Amy Beach (1867 - 1944) USA
- andreachamizoalber
- Aug 31
- 2 min read
She was the first successful American female composer on a grand scale. Her Gaelic Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896, was the first symphony composed and published by an American woman.
Well, there you have it, a link is included to download the score.
Amy married at 18 to a man 24 years her senior. Their marriage was conditional, and she agreed never to teach piano. She also agreed to limit herself to two public recitals a year, with the proceeds donated to charity. She was to devote herself more to composition than performance, which also had its conditions, as Amy had to be self-taught, as her husband disapproved of her studying with a tutor. All wrong, Mr. Beach.
Here is her Piano Concerto, Op. 45. The link to download the score contains only a two-piano reduction, which can be seen in the video.
When this concerto premiered in 1900, Amy was the soloist.
Also in 1900, with the Kneisel Quartet, Beach played some piano quintets, until in 1905, she wrote her own Quintet in F# minor, which I share below with the appropriate link to download the score.
In 1910, her husband died, and seven months later, Amy's mother died. She traveled to Europe, took a break, and gradually resumed her life as a concert pianist in 1912. Her European debut was in Dresden, where she performed her sonata for violin and piano. She soon repeated the concert and added two more of her own works. I'm sharing her Romance for violin and piano, Op. 23, with a link to download the score.
Amy returned to the United States in 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. She devoted herself to promoting the careers of young musicians. She was appointed president of the Board of Trustees of the New England Conservatory of Music. She worked to provide feedback to composers, musicians, and students.
Finally, I share two of her piano works with their respective links to download the sheet music.
Cradle Song of the Lonely Mother, Op. 108
Prelude and Fugue, Op. 81
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