Marionettes, Op. 38 Cover Image

Marionettes, Op. 38: Conductor Score & Parts

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Marionettes, Op. 38 Cover Image
Marionettes, Op. 38: Conductor Score & Parts

Marionettes, Op. 38: Conductor Score & Parts

By Edward MacDowell

Item: 36-M181991
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Description
Dedicated to the composers sister-in-law, "Marionettes" is comprised of six short character pieces, along with a prologue and epilogue. 1. Prologue 2. Soubrette 3. Lover 4. Witch 5. Clown 6. Villain 7. Sweetheart 8. Epilogue.

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Additional Details
Series: Master Keyboard Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-63-361758-0
ISBN13: 978-1-63-361758-2
UPC: 660355171772
SKU: 36-M181991
Instrumentation: Piano Solo

More about this title

About the Composer: Edward MacDowell

Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) was an American composer and pianist who bridged Romantic European traditions with distinctly American idioms. His keyboard works reveal a gift for lyrical melody and harmonic sophistication that made his music central to concert life in the late nineteenth century. MacDowell's compositional approach balanced structural clarity with imaginative character portrayal, qualities evident throughout his catalogue of character pieces and larger works.

Why we love this

This suite works beautifully as either a complete performance arc or a collection from which to draw individual selections. The theatrical framing of prologue and epilogue gives MacDowell's character sketches genuine narrative weight, transforming what could be scattered miniatures into a unified statement about musical characterization.

What to expect

The collection moves through a gallery of theatrical archetypes: the sprightly ingénue, the yearning lover, the sinister witch. MacDowell's harmonic palette ranges from diatonic warmth to moments of unexpected chromaticism, and his melodic writing consistently privileges singability even in character pieces designed to surprise or unsettle.

Who it's for

Advanced pianists and serious students who want to explore an essential American keyboard composer. Teachers seeking a suite that combines technical development with genuine interpretive challenge and storytelling opportunity.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape each character piece with distinct tonal color and articulation; Soubrette calls for lightness, while Villain demands heavier touch and darker voicing
  • Treat the prologue and epilogue as bookends that establish emotional space; they should feel inevitable rather than decorative
  • Balance pedal carefully in the character pieces to maintain clarity through MacDowell's rich harmonic language without losing definition

How to use it

Program the full suite as a substantial solo recital work that showcases range and maturity. Alternatively, extract individual pieces for undergraduate juries or studio classes where character work and mood painting matter as much as technical facility.

Skills your students will build

  • Tonal characterization through touch, dynamics, and pedaling
  • Reading and executing MacDowell's chromatic harmonic language
  • Structural awareness across a multi-movement suite
  • Interpretive independence in character pieces without explicit tempo markings
  • Balancing melodic lyricism with underlying harmonic sophistication

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