The first movement, "Legend," is headed: _Not fast.

With much dignity and character_; the second movement, "Love Song," is to be played _Not fast.

Tenderly_; the third movement, "In War-time," is marked: _With rough vigour, almost savagely_; the fourth, "Dirge": _Dirge-like, mournfully_; the fifth, "Village Festival": _Swift and light_.
Here, certainly, is food for the imagination, the frankest of invitations to the impressionable listener.

There is no reason to believe that the music is built throughout upon such a detailed and specific plan as underlies, for example, the "Lancelot and Elaine"; the notable fact is that MacDowell has attained in this work to a power and weight of utterance, an eloquence of communication, a ripeness of style, and a security and strength of workmanship, which he had not hitherto brought to the fulfilment of an avowedly impressionistic scheme.[13] He has exposed the particular emotions and the essential character of his subject with deep sympathy and extraordinary imaginative force--at times with profoundly impressive effect, as in the first movement, "Legend," and the third, "In War-Time"; and in the overwhelmingly poignant "Dirge" he has achieved the most profoundly affecting threnody in music since the "Goetterdaemmerung" _Trauermarsch_.

I am inclined to rank this movement, with the sonatas and one or two of the "Woodland Sketches" and "Sea Pieces," as the choicest emanation of MacDowell's genius; and of these it is, I think, the most inspired and the most deeply felt.