To a Wild Rose is the most popular piece in American composer Edward MacDowell's (1860-1908) well-known piano suite Woodland Sketches, Op. 51 (1896). Its simple, unassuming character portrays a pretty wild rose that one might encounter in the woods. Less elegant than their suburban garden cousins, the loveliness of wild rose blossoms is short-lived, fragrant and undisciplined. With this in mind, Stockton rejuvenated MacDowell's piano piece with a fresh orchestration featuring a lush string sound within younger musicians' capabilities. Instrumentation Violin I (divisi) up to 5th position; an optional ossia (the top voice down 1 octave) remains in 1st position Violin II Viola Violoncello (divisi) Contrabass (or bass cues in cello part). |
