pianoforte sonatas. It has not the weight and power of the
_Sonata Tragica, Op. 45_, but in its beauty and noble dignity it
is infinitely more impressive. The whole work was inspired by the
Arthurian legends that MacDowell, with his love of ancient
chivalry and romance, loved to idealise. In the sonata he has
illuminated his subject with compelling nobleness of thought and
beauty of effect, freely adapting the traditional musical form to
the needs of his poetic purpose. The work requires a considerable
amount of study for its finished performance, as well as a
knowledge and understanding of its source of inspiration. Heard
at its best it is a magnificent solo piece, only surpassed by the
composer's own two later sonatas, the _Norse, Op. 57_, and the
_Keltic, Op. 59_.

1. The first movement is notable for its variety of _tempo_ and
expression, every page containing new indications as to these in
the illuminating and characteristic English of the composer. He
has told us that the movement as a whole typifies the coming of
Arthur, and as such we may leave it. The traditional sonata form
is freely adapted to the poetic requirements of the movement, but
the result is rather ragged. The music itself, however, is deeply
inspired and full of fire. The simple, yet pathetic second
subject is recalled again in the slow movement.

2. The fanciful and "elf-like" _scherzo_ movement was suggested
to the composer by Doré's picture of a knight in a wood,
surrounded by mythological forest folk. The music is imaginative
and cleverly written, but MacDowell afterwards considered the
movement as a whole to be "an aside" from the general content of
the sonata. The present writer thinks that this _scherzo_ may be