Emma Kirkby, the soprano on this recording, is renowned for her clear, agile voice and has made over 100 recordings, epitomizing the pure sound of early music for two decades.
Performer Biography
The Romantic Chamber Group of London, featuring Paul Barritt (violin), Charles Medlam (cello), and James Lisney (piano), was formed to explore chamber music from the Romantic era and beyond.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Amy Beach's songwriting style and text choices were influenced by many European traditions, including Schubert, Schumann, Fauré, Debussy, Strauss, Wagner, and German expressionism.
Compositional Technique
An unusual feature of Amy Beach's songs is the addition of parts for violin and cello, with some pieces like 'A Mirage' and 'Rendezvous' originally conceived with these instrumental accompaniments.
Compositional Technique
The Piano Trio, composed in 1938, incorporates an Inuit hunting song in its scherzo and another Eskimo song in the left hand of the second subject of its last movement.
Composition History
After her husband's death in 1910, Amy Beach, the composer, embarked on a new career as a piano virtuoso in Europe, playing in major German music centers in 1912/13.
Composer Biography
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, the composer, was a child prodigy with perfect pitch and a prodigious memory, performing as a solo pianist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra by age 18.
