Collection number: MC 15
Size: 4 boxes
(1.33 cu.ft.)
About Edward MacDowell
Edward Alexander MacDowell (1860-1908) was the first American composer to achieve international recognition. Born in New York City in 1860, MacDowell studied music as a child and travelled to France at the age of 15 to begin a nine year residence in Europe. He returned to the United States in June of 1884 to marry Marian Nevins. Praised for his compositions as well as for his piano playing ability, MacDowell was a popular figure throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s. In fact, he was described by some of his contemporaries as “the greatest musical genius America has produced.” In 1896, Columbia University offered MacDowell a job as as Professor of Music and he taught there for eight years, resigning in 1904 due to philosophical disagreements with the faculty. By 1905, MacDowell suffered from what was diagnosed as “nervous exhaustion,” an ailment that resulted in complete “cerebral collapse.” He died in 1908 at the age of forty-six.
The MacDowell Colony of Peterborough NH, established by Marian MacDowell soon after her husband’s death, was the “amazing realization of the composer’s dream of an ideal environment for creative work in Music, Art and Literature.”
About the Edward MacDowell Papers
The Edward MacDowell Papers primarily contains musical works by MacDowell in both manuscript and printed form. However, the collection also includes correspondence from Robert MacDowell to his mother, a notebook, a sketchbook, letters from Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, magazine articles and newspaper clippings, information about the MacDowell Colony, photographs, and a scrapbook commemorating Peterborough’s celebration of Mrs. Marian MacDowell’s 95th birthday.
See also: Porte, John F., Edward MacDowell: A Great American Tone Poet His Life and Music, London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co., 1922.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], [Folder number], [Box number], Edward MacDowell Papers, 1880-1967, MC 15, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Donated: Mrs. Robert Manton, 1972 (Accession number: 021, 051)
Related Material
See audio and printed holdings of Edward MacDowell works at the UNH Library
Collection Contents
Series 1: Correspondence
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Edward MacDowell to his mother, 1880-1901 | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1929-1931 | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1940-1948 | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1949-1950 | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1951-1952 | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1953-1954 | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, with Christmas cards, n.d.Miscellaneous, “M.M. from R.T.,” 1955-1956, 1945 | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | Miscellaneous, “M.M. from R.T.,” 1945 | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | Miscellaneous letters to Robert Manton, 1948-1967 | |
Series 2: Manuscripts
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 10 | Notebook, personal notes of Edward MacDowell | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | Sketchbook: early musical sketches by Edward MacDowell, including a number of "Easy Etudes" and what became No.1 of Op. 40 | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | Unidentified fragment with an Edward Lear drawing and limerick, n.d. | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | UNH speech bestowing an Honorary Master of Arts to Marian MacDowell, 1928 | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | Unidentified copy of a Thomas Bailey Aldrich poem, n.d. | |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | Hale, Philip, “Edward MacDowell,” handwritten manuscript, 1908 | |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | “Roland Symphony,” xerox copy, n.d. | |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | “Indian Suite (Love Song),” n.d. | |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | “American Indian Themes. Lower One Basis of `In War Time’ No. 3 of the Indian Suite,” n.d. | |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | “Sketch of the `Legend’, Indian Suite,”n.d. | |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | “Midsummer Clouds,” Op. 54 No. 2,n.d. | |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | “Roland Symphony,” Op. 30, 1891 | |
Series 3: Miscellaneous
| Box 2, Folder 6 | Scrapbook, “Marian MacDowell Day", August 15, 1952 | |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Eyeglasses, Marian MacDowell [broken] | |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | Microfilm, printed works of Edward MacDowell, n.d. | |
| Box 2, Folder 9 | Pageant of Peterborough program 1910 and 1913 | |
| Box 2, Folder 10 | Pageant of Peterborough program 1919 |
Series 4: Published Music of Edward MacDowell
| Box 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 3, Folder 1 | Op. 14. “Zweite moderne Suite.” Second modern Suite. Deuxieme Suite moderne….fur Pianoforte zu 2 Handen bearbeitet von Ludwig Klee. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Hartel c.1883, 1911 | |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | Op. 21. “Erster Abend Das Hindumadchen, n.d. | |
| Box 3, Folder 3 | Op. 23, no. 2 in D minor. Piano concerto. ” `Benedick,’ a sketch for the scherzo from the Second Concerto for Pianoforte….” New York: Edward MacDowell Association, 1947 | |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | Op. 25. “Lancelot and Elaine.” Zweite symphonische Dichtung nach Tennyson fur grosses Orchester. [Arrangement] Clavierauszug 4 Handen von Componisten…Breslau: J Hainauer, New York: G. Schirmer, c.1888 | |
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Op. 26. “From an Old Garden.” Six songs. Verses by Margaret Deland. New York: G. Schirmer, c.1887 | |
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Op. 32. “Vier kleine Poesien.” Four little poems. Für pianoforte zu zwei Handen. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Hartel, c.1906 | |
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Op. 36. “Etude de concert.” For pianoforte. Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1889 | |
| Box 3, Folder 8 | Op. 38. “Marionettes. Eight little pianoforte pieces.” Boston: New York: A.P. Schmidt, c. 1929 | |
| Box 3, Folder 9 | Op. 39. “12 Etudes for the development of technic and style.” Boston, New York: A.P. Schmidt, c. 1918 | |
| Box 3, Folder 10 | Op. 48. “Zweite (indianische) Suite…fur Pianoforte zu 4 Handen bearbeitet von Otto Taubman.” Leipzig: Breitkopf and Hartel c. 1905 | |
| Box 3, Folder 11 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Piccolo I, Flauto I, Flauto II. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 12 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Oboe I and II, Clarinet I and II, Clarinet in Bb I and II. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 13 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Fagotto I, Bassoon II, Horn in F I, II, and III. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 14 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Horn in F IV, Trumpet in Bb I and II, Trombone I. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 15 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Trombone I, II, and III, Tuba, Timpani. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 16 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Violin I. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 17 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Violin II. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 18 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Viola. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 19 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Cello. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 20 | Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Basso I. New York: Kalmus | |
| Box 3, Folder 21 | Op. 52, no. 3. “The Crusaders,” three choruses for male voices. Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt, 2 copies,c. 1899 | |
| Box 3, Folder 22 | Op. 59. “4th Sonata (Keltic) for Pianoforte.” Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt, c.1901 | |
| Box 3, Folder 23 | “Two Songs from the Thirteenth Century, No. l.” New York: P.L.Jung, c.1897 | |
| Box 3, Folder 24 | “Six Fancies for the Piano: A Tin Soldier’s Love,” by Edgar Thorn (pseudonym for Edward MacDowell) Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt, c.1926 | |
| Box 3, Folder 25 | "Transcriptions for the Organ from the Works of Edward MacDowell, Series I.” London: Elkin, c.1926 | |
| Box 3, Folder 26 | “Transcriptions for the Organ from the Works of Edward Mac Dowell, Second Series.” Arranged by C. Charlton Palmer. London: Elkin, c.1926 | |
| Box 3, Folder 27 | “To A Wild Rose.” New York: Carl Fisher, 1953 | |
Series 5: Published Material About the MacDowells
| Box 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 4, Folder 1 | Adams, Mrs. Crosby. “What the Piano Writings of Edward MacDowell Mean to the Piano Student,” 1913 | |
| Box 4, Folder 2 | “All-American Catalogue of Contemporary Music,” n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 3 | Brown, Rollo Walter. “Mrs. MacDowell and Her Colony,” The Atlantic, 1949 | |
| Box 4, Folder 4 | Currier, T.P. “Edward MacDowell As I Knew Him,” The Musical Quarterly, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 5 | Hagedorn, Hermann. “The Peterborough Colony,” n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 6 | “The Joy of Autumn,” Op. 62, [magazine clipping] n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 7 | MacDowell, Edward, newspaper clippings, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 8 | MacDowell, Marian, newspaper clippings, 1937-1967 | |
| Box 4, Folder 9 | McDowell, Marian. An Autobiographical Sketch, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 10 | McDowell, Marian. “The First Twenty Years of the MacDowell Colony,” 1951 | |
| Box 4, Folder 11 | MacDowell, Marian. “A Piano Recital of MacDowell Music,” n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 12 | “The MacDowell Birthday Parties: A Report,” 1953 | |
| Box 4, Folder 13 | The MacDowell Colony, pamphlet and information, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 14 | “In Memoriam: Edward MacDowell,” Musical America, February 25, 1929 | |
| Box 4, Folder 15 | “Symphonizing MacDowell,” Newsweek, March 3, 1947 | |
| Box 4, Folder 16 | “Pilot on the Glory Road,” Readers’ Digest, October 1937 | |
| Box 4, Folder 17 | Schmidt, Arthur P. “Edward MacDowell” and Compositions by Edward MacDowell,” n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 18 | Sinclair, Upton. “MacDowell,” The American Mercury, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 19 | United States Postal Service. Stamp, Edward MacDowell, [2 first day issues], 1940 | |
Series 6: Photographs and Postcards
| Box 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 4, Folder 20 | Edward MacDowell, 7 images all undated | |
| Box 4, Folder 21 | “To Mrs. Marian MacDowell,” 1949 | |
| Box 4, Folder 22 | MacDowell Colony, photographs, n.d. | |
| Box 4, Folder 23 | MacDowell Colony, postcards, n.d. | |
Edward MacDowell
