New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11

Doweu has taken an exceedingly serious ana ele-
waited view Of the task which has devolved
on him. He does not intend 10 have musical
Course which shall be snap" and helpfm chiefly
IN the advancement of college athletics. Technical
training that is real music study. Is 10 be brought
10 the fore but a sacrifice OF aesthetic train
ing and not in the form OF lessons on the piano
forte or violin. For the original photograph OF the
portrait printed herewith The Tribune is indebted
TO the courtesy of P L. Jung At his hrst lecture
on harmony last Wednesday between thirty and
forty students wer. present
Though this city is the place of his birth and has
remained the home OF his mother. the whole OF Mr..
MacDowers career. till now. has been spent in
Germany and Boston. When ne has visited New
York intervals since lsss. the year of his re
turn 10 the United States It has been concert
pianist. His reputation n composer has pre-
vented the musical public from thinking much
about him "a yirtuoso, and he has helped TO keep
them In their notion by devcting his labors az a
pianist largely 10 his works. Now that he
comes 10 US professor az Columbia. IL is likely
that the more dgnihed conception will become more
fixed in the public mind than II IL in no
sense reflection upon his fine qualities "a a per-
former that this should be There is greater
need Of creative artists than interpretative Just
now. and 10 the cause Of American music. which is
now presented 10 his consideration with a force
fulness IL never had before he can render much
greater service by composing music and publishing
sound principles In lecture and class rooms than
he can by playing AT concerts
Mr. Mcdowell was born in this city thirty-hve
years ago, December 10. 1861. His first teachers
on the pianoforte J. outrage. +. Desvornine
and Teresa Carreho. He went Paris in 1876 and
became pupil at the Conservatoire. studying the
pianoforte with Marmontel and theory and COM
position with Savard. After three years he ex-
changed French teachers for German, going 10
Frankfort on he Main and placing himself in the
hands OF the brilliant but unfortunate Karl Hey
mann for the pianoforte and Joachim Ran FOR
composition. The admiration which he felt for
Raj. and the attachment which sprang up be-
tween master and pupil, have been among the
strongest OF the influences which have shaped Mr..
MacDowells career Raft was then at the zenith
OF his powers. His "im Waldo symphony was
only ten years old. and his "Lenore' still younger
One symphony at least each year his contribu-
ton 20 the concert literature Of the time. and no
name was seen on the programmes Of orchestral
Organizations as often his. Only two
OF his symphonies. the two mentioned. be-
came firmly established in the American con-
cert lists, and they still held In respect;
the bulk OF his compositions are already Tor
gotten though RAN has been dead only little
more than fourteen years. His melodic huency'
poetic fancy warm but superfciaD. wonderful
which gave a starting point to the feelings and
imaginings of his hearers made Ran inc
most popular composer of his time. and IL II
open 70 doubt II the present neglect Of his music
Ia not undeserved. We shall how his tastes
and ideas took hold of his young disciple pres
emily.
Mr. MacDowell was twenty-one years old when
Raft died. In June. 1892 He had made up his mind
10 STAY In Germany as a country more congenial
TO his artistic nature than his own. The missionary
spirit is not very strong among musicians. II they
are real artists. with thoughts above the accumu-
iatlon OF money by promiscuous teaching, they like
the a,mosnhere of Germany. where a living can be
made with less tiresome drudgery and where there
In inspiration In the universally OF musical culture
and the proximity Of the masters OF the ART. "ha'
Mr.. Mcdowell intended 10 do other Americans
have done 80 successfully as TO bring honor 10
themselves and credit TO their country Sir charles
Hale's successor in Manchester Is Wiiham IL.
Dayas a New-Yorker four years younger man
Mr. Mcdowell Arthur Bird. a native OF cam
bridge Mass IN composing In comfort In Berlin
where Otis b. Boise, once a New-forker put porn
In OherIin Ohio IL teaching harmony; u. Iempe-
ton Strong. son of q former president OF the new
! ork Philharmonic Society, finds inspiration III We
way, Switzerland And there others That Mr..
Mcdowell changed his mind and came PACK 70
his native land was peculiarly happy incident
fortunate for him and for music. ana that the
native outlook was not discouragtng he must nave
felt when he found such worthy colleagues III DUE
ton and New-York George w. Chadw'ch H"is""
W. Parker. Arthur Whiting and Henry He'
Huss Before then. however, he had achieVeu ''e
ignition for his talent In Germany. Aiter co"-
pleting his studies at Frankfort. ne went 10 Na''
stadt and became the first teacher OF pianoforte AZ
the Conservatory Shortly before Ran oea'" u.
removed to Wiesbaden. Naturally enough nc re"
under the influence Of Liszt. an influence WHICH