To A Wild Rose
by Edward MacDowell
arr. by Michèle Sharik
Described by some of his contemporaries as "the greatest musical genius America has produced", Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) was the first American composer to achieve international recognition. Famous for his piano playing ability as well as his compositional skills, he was a popular figure throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s. After his death in 1908 from "cerebral collapse" brought on by "nervous exhaustion", his wife Marian established The MacDowell Colony of Peterborough, NH, which is the oldest artists' colony in the United States.
MacDowell's best-loved work,
To A Wild Rose, was first published in 1896 and reflects a simple freshness inspired by the sights and sounds of New England.
To A Wild Rose