And in this field of technic, during his later years, when in composition his mind turned almost wholly to this mode of expression, he reached a plane of tonal effect which, for variety, from vague, shadowy, mysterious _ppp_, to virile, orchestral _ffff_, has never been surpassed by any pianist who has visited these shores in recent years.

His tone in chord playing, it is true, was often harsh, and this fault also appeared in his melodic delivery.

But in both cases any unmusical effect was so greatly overbalanced by many rare and beautiful qualities of tone production, that it was easily forgiven and forgotten.
"Wonderful tone blending in finger passages; a peculiarly crisp, yet veiled staccato; chord playing extraordinary in variety,--tender, mysterious, sinister, heroic; a curiously unconventional yet effective melodic delivery; playing replete with power, vitality, and dramatic significance, always forcing upon the ear the phrase, never the tickling of mere notes; a really marvellous command and use of both pedals,--these were the characteristics of MacDowell's pianistic art as he displayed it in the exposition of his own works.

Unquestionably he was a born pianist.

If it had not been for his genius for composition, he would, without doubt, have been known as a brilliant and forceful interpreter of the greatest piano literature.