4. _The Swan._

5. _Visit of the Bear._

The titles of these pieces are quite characteristic of MacDowell,
and are early indications of his love of the imaginative and
fanciful atmosphere of fairy tales. The pieces were originally
intended to form a suite for orchestra, but the opportunity arose
to have them printed as pianoforte duets and the composer was not
in a financial position to refuse the offer. Unfortunately he
destroyed the orchestral sketches. The _Moon Pictures_ are as a
whole charming and imaginative in conception, and represent the
fancies of the immortal Hans Andersen, although they are far from
being truly representative of MacDowell as we now know him.



OPUS 22. FIRST SYMPHONIC POEM, HAMLET AND OPHELIA, FOR FULL
ORCHESTRA.

_Composed, Frankfort, Winter_, 1884-5. _First Published_, 1885
(J. Hainauer).

_Dedicated to Henry Irving and Ellen Terry._

With the appearance of _Hamlet and Ophelia_ MacDowell found his
reputation considerably increasing. The work was performed in a
number of German towns soon after its first appearance, and
within a year following its publication the _Ophelia_ section was