Book Description

Amazon.com
The question one inevitably asks when considering the life of composer Amy Beach is this: How much greater might she have been if she'd had the same opportunities given male prodigies such as Mozart or Beethoven? As it was, Beach's talent was prodigious and widely recognized in her own time. Born in 1867 to a musical family, the young Amy was playing the piano by ear by the time she was four. Had she been a boy, no doubt a brilliant career as a concert pianist would have followed; instead, Amy married a much older man and mostly confined her musical genius to once-yearly concerts and to composing. Beach was prolific and eclectic, writing a Mass, a symphony (her "Gaelic" Symphony was the first work by an American woman composer to be performed by an American orchestra) and chamber music. In later years, after her husband's death, Beach toured the world as a performer.

In her extensive biography of Amy Beach, Adrienne Fried Block examines both the composer's life and work. Excerpts from various pieces are included in the book, giving readers an opportunity to study her music. Block does an admirable job of explaining to those less musically knowledgeable just what Beach was attempting to accomplish in each piece. Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian is an excellent biography for anyone interested in the life of a remarkable woman; for those who are also interested in music and composition, it's a real treat.Book Description
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944), the most widely performed composer of her generation, was the first American woman to succeed as a creator of large-scale art music. Her "Gaelic" Symphony, given its premiere by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896, was the first work of its kind by an American woman to be performed by an American orchestra. Almost all of her more than 300 works were published soon after they were composed and performed, and today her music is finding new advocates and audiences for its energy, intensity, and sheer beauty. Yet, until now, no full-length critical biography of Beach's life or comprehensive critical overview of her music existed. This biography admirably fills that gap, fully examining the connections between Beach's life and work in light of social currents and dominant ideologies.Born into a musical family in Victorian times, Amy Beach started composing as a child of four and was equally gifted as a pianist. Her talent was recognized early by Boston's leading musicians, who gave her unqualified support. Although Beach believed that the life of a professional musician was the only life for her, her parents had raised her for marriage and a career of amateur music-making. Her response to this parental (and later spousal) opposition was to find creative ways of reaching her goal without direct confrontation. Discouraged from a full-scale concert career, she instead found her metier in composition. Success as a composer of art songs came early for Beach: indeed, her songs outsold those of her contemporaries. Nevertheless, she was determined to separate her work from the genteel parlor music women were writing in her day by creating large-scale works--a Mass, a symphony, and chamber music--that challenged the accepted notion that women were incapable of creating high art. She won the respect of colleagues and the allegiance of audiences. Many who praised her work, however, considered her an exception among women. Beach's reaction to this was to join with other women composers of serious music by promoting their works along with her own.Adrienne Fried Block has written a biography that takes full account of issues of gender and musical modernism, considering Beach in the contexts of her time and of her composer contemporaries, both male and female. Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian will be of great interest to students and scholars of American music, and to music lovers in general. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian
At last, a full-length biography of the "Dean of American Women Composers."Engaging and thorougly researched.The only thing lacking is a discography of Beach's music.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on March 9, 2003. The length of the article is 610 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Woman at root of American composing.(Entertainment)(Music of Amy Beach and her contemporaries will be sung by soprano Maria Jette)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: March 9, 2003
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: L3

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Book Description
Includes a catalog of each artist's work, a discography of Beach's music, photographs of sculptures, and numerous musical examples. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1202 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian: The Life and Work of an American Composer, 1867-1944.(Review)
Author: Juanita Karpf
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1999
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 56Issue: 2Page: 418

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on June 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1509 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Amy Beach. (Choral Music).(The Sea-Fairies)
Author: Catherine Parsons Smith
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2002
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 58Issue: 4Page: 942(3)

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Book Description
Follows the life of Amy Beach, a prominent composer and concert pianist. Each score and manuscript is reviewed theoretically and historically. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on March 1, 1996. The length of the article is 3187 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Amy Beach and Her Chamber Music: Biography, Documents, Style.
Author: Adrienne Fried Block
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 1996
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v52Issue: n3Page: p790(5)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Sensible Sound, published by Sensible Sound on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 721 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Beach: "Gaelic" Symphony; Piano Concerto.(Sound Recording Review)
Author: John Puccio
Publication: Sensible Sound (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Sensible Sound
Issue: 98Page: 68(1)

Article Type: Sound Recording Review

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Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Score
Finally! A high-quality, affordable, and accessible score to Amy Beach's "Gaelic" Symphony has been printed! This score completely exceeded my expectations when it arrived. It is the perfect size for study - larger than a mini-score and smaller than the typical Dover editions. The printing is dark and clear and laid out very nicely on the pages. The publishers have also included the beautiful cover page from the original edition. I could not be more pleased with this score for the price! It is the perfect addition to my score collection. As a student of orchestral conducting, I plan to purchase more by this publisher.

From the Publisher:
This is a new, high-quality reprint of the score originally published in 1898 by Arthur P. Schmidt. Amy Beach's only symphony is fully representative of her late Romantic style. Composed in 1896, the work makes use of several Irish folksongs as thematic material. The Gaelic symphony received favorable reviews and was subsequently performed by orchestras in both the USA and Europe in the years leading up to the World War I. Like most music of the American late-Romantic school, this lovely symphony was sadly neglected until recently. Thanks to an increased interest in the works of women composers and a general revival of interest in the American late-Romantic school, the Gaelic Symphony has seen a fair number of performances and recordings in recent years. ... Read more

Product Description
For piano ... Read more

Book Description
A truly beautiful book featuring the life and music of Amy Beach, the first great woman composer of America. This well-researched text includes a wonderful family "scrapbook" section with 22 photos and a short biography. Also included are Scottish Legend; Canoeing; Summer Dreams; and a number of her easier works. The first four solos in this spectacular book have never before been published. Starting with Amy's first composition at age four, the book also has selections from: Op.25, Op.26, Op.28, Op.36, Op.54, Op.64, Op.119 and many more. This book is perfect for players at all levels as it includes Amy Beach's easiest pieces as well as intermediate and difficult piano solos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful music!
Amy Beach's music is emotional and frolicking.This book includes a biography and photos of Amy Beach, with amazing details of her early life of genius talent.The music goes from some of Amy's early, easier works (from age 4 and up!) to her later, very impressive and difficult works.I especially love "Gavotte Fantastique", "Scottish Legend", and "Menuet Italien".There are a number of duets included in this book, too, some of which are beautiful.They're all interesting.I believe she knew Edward MacDowell, so if you enjoy his music, you may enjoy the music of Amy Beach. ... Read more