“One of the most important figures in the world of classical music in America in the latter part of the 19th century, and well into the 20th century, was Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944),” writes Aurore Eaton in Sunday’s (8/5) Union Leader (Manchester, New Hampshire). “Her ties to New Hampshire ran deep. She was born in Henniker and spent her early childhood there, and she also had family connections in the town of Hillsborough…. Beach was an exceptional concert pianist and an inspired composer. She wrote more than 150 works … including solo piano pieces; orchestral and chamber music; choral works and other sacred music; and secular songs. Scholar Adrienne Fried Block wrote in her 1998 biography ‘Amy Beach-Passionate Victorian, that ‘Amy Beach was truly an American pioneer as a composer and the first successful woman in the field …’ According to the Library of Congress, which has a collection of Beach’s music manuscripts, published scores, and correspondence, ‘(Her) musical accomplishments changed the way Americans understood the possibilities for women in music.’ ” The article discusses Beach’s local connections and early life, with coverage of Beach’s subsequent years to appear next week.
Posted August 10, 2018
