Neglected Gems

Macdowell's Piano Sonatas are a challenge for a virtuoso - and the musical ideas may not be worth the effort to surmount the technical obstacles.

The shorter pieces, however, will delight any amateur pianist. The "Sea Pieces" are stunningly evocative and make the most of a grand piano's sonorities. The "Woodland Sketches" was arguably the most popular collection of piano music in the United States for the first two decades of the twentieth century. Avoiding an overly sentimental approach to these pieces is essential allows MacDowell's compositional genius to shine.

The other collections are equally worthwhile. Some of the pieces are whimsical, some profound and some are downright odd, such as the quirky "Of Salamanders"...

The Dover Edition, as usual, is first class.