[Gutenberg 13767] • Edward MacDowell / His Work and Ideals

Text extracted from opening pages of book: EDWARD MACDOWELL $ HIS WORK AND IDEALS % ELIZABETH FRY PAGE WITH POETICAL INTERPRE TATIONS BY THE AUTHOR NEW YORK DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY 220 EAST TWEOTY-THIRD STREET Copyright, 1910, by DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY MRS. ALINE REESE BLONDNER Founder cmd Honorary President qfihe MacDomsll Clvb Tetmeuee V g0.> PUBUC UBRARV 6955182. CONTENTS PREFACE 9 EDWARD MACDOWELL His Work and Ideals 13 POETICAL INTERPRETATIONS To MacDowell 61 A. D. 1620 63 Song - 65 In Deep Woods 66 Shadow Dance 68 At an Old Trysting-Place 71 To a Water Lily 73 Told at Sunset 75 To a Wild Rose 78 The Spirit Call 80 A Deserted Farm 82 In Memoriam 85 PREFACE HpHIS is not merely an appreciation of Edward HacDowell as a man and a composer, but a study of the influences and natural endowments that combined to produce his style, a comparison of his work with that of others who achieved fame in other branches of the fine arts, all of which he felt were closely allied and supplemental, and a glance at his ideals and their evolution at Peterboro. Most of his compositions are written around some poetic idea and are so sug gestive and appealing to the imagination that in studying them the native poetic fancy is easily aroused; but the full effect is lost to the casual hearer who is not familiar with the theme. The accom panying poems are interpretations of some of Ms best-known piano numbers, PREFACE based upon the briefly indicated poetic idea upon which they are founded, rein forced by a careful intellectual study of each composition and its appeal to the individual creative faculty of the author. The sonnet to MacDowell was written at the beginning of the two darkened years precedinghis death, when he forgot that there was such a thing as music. A. D. 1620 and Song are from the Sea Pieces. The former describes the sailing of the galleon bearing the Pilgrim Fathers to America. The Song, which is distinctly Irish in its melody, seems to me to be sung by a lad on board the galleon, who sings and whistles to keep up the courage of his fellow-pilgrims, there by forgetting his own pain. The Shadow Dance is written three notes to two, and this difficult musical form is represented by the three shadows danc-10 PREFACE ing before two people. A Deserted Farm is a lyric description of the now beautiful Hill Crest as he found it. The Spirit Call is suggested by the Celtic vein of mystery and haunting sadness pervading most of the MacDowell music. The sonnet To a Wild Rose was in spired by a rumor from the musician's sick room that his night had passed and he would recover; but this was a false hope, and it was not long until he was sleeping on a green hill-side at Peterboro, his resting-place, in the grandeur of its simplicity, suggesting the modest, child hearted, nature-loving man who had passed on beyond earth's discord. The other poems in this little collection speak for themselves, and all are offered as a handful of rosemary to one who ever barkened to the simplest strain. E. F. P* 11