Edward MacDowell: A Study

Description

Lawrence Gilman delivers a definitive legal analysis of Edward MacDowell, tracing the composer's complex legacy through the lens of intellectual property and the evolution of musical copyright. This is not a standard biography; it is a rigorous legal study that examines how the legal framework surrounding musical composition has shaped the public and private perception of MacDowell's work over decades. For law students, legal historians, and musicologists alike, Gilman's study provides a unique intersection of two disciplines. He argues that the legal battles surrounding MacDowell's compositions reveal as much about the development of American copyright law as they do about the composer's own life. The text is meticulous, well-researched, and offers a fresh perspective on a figure often reduced to sentimental portraiture.