The Music Plays On — Amy Beach
A recent article in the New York Times heralded a new recording of a piano quintet by one of America’s great composers, Amy Beach. Considering that her “Gaelic” Symphony was premiered by none other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and she became truly famous and a highly regarded composer in her lifetime, it is certainly worth knowing her music.
Amy Marcy Cheney was born in New Hampshire in 1867 to a prominent New England family. Amy showed early aptitude towards music, knowing multiple tunes by the end of her first year and composing music by age three. She began piano lessons at age six and made her concert debut at age sixteen in 1883 in Boston, playing Moscheles’ Piano Concerto №3 in G minor.
She married Dr. Henry Harris Aubrey Beach in 1885, who was a prominent Boston physician and twenty years her senior. As was unfortunately customary then, Amy agreed to not pursue a solo career and become a society matron and patron of the arts. She only gave two recitals a year and both would be benefits to charity. However, Amy was allowed to pursue composition.
