George Whitefield Chadwick [1854-1931]

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Along with Amy Beach,  John Knowles Paine, Arthur Foote, Edward MacDowell, and Horatio Parker, Chadwick was part of the "Boston Six," sometimes called the Second School of New England composers.  A musical multi-biography published in 1914 when he was still alive by Hughes and Elson states:

- One of the most sophisticated, and, at the same time, most eclectic of native music-makers, is George W. Chadwick, to whom the general consent of authorities would grant a place among the very foremost of the foremost American composers.
His reputation rests chiefly on his two symphonies, a number of concert overtures, and many pieces of chamber-music, which are much praised. Chadwick was born at Lowell, Mass., November 13, 1854. His parents were American, and it was not till 1877, after studying with Eugene Thayer in Boston, and teaching music in the college at Olivet, Mich., that Chadwick studied for two years at Leipzig, under Jadassohn and Reinecke, and later at Munich for a year under Rheinberger. In 1880 he returned to America and settled in Boston, where he has since lived, as organist, teacher, and conductor, an important figure in the town's musical life.
Among his few works for the piano, are "Six Characteristic Pieces" (op. 7). The "Reminiscence of Chopin" is an interesting and skilful chain of partial themes and suggestions from Chopin. The "fitude" is a monotonous study in a somewhat Schumannesque manner, with a graceful finish. The "Congratulation" is a cheerful bagatelle; the "Irish Melody" is sturdy, simple, and fetching ; but the "Scherzino" is a hard bit of humor with Beethoven mannerisms lacking all the master's unction.
The opus ends with an unfortunate composition inexcusably titled "Please Do."
There are two bright "Caprices" and three excellent waltzes, of which the third is the best. It is a dreamy, tender work on a theme by "B. J. L.," which refers, I presume, to Mr. B. J. Lang.
Chadwick has done a vast amount of part-song writing. His " Lovely Rosabelle " is for chorus and orchestra, and is marked with many original effects. His "Reiterlied" is superbly joyful. A setting of Lewis Carroll's immortal "Jabberwocky" shows much rich humor of the college glee-club sort. There is an irresistibly humorous episode where the instrument of destruction goes "snicker snack," and a fine hilarity ...
His principal works, besides those mentioned, may be catalogued (I am unable to do more than catalogue most of them, having seen only one of them, "The Lily
Nymph," performed, and having read the score of the only Melpomene overture):
Concert overtures, " Rip Van Winkle "
(written in Leipzig, 1879, and played there the
same year), "Thalia" (1883), "Melpomene"
(1887), "The Miller's Daughter" (1887), and
"Adonais" (in memory of a friend, 1899);
Symphonies, in C (1882), in B (1885); an
Andante for string orchestra (1884), and numerous pieces of chamber-music. In the case of the cantata, "The Lily Nymph,"
Chadwick's art was quite futilized by the superb inanities of the book he used. The "Melpomene" is a work of infinitely more specific gravity. It is one of the most important of American orchestral works. As his "Thalia" was an "overture to an
imaginary comedy," so this, to an imaginary tragedy. It has been played by the Boston Symphony and many other orchestras. It has that definiteness of mood with that indefiniteness of circumstance in which music wins its most dignified prosperity.
Of those who continue careers already famous, Chadwick, ... has perhaps been most active in the large forms. His two classical overtures, to Melpomene and Thalia, have found a companion in the more recent " Euterpe " Overture. This is a work of bright and pleasing style, not striking the deeper note of the "Melpomene" Overture, but evidently not intended to do so. A more pathetic threnody is the "Adonais" Overture, brought out in 1900, and endowed with the adjective "Elegiac."  -

Chadwick was an important teacher (William Grant Still was a pupil) and conductor.  He was awarded many honors in his lifetime, including honorary degrees from Yale and Tufts College and the Academy of Arts and Letters bestowed a gold medal on him.  He also produced/directed several music festivals in the U.S.  A superb organist, he held the post at Boston's South Congregational Church for almost two decades.

Some musicologists feel his music was in decline in the last eight years of his life, but that's not a universal view and some of the late piano works are quite good.  Chadwick was an academic, outspoken and somewhat gruff, giving a comparison to Brahms' personality. However, although German trained, his music is thoroughly American. Forgotten during the modernist trends of the first half of the 20th century, his music is now of considerable interest and a good deal of it has been recorded and available - although sometimes erroneously under the title of Charles Whitefield Chadwick, a bizarre mistake.  George Whitefield Chadwick: The Life and Music of the Pride of New England by Bill F. Faucett is the most recent complete biography.

Orchestral
Rip Van Winkle, ov., 1879;
Sym. no.1, C, 1881;
Thalia, ov., 1882;
Sym. no.2, B, 1883–5;
The Miller's Daughter, ov., 1886;
Melpomene, dramatic ov., 1887;
Pastorale Prelude, 1890;
Serenade, F, str, 1890;
Sym. no.3, F, 1893–4;
Tabasco March, band/orch, 1894;
Symphonic Sketches, suite, A, 1895–1904;
Adonais, ov., 1899
Euterpe, ov., 1903;
Cleopatra, sym. poem, 1904;
Sinfonietta, D, 1904;
Suite symphonique, E, 1905–9;
Theme, Variations and Fugue, org, orch, 1908;
Aphrodite, sym. fantasy, 1910–11;
Tam O'Shanter, sym. ballad, 1914–15;
Angel of Death, sym. poem, 1917–18;
Elegy, 1920; Anniversary Ov., ?1922;
3 pezzi, 1923

Chamber
String Quartet no.1, g, ?1877;
String Quartet no.2, C, 1878;
String Quartet no.3, D, 1885;
Piano Quintet, E, 1887;
String Quartet no.4, e, 1896;
String Quartet no.5, d, 1898
Eastern Morn, for violin/cello & piano/organ   (1914)

Piano
6 Characteristic Pieces (1882)
Aphrodite, piano 4-hands  1887
2 Caprices   1888
3 Waltzes  (1890)
Melpomene, piano 4-hands  1890
Chanson orientale (1892)
3 Pieces for Children (1.Ye Robin 2.Evening Prayer 3.Diddle-Diddle Dumpling) 1895
Nocturne in Db (1895)
10 Little Tunes for Ten Little Friends (1903)
5 Pieces  (1. The Frogs 2. In The Canoe 3. The Rill 4. In The Gloaming 5. Irish Melody (1905)
The Aspen (1924)
Novelette II    (1928)      
Second Book of Piano Pieces    (1928)   
The Footlight Fairy   (incomplete)  1928   
3 Preludes and Fugues  (1928)

Organ
Four Canons for the Organ (1876)      
4 movements. Three of the movements are lost.
Ten Canonical Studies  (1885)
3 Pieces/Compositions  (1890)
Pastorale in Eb  (1895)
Requiem  (1895)
Canzonetta in G  (1895)
Elegy (in memoriam H. Parker)  (1920)
Suite in Variation Form  (1923)
March Ecossaise
In Tadaussac Church 1735  (1926)
Theme, Variations and Fugue (1908)

choral-orchestal
Dedication Ode (H.B. Carpenter), S, A, T, B, SATB, orch, 1883; Noël (Boston, 1888); Lovely Rosabelle (W. Scott), S, T, SATB, orch, 1889; The Pilgrims (F.D. Hemans), SATB, orch, 1890; Phoenix expirans (cant., Lat. hymn), S, A, T, B, SATB, orch, 1891; Ode for the Opening of the Chicago World's Fair (H. Monroe), S, T, SATB, wind ens, orch, 1892; The Lily Nymph (Bates), S, T, B, B, SATB, orch, 1894–5; Ecce jam noctis (J.G. Parker, after St Gregory), male vv, org, orch, 1897; Noël (various texts), pastoral, solo vv, SATB, orch, 1907–8; 37 anthems; 19 choruses, male vv; 20 choruses, female vv

stage
The Peer and the Pauper (comic operetta, 2, R. Grant), 1884, unperf.
A Quiet Lodging (operetta, 2, A. Bates), Boston, 1 April 1892
Tabasco (burlesque op, 2, R.A. Barnet), 1893–4, Boston, Tremont, 29 Jan 1894 [uses material from The Peer and The Pauper]
Judith (lyric drama, 3, W.C. Langdon, after scenario by Chadwick), concert perf., Worcester, MA, 23 Sept 1901
Everywoman (incid music, W. Browne), New York, Herald Square, 1911
The Padrone (tragic op, 2, D. Stevens, after scenario by Chadwick), 1912, unperf.
Love's Sacrifice (pastoral op, 1, Stevens), 1916–17, Chicago, 1 Feb 1923 [partly orchd by Chadwick's students]

a number of songs
1v, orch: Lochinvar (W. Scott), Bar, orch, 1896; A Ballad of Trees and the Master (S. Lanier), low/medium v, orch, 1899, version for 1v, pf; Aghadoe (ballad, J. Todhunter), A, orch, 1910; The Curfew (H. Longfellow), low/medium v, orch, ?1914; The Voice of Philomel (D. Stevens), ?1914; The Fighting Men (M.A. DeWolfe Howe) (1918); Joshua (humorous song, R.D. Ware), ?1919; Drake's Drum (H. Newbold), low/medium v, orch, ?1920
1v, pf: 128 songs incl. 6 Songs, op.14 (Boston, 1885) [incl. The Danza (A. Bates)]; 3 Ballads (Boston, 1889); Bedouin Love Song (B. Taylor) (Boston, 1890); 12 Songs of Brittany (Bates), arr. and harmonized (Boston, 1890); A Flower Cycle (Bates), 12 songs (Boston, 1892); [12] Lyrics from Told in the Gate (Boston, Bates) (1897); 4 Irish Songs (Boston, 1910); 5 Songs (Stevens) (New York, 1914); 3 Nautical Songs (Ware, H. Newbolt, A. Conan Doyle) (Boston, 1920)

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several of the orchestral works and songs

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I wish Dutton would record more of Chadwick's music.

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Very well recorded - great sound.

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^ contains the tone poem Angel of Death

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^ contains a transcription for band for "Jubilee" from Symphonic Sketches