part for the purpose. The old master received him kindly and
asked D'Albert, who was present, to play the second pianoforte.
At the finish he not only complimented MacDowell on his
composition, but on his ability as a pianist, which pleased the
young American immensely, for he had not yet come to regard his
compositions as of any value, and pianoforte playing was his
first study. Afterwards MacDowell wrote to Liszt asking him to
accept the dedication of the concerto, which the venerable
Hungarian did.

The _First Pianoforte Concerto_ hardly ranks as one of
MacDowell's finest works, it having been written before he had
attained, in any notable degree, to his mature impressionist
style. It is, however, brilliantly written, bold and original in
harmonic treatment and full of youthful fire and vigour. With the
second concerto (_Op. 23_), it is one of his few large works not
having some definitely indicated poetic content. If it has not
the significant expression of its greater successors, it has at
least a strength and fervency that indicate a youthful genius of
no common order. Its interest is not of mere historic value as an
early example of MacDowell's work, for it can be performed to-day
with success. It has a lasting white heat of inspiration and even
in the light of the composer's greater works it still sounds
remarkably brilliant and fresh. The influence of Teutonic
training is evident and although the concerto cannot now be
considered as thoroughly representative of MacDowell, it has a
confident bearing and a certain individuality that mark it as
something considerably more than a mere academic experiment. It
must always be remembered, however, that a two-page piece from
_Sea Pieces, Op. 55_, or _New England Idyls, Op. 62_, or any