Edward MacDowell, Çalışmaları ve İdeal'leri - Edward MacDowell, His Work and Ideals

E-text prepared by David Newman, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project

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EDWARD MACDOWELL

His Work and Ideals

ELIZABETH FRY PAGE

With Poetical Interpretations by the Author

New York

Dedicated to MRS. ALINE REESE BLONDNER

Founder and Honorary President of the MacDowell Club of Nashville,
Tennessee.

PREFACE

EDWARD MACDOWELL
His Work and Ideals

POETICAL INTERPRETATIONS

  To MacDowell
  A. D. 1620
  Song
  In Deep Woods
  Shadow Dance
  At an Old Trysting-Place
  To a Water Lily
  Told at Sunset
  To a Wild Rose
  The Spirit Call
  A Deserted Farm
  In Memoriam

PREFACE

This is not merely an appreciation of Edward MacDowell as a man and acomposer, but a study of the influences and natural endowments thatcombined to produce his style, a comparison of his work with that ofothers who achieved fame in other branches of the fine arts, all ofwhich he felt were closely allied and supplemental, and a glance athis ideals and their evolution at Peterboro.

Most of his compositions are written around some poetic idea and areso suggestive and appealing to the imagination that in studying themthe native poetic fancy is easily aroused; but the full effect is lostto the casual hearer who is not familiar with the theme. Theaccompanying poems are interpretations of some of his best-known pianonumbers, based upon the briefly indicated poetic idea upon which theyare founded, reinforced by a careful intellectual study of eachcomposition and its appeal to the individual creative faculty of theauthor.

The sonnet to MacDowell was written at the beginning of the twodarkened years preceding his death, when he forgot that there was sucha thing as music.

"A.D. 1620" and "Song" are from the "Sea Pieces." The former describesthe sailing of the galleon bearing the Pilgrim Fathers to America. The"Song," which is distinctly Irish in its melody, seems to me to besung by a lad on board the galleon, who sings and whistles to keep upthe courage of his fellow-pilgrims, thereby forgetting his own pain.

The "Shadow Dance" is written three notes to two, and this difficultmusical form is represented by the three shadows dancing before twopeople. "A Deserted Farm" is a lyric description of the now beautiful"Hill Crest" as he found it. "The Spirit Call" is suggested by theCeltic vein of mystery and haunting sadness pervading most of theMacDowell music.

The sonnet "To a Wild Rose" was inspired by a rumor from themusician'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 sleepingon a green hill-side at Peterboro, his resting-place, in the grandeurof its simplicity, suggesting the modest, child-hearted, nature-lovingman who had passed on beyond earth's discord.

The other poems in this little collection speak for themselves, andall are offered as a handful of rosemary to one who ever harkened tothe simplest strain.—E.F.P.