Classics for the Advancing Pianist: Edward MacDowell, Book 2 Cover Image

Classics for the Advancing Pianist: Edward MacDowell, Book 2: Piano Book

$8.99 USD

Classics for the Advancing Pianist: Edward MacDowell, Book 2: Piano Book

Name: Classics for the Advancing Pianist: Edward MacDowell, Book 2: Piano Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-44647
Price: 8.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Late Intermediate to Early Advanced Repertoire

By Edward MacDowell / ed. Nancy Bachus

Level: Late Intermediate / Early Advanced

Item: 00-44647

$8.99

Shipped

One moment…

The Classics for the Advancing Pianist series provides motivating, enjoyable literature of substantial quality for developing keyboard artists. The pieces in these books, written by Edward MacDowell and ordered in a logical progression from volume to volume, help the performer work within his or her abilities while developing playing and listening skills. This standard teaching repertoire will help build technique and musicianship, as well as offer hours of personal enjoyment. Titles: The Brook, Op. 32, No. 2 * Hungarian, Op. 39, No. 12 * Improvisation, Op. 46, No. 4 * Scotch Poem, Op. 31, No. 2 * Shadow Dance, Op. 39, No. 8 * Sung Outside the Prince's Door, Op. 4, No. 1 * To a Water Lily, Op. 51, No. 6 * To an Old White Pine, Op. 62, No. 7. A Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Classics for the Advancing Pianist: Edward MacDowell, Book 2: Piano Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

No sample audio found.

No sample videos found.

Series: Classics for the Advancing Pianist

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 36

ISBN10: 1-4706-2699-3

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-2699-0

UPC: 038081506562

SKU: 00-44647

More about this title

About the Composer: Edward MacDowell

Edward MacDowell (1860–1908) stands as one of the most important American composers of the Romantic era and a towering figure in American music education. A virtuoso pianist who studied in Europe under leading masters, MacDowell brought European Romantic idioms home and shaped them into a distinctly American voice, drawing inspiration from folk melodies, nature imagery, and literary themes. His pedagogical instincts were as strong as his compositional gifts; he believed that serious, artistically substantial music should be within reach of developing students, and his works for intermediate pianists demonstrate this philosophy with uncommon grace.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

MacDowell's gift for miniature form shines in this collection. Each piece is complete in itself yet demands real musicianship: genuine harmonic language, sensitive pedal work, and interpretive nuance that mirrors repertoire pianists will encounter at higher levels. The variety of mood and character across eight pieces means students stay engaged while building a coherent recital or festival program.

What to expect

These pieces evoke a world of intimate landscape painting and refined emotion. From the gentle water imagery of "To a Water Lily" to the rhythmic vitality of "Hungarian," MacDowell creates atmospheric worlds that reward sustained listening and careful pedal work. There's a Romantic sensibility here that feels both nostalgic and deeply personal.

Who it's for

Late intermediate to early advanced pianists who are ready for authentic Romantic literature with real harmonic and technical substance. Students preparing for recitals, festival competitions, or college auditions will find pieces that develop both technical facility and interpretive maturity.

How to get the most out of it

Attend to the poetry in each piece's title and program. MacDowell's pieces are never purely abstract; finding the evocative content behind titles like "To a Water Lily" or "Shadow Dance" will inform your phrasing and touch.
Balance harmonic richness with clarity. MacDowell's Romantic harmony can blur without precise pedal work and a willingness to let individual voices breathe; experiment with half-pedal and rhythmic pedal changes rather than holding the pedal throughout longer harmonic progressions.
Shape phrases with a pianist's line, not a vocalist's line. MacDowell writes the melody across the staff with sophisticated accompaniment underneath; resist the urge to make the melody sit too far above the texture.

How to use it

Program these pieces in thematic groups within a longer recital to let their contrasting moods unfold naturally. Several pieces work particularly well for festival competitions in the late intermediate division. A student might open a program with "The Brook" and close with "To a Water Lily," bookending the recital with water imagery, or build a program around the character pieces with titles drawn from nature and folklore.