Composers Corner: Amy Beach
Amy Marcy Cheney (September 5, 1867 - December 7, 1944), later known by her married name as Amy Beach, was born into a wealthy family in New Hampshire. Even as a baby, Amy was musically talented: by age one, she could sing 40 songs. She taught herself to read by 3 years old and composed 3 waltzes for the piano when she was 4.
Despite her talent, her parents were very strict and would not allow her to take piano lessons until she was 6. She was soon playing music in public recitals and composing her own music. After one recital was reviewed in a music journal, several agents wanted her to tour as a concert pianist. Her parents refused because they did not think that was suitable for their daughter.
Amy made her concert debut in Boston when she was 16. Although it was a huge success, her parents said no to sending her to Europe to study in one of the great music conservatories.
While she studied with several great pianists, she only had one composition teacher. However, she taught herself as much as she could about composing. She copied and memorized whole scores of symphonies to learn as much as she could.
When she was 18, Amy married a doctor named Henry Harris Aubrey Beach. He was 42 and had a very strong opinion on what was suitable for his wife to do. She was limited to two public recitals a year and would have to donate the profits to charity. When performing, her name was listed as "Mrs. H.H.A. Beach." Despite these limits, Amy loved her husband.
When Beach was 25, she had her first major success as a composer with her Mass in E flat Major.
In 1910 her husband died, and her mother passed shortly after. They were the two people who were most opposed to her public performances, and she soon began giving performances in Europe. Upon her return to America, she taught music lessons as well.
Although she had over 300 published works and was considered America's greatest female composer, her music was largely forgotten in the years after her death in 1944. However, interest in her music has grown recently.
