A Performance Edition of the Fourth Movement of the Niagara Symphony, Op. 62, by George Frederick Bristow (1825-1898)

Abstract

George Frederick Bristow (1825-1898) was a prominent American instrumental performer, teacher, conductor, and composer working in New York City in the mid-nineteenth century. His compositions provide valuable insight into the musical life of New York at that time, and into the development of American music. Presently, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts holds a wealth of manuscripts of his work, and very little of it has been published. Bristow's Niagara Symphony, Op. 62, was composed in 1893 and received its first performance under the baton of the composer shortly before his death in 1898, and represents the culmination of his compositional output. The symphony is divided by Bristow into two large parts of equal duration: the first part consists of three movements scored for orchestra only, and the second part is a multi-section cantata for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. I have here created a critical edition of the fourth movement of George Frederick Bristow's Niagara Symphony that faithfully and accurately represents the composer's intentions. I also provide here a meticulous recounting and justification of my editorial decisions, a thorough analysis of the work including an examination of compositional influences, and a discussion of performance considerations. This completion of a modern performing edition of the fourth movement of the Niagara Symphony is intended to help make the work of George Frederick Bristow more widely known, and to help scholars, performers, and audiences grasp our own American musical heritage.