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And the chief thought is this: that Mr. MacDowell, even when he plays the pianoforte and composes for it, thinks as a rule ot orchestral effects. He is intensely modern ; almost hyper-modern. No doubt as a composer, he has studied and mastered form and knows its value; but he prefers suggestions and hints and dream pictures and sleep-ehas-ings to all attemps to be original in an approved and conventional fashion. Now when ho nlays, these same tendencies are noticeable, lie loves color, and when yesterday he played his own compositions, whether the number was a Prelude unconditioned, absolute, or “The Eagle,” an attempt to put Tennyson’s lines into music. Ids purpose was evident; to give an orchestral performance reduced to the proportions of the pianoforte. And at the same time he is thoroughly artistic, for he so realizes the nature of these proportions that he never offends by pounding and he always remembers that the pianoforte is a cold, shy instrument that needs much coaxing before it will sing. Seeing gorgeous or delicate colors and hearing the voices of orchestral instruments, it is no wonder that Mr. MacDowell is a pianist of rare fascination. It is barely possible that he could not play Scarlatti in the ancient spirit, and he feels at home in the works of the ultra-romantic school. Hut his playing is none the less delightful, and it is a pleasure to meet with a pianist who does not insist upon thumping out the last of the Beethoven Sonatas and the Bach-Tausig Toccata and Fugue.If yesterday there was fault to be found with Mr, Mac*Dowell’s readings, the raised would be merely questions arising from his performance of the two Lisztnumbers.As for his own compositions, from the prelude to the concert etude, they are interesting and more than that, they are extremely characteristic in harmonic coloring. Their size has nothing to do with their merits. A few lines by Gautier stuffed with prismatic words and yet as vague as mist-wreaths may in artistic worth surpass whole cantos of more famous poets; ami Mr. MacDowell has Gautier’s sense of color and knowledge of thelower of suggestion*The second of these recitals will be given Friday afternoon, Jan. If). The programme will include several works of the new Russian school, and to all students and lovers of music this recital will without doubt be extremely valuable and interesting.Philip IIale.questions of taste
Newspaper Details
Boston Post
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Sat, Nov 07, 1891
Page 4
Full Page
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Library O.
DC, USA 28 Jun 2023
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