Maldo Bonifacio (director)

      Bauer: Sonata for viola (1935)
      3rd movement Allegro
      Arnold Steinhardt (viola)
      Virginia Eskin (piano)


      Beach: Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, Op.45 (1898-1899)
      1st movement Allegro moderato
      Alena Feinberg (piano)
      Nashville Symphony Orchestra
      Kenneth Schermerhorn (conductor)

      Beach: From Grandmother’s Garden, Op.97
      Virginia Eskin (piano)

      Tuesday: The New England landscape takes centre stage in a work inspired by the woodlands of the MacDowell colony. Plus, music by Amy Beach, Ruth Crawford Seeger and Mary Howe.

      Wednesday: The colony is tested to the full by a storm in 1938, which destroys much of the site including 250 acres of woodland.

      Thursday: The loss of Marian MacDowell as director of the colony brings both searching artistic questions and also financial crisis to the artists’ community.

      Friday: For his final visit to the colony, Donald explores the breadth of disciplines exhibited by the artists. With music by Meredith Monk, Errollyn Wallen and Charlotte Bray."
      It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

      Comment

      • doversoul1
        Ex Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 7132

        #4
        I thought this sounded somewhat familiar. Having Googled a bit, I’ve found that CoW did go to the colony back in 2010.


        I think the CoW production team did very well to remember the previous series. This new CoW seems to be an inspired choice of the subject / topic. I look forward to listening to the programme.

        Comment

        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 30455

          #5
          Originally posted by doversoul View Post
          I thought this sounded somewhat familiar. Having Googled a bit, I’ve found that CoW did go to the colony back in 2010.


          I think the CoW production team did very well to remember the previous series. This new CoW seems to be an inspired choice of the subject / topic. I look forward to listening to the programme.
          Yes - a lot of well known names, but most of them men on that occasion.

          One work by Bauer - for ferney:

          Allegretto (1st movement) from Concertino for Oboe, Clarinet and Strings, op.32B (1939-43)
          Performer: Ambache Ensemble Naxos 8559253. 2.
          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

          Comment

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