D PIANOFORTE.

_First Published_, 1898 (P.L. Jung. Later assigned to Arthur P.
Schmidt).

1. _Long Ago, Sweetheart Mine._

2. _The Swan Bent Low to the Lily._

3. _A Maid Sings Light._

4. _As the Gloaming Shadows Creep._

This is a very beautiful group of songs, made from the best of
the composer's artistic material. They are of pure and uncommonly
high quality, expressing happiness, tenderness and irresistible
charm. The verses of each are the composer's own, those of the
last number being after Frauenlob.

1. _Long Ago_ (_Simply, with pathos_). This song has a sadness
and tenderness which, together with its words, give it an
irresistible appeal. The scene it suggests is that of an elderly
couple, for whom life is drawing to a close, recalling the
far-off days when their undying love for each other commenced.
The expression of the music is very human and free from any
commonplace sentiment.

2. _The Swan Bent Low to the Lily_ (_With much feeling_). This
song is an exquisite and charming little lyric.

3. _A Maid Sings Light_ (_Brightly, archly_). This song has a
captivating delightfulness and warns off a lad, lest he lose his
heart to the fair maid who not only sings light, but loves light.

4. _As the Gloaming Shadows Creep_ (_Tenderly_). This is one of
MacDowell's finest songs. The words are "after Frauenlob," and
were used previously by the composer in _As the Gloaming Shadows
Creep_ in _Songs from the Thirteenth Century_ (without opus
number) _for Male Chorus_. The music is very tender and beautiful
in expression, and these qualities atone for the fact that the
song does not always show a perfect alliance between words and
music; its chief merit is in the outstanding quality of the
latter.

_Long Ago_ and _A Maid Sings Light_ form one of the gramophone
records made for "His Master's Voice" series by Alma Gluck. This
lyric soprano has sung the two MacDowell songs with sympathy and
perfect phrasing. The accompaniments were played by a Mr.
Bourdon, who unfortunately disregarded the composer's tone and
legato indications.

OPUS 57. THIRD SONATA, NORSE, IN D MINOR, FOR PIANOFORTE.

_First Published_, 1900 (Arthur P. Schmidt).

1. _Impressively; at times with impetuous vigour._

2. _Mournfully, yet with great tenderness._

3. _With much character and fire._

The two last sonatas, the _Norse, Op. 57_, and, the _Keltic, Op.
59_, are MacDowell's most superb achievements, banishing