Beach, Amy

Amy Beach – Mass in E-flat Major

(b. Henniker, NH, 5 September 1867 – d. New York, 27 December 1944)

Preface
A remarkable child prodigy, Amy Beach taught herself to read at age three and began composing at age four. She began formal piano lessons with her mother at age six and a year later performed recitals with works by Handel, Beethoven, and Chopin, as well as her own music. In 1885 she appeared as a soloist with the Boston Symphony. At age 18 she married Dr. H.H.A. Beach, who insisted she curtail her concert performances to one recital per year, with the proceeds donated to charity. Her husband also did not approve of Amy studying composition with a teacher, so to further her development as a composer, she read every book she could find on theory, composition, and orchestration. In the process taught herself counterpoint, harmony, fugue, and orchestration. Any important texts not in English she translated herself. In a magazine interview (1918 Musical America), she remembered: “I copied and memorized whole scores of symphonies and overtures . . . until I absolutely knew just how they were ‘made.’ It was like a medical student’s dissection.”

In 1900 she was the soloist with the Boston Symphony in the premiere of her Piano Concerto. The performance as well as the Concerto were widely praised by both critics and the public. Following the death of her husband in 1910, she resumed recital touring in Europe, with programs that included her own music. With the outbreak of WW I in 1914, she returned to the USA where she continued to compose while also helping and encouraging the careers of young musicians. As early as age 25, Amy had been defending women’s competency as musicians, especially composers. She wrote for journals, newspapers, and other publications and freely advised young musicians and composers – especially female composers. Some of her writings include To the Girl who Wants to Compose, Emotion Versus Intellect in Music, and Music’s Ten Commandments as Given for Young Composers. She was connected to the Music Teachers National Assembly, as well as the Music Educators National Conference. Later on in her life, she assumed more leadership positions and helped to found the Society of American Women Composers and became its first president. She spent many summers composing as a fellow at the MacDowell Colony. Her compositional output includes more than 300 published works; with some only having been published recently. After passing in 1944, her music was largely forgotten, with few performances. Only in recent years through excellent performances and recordings has there been a reevaluation and recognition of her talent as a leading composer. …

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