Witches' dance = Hexentanz : op. 17, no. 2
Dance · in B♭ minor · Op. 17 No. 2
Edward MacDowell 1860–1908
B♭ minor
Key
Dance
Form
Presto
Tempo
Op. 17 No. 2
Catalogue
Score
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Themes & character
Virtuoso showpiece·Supernatural imagery·Rapid light staccato·Composed 1884
At a glance
- Catalogue
- Op. 17 No. 2
- Key
- B♭ minor
- Tempo / character
- Presto
- Form
- Dance
About the piece
Composed in 1884 while MacDowell was studying and working in Germany, the Witches' Dance became one of his signature concert pieces and a favorite encore.
It demands rapid, feather-light staccato across a scampering perpetual-motion texture, conjuring a swarm of witches in flight. Alongside To a Wild Rose it is the MacDowell piece most likely to still be heard in recital today.
The composer
Edward MacDowell
1860–1908
Edward Alexander MacDowell was an American composer and pianist of the late Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites Woodland Sketches, Sea Pieces and New England Idylls. Woodland Sketches includes his most popular short piece, "To a Wild Rose". In 1904 he was one of the first seven Americans honored by membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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