Evening star., 1932-12-18
EDWARD MCDOWELL
BORN Il YEARS AGO
Musician Considered Among
Greatest in U. S. Is Hon.
+ ored in Concerts.

Edward MacDowell, by many con-
sidered the greatest of American COM
posers, was born II years ago today.
Throughout the country during the past
fortnight there have been concerts and
other public gatherings in homage to
his memory
OF Scotch-Irish descent, he is sup
posed to have inherited his genius from
his father. His musical education be-
gan when he was but years of age,
and Juan Buitrago friend of the FAM
lily. was his first teacher But the child
was not prodigy, and in his earliest
introduction to the piano he did not
make rapid progress. 1t was not until
he came under the influence of Paul
Desvernine, an excellent teacher, and
Teresa Carreno, famous virtuoso, that
he began to manifest his natural gifts
Goes to Paris at Is.
The first important milestone Of his
career was passed when his mother took
him to Paris at the age Of Is That
capital, in 1876, was alive with stimulat-
ing influences. France was shaking her
self free from the dust and ashes of
Napoleon Ill the Franco-Prussian War
ana the Communist revolution. A new
era was beginning, and the youthful
MacDoWel appeared at exactly the right
moment to catch some Of its fire. At
the Paris Conservatory for two years he
studied piano with Marmontel and
theory and composition with Savard,
both masters, Then for 10 years he de-
Veloped his talents in the equally hos
pltable atmosphere of Stuttgart. Frank
fort, DarmStadt, Weimar and other
German ~ 10
piano with Karl Heymann and compost
tlon with Joachim Raft. For time he
taught junior pupils at Darnstadt Con-
servatOry. but the routine was too oner-
Gus and the compensation too meager.
He settled at Frankfort. and there his
hrst worthwhile work as a composer
began.
His First Modern Suite for Piano"
won the praise Of the aged List and
was performed at the Zurich musical
festival OF 1882. His Second Modern
suite was published, with the first. at
Leipzig in 1883. The next year he made
brle1 visit to America to marry a for
mer pupil, Marian Nevins. But since
his work in Germany was unfinished,
he contented himself with but fleet
Ing glimpse of his native land It was
not until 1888 that he definitely de-
cided upon permanent American resi-
alien in his natural home environment.
That was an advantage, however, for
the eyes Of American music lovers at
that time were turned toward the con-
tlnent None but artists approved in
Europe could hope to win applause in
the United States, but Mcdowell had
been approved.
He played with the Kneisel Quartet
and, under Theodore Thomas, later with
the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Thenceforth his rise to fame was phe-
nonlenal. His services as pianist were
in great demand-far greater than his
vlrtuoso ambitions-while his orches-
tral compositions were performed al
most as soon as they were written. He
became fashion and a fad.
His symphonic poem, "LanCelOt and
Elaine" was performed b. the Boston
Symphony in 1890: his Indian Suite"
and Piano Concerto" were brought out
by the same organization in 1896. In
the interim he gave numerous piano re-
citals and. in 1894, played his Second
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" with
the Philharmonic in New York In the
first six years after his return from
Europe his name as pianist and COM
poser was fully established.
Joined Columbia U.
Columbia University had set up a
music department. and needed an orna-
nent for the newly-created chair of
music. MacDowen accepted the posi-
ton. But he could not be merely
decoration. On the contrary, he plung-
ed into teaching with such zeal and
energy that eight years of 1t was enough
to undermine his health beyond re-
pair. In 1904 he resigned. A quarrel
with the faculty over the proper place
OF music in the college curriculum was
the final straw His mind broke down.
He died January %, 1908.
Nearly quarter of a century has
passed, but critics are still divided in
their estimate of MacDoWell's signifi-
canoe in the history of music. Fair
minded criticism has to consider a long
list of compositions. Some of them.
it has been said, would have made any
composer famous.
He spent 13 years preparing to write,
and eight years teaching others the
piano; he devoted himself to compos-
ing during only Is years. and even that
decade and half was interrupted by
concert work Independent music lov-
ers appreciate what he did, but mourn
for what he did not do
| MacDowell's name has been kept
bright by his widow At the famous
MacDoWell Colony at Peterboro, N. H.,
she has established retreat for toilers
in the arts, and there, with gracious
kindliness, she ministers to genius for
its own sake and in tribute to the men,
ory of the man she loved.
JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.