Amy Beach

Donald Macleod follows Amy Beach’s quest to create a uniquely
American sound in her music.


Amy Beach was born in the 19th century and, like all women
composers of her generation, she found her path to greatness
strewn with obstacles. This week, Donald Macleod charts her
struggle to take control of her own destiny and become one of
America’s most cherished cultural figures; a composer who helped
lead her nation into the mainstream of classical music. Famed
conductor, Leopold Stokowski noted that her symphony was “full of
real music, without any pretence or effects but just real,
sincere, simple and deep music.” In her search to develop her
individual voice as a composer, Donald discusses the impact of
her religious beliefs, her marriage and the places which shaped
her work: her first tour of Europe, and the MacDowell Colony,
where she composed most of her later works.


Music featured: Pastorale, Op 151 Romance, Op 23 Symphony in E
minor, Op 32 (Gaelic) (Alla sicilana & Lento) Evening Hymn,
Op 125 No 2 From Grandmother’s Garden, Op 97 The Year’s at the
Spring, Op 44 No 1 Valse Caprice, Op 4 Canticle of the Sun, Op
123 Though I take the wings of morning, Op 152 Trio for violin,
cello and piano, Op 150 Ah, love, but a day, Op 44 No 2 A
Prelude, Op 71 No 1 When far from her, Op 2 No 2 Come, ah come,
Op 48 No 1 Nunc Dimittis, Op 8 No 1 Peace I leave with you, Op 8
No 3 Violin Sonata in A minor, Op 34 Symphony in E minor, Op 32
(Gaelic) (Allegro di molto) Autumn Song, Op 56 No 1 Prelude Op 81
Der Totenkranz, Op 73 No 2 The Candy Lion, Op 75 No 1 Piano
Concerto in C sharp minor, Op 45 On a Hill Je demande à l’oiseau,
Op 51 No 4 A Hermit Thrush at Eve, Op 92 No 1 A Hermit Thrush at
Morn, Op 92 No 2 Quartet for Strings, Op 89 Ambache Trois
morceaux caractéristiques, Op 28


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Amy Beach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004ltq


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z