47.
His third orchestral work, the symphonic poem "Lamia," is based upon the fantastic (and what Mr.Howells would call unconscionably "romanticistic") poem of Keats.

Begun during his last year in Wiesbaden (1888), and completed the following winter in Boston, it stands, in the order of MacDowell's orchestral pieces, between "Lancelot and Elaine" and the two "fragments" after the "Song of Roland." On a fly-leaf of the score MacDowell has written this glossary of the story as told by Keats: "Lamia, an enchantress in the form of a serpent, loves Lycius, a young Corinthian.

In order to win him she prays to Hermes, who answers her appeal by transforming her into a lovely maiden.
Lycius meets her in the wood, is smitten with love for her, and goes with her to her enchanted palace, where the wedding is celebrated with great splendour.

But suddenly Apollonius appears; he reveals the magic.

Lamia again assumes the form of a serpent, the enchanted palace vanishes, and Lycius is found lifeless." Now this is obviously just the sort of thing to stir the musical imagination of a young composer nourished on Liszt, Raff, and Wagner; and MacDowell (he was then in his twenty-seventh year) composed his tone-poem with evident gusto.