3. At an Old Trysting-place (Somewhat quaintly; not too sentimentally). This is the shortest piece of the set, and is only thirty bars long. It is cramped into one page in the current edition of the sketches. The melody is tender, undulating and expressive and is supported by full but always clear chords, with typical modulations. The broadness of the chord writing, together with the general tone of the piece as a whole, seems to call for orchestral colouring and foreshadows MacDowell's most advanced period. As a whole, it is contemplative, expressing the wistfulness of one who stands at a quiet place, musing on bygone meetings there.
4. In Autumn (Buoyantly, almost exuberantly). MacDowell threw an irresistible joyous excitement into this piece (as he did later in the superb The Joy of Autumn, from New England Idyls, Op. 62). In Autumn opens with a brisk staccato theme, followed by little chromatic runs which seem to suggest the whistling of the wind through the tree-tops. A middle section brings a complete change of mood, as if questioning the elements. A mysterious and fanciful little passage leads to a resumption of the opening joy of existence. In short, this piece is most exhilarating, and pulsates with life and with an exuberance that is most infectious.
5. From an Indian Lodge (Sternly, with great emphasis). This is as strong and impressive a piece as MacDowell ever composed for the pianoforte. From the first bar the note of the stern stolidity of the Red man is struck. The rude, elemental power of the bare octaves of the introductory bars is unmistakable. The ensuing stolid oration, punctuated by emotionless grunts, is an ingenious musical sketch of a pow-wow scene in an Indian wigwam. The piece closes with a reminiscence of the last part of the introduction, first softly and then very loudly, the final chords being of orchestral-like sonority. The whole composition is one of the best in the set for showing MacDowell's ability to create atmosphere. The scene of the Indian lodge is unmistakable.
6. To a Water-lily (In dreamy, swaying rhythm). This is a remarkable little piece of lyrical tone painting. It is in the key of F sharp major, and is mostly played on the black keys. Its chords are rich and, except in the short middle section, scored on three staves, yet always with an effect of the utmost lightness of poise. The piece is vividly suggestive of a water-lily floating delicately on quiet water, but in the questioning little middle section something seems to disturb the water, and for a moment the flower rocks uneasily. The opening theme returns and the piece ends with the utmost delicacy of effect. To a Water-lily is generally admitted to be one of the most exquisite and perfect lyrics MacDowell ever composed for the pianoforte.
7. From Uncle Remus (With much humour; joyously). American youngsters delight in the negro tales of "Uncle Remus," and this piece opens with an unbridled joviality that continues to the end. There is a wealth of jolly humour that is delightfully frank and infectious without being commonplace. It is rich and real, with a breadth that was a captivating feature of MacDowell's personal sense of humour.
8. A Deserted Farm (With deep feeling). A deeper note is struck in this piece, the opening theme being very grave. Later a wistful tenderness comes over the whole, but the grave melody returns and in this mood the piece ends. The whole atmosphere of it is one of loneliness, and, except for a sonorous bar or two, its expression is subdued. It gives an impression of the quiet that hangs around an old country home long since deserted, where human life once existed with all its joys and sorrows.
9. By a Meadow Brook (Gracefully, merrily). This goes bubbling and sparkling along, now swirling round a little rock, now running over a little waterfall, but always going merrily on until softer and softer grows the tonality, finally vanishing from musical sight. The piece is purely a play of tone, but never shallow, for it suggests not only a particular type of Nature scene, but the significance of the beauty and goodness it symbolises.
10. Told at Sunset (With pathos). This piece is of some importance from the fact that it contains thematic allusions to two of the preceding numbers. It opens with a sad, reflective theme that is reminiscent of A Deserted Farm. It proceeds for nineteen bars, dying softly away high in the scale. After a moment's silence, a softly breathed, but firmly emphasised marching tune appears, marked Faster sturdily. It grows gradually louder until it is thundered out in its full strength, with something of the nervous accentuation peculiar to Elgar's music. It dies gradually away again, until nothing is left but a few last faint references to its sturdy quality. The grave theme of A Deserted Farm (No. 8) is now introduced (transposed a semitone lower than the original to F minor), freely altered, and infused with more intense expressiveness. The conclusion is dramatic, for after twenty-four bars of deep and tender contemplation comes an impressive silence—and then the stern and solemn chords of the latter part of the introduction to From an Indian Lodge are heard, first softly and then with virile orchestral fortissimo, and with this the piece closes.
OPUS 52. THREE CHORUSES, FOR MALE VOICES.
First Published, 1897 (Arthur P. Schmidt).