Amy Beach was largely self-taught in composition and was the first American woman musician to receive all of her training in the United States and to write in larger forms.
Composer Biography
Amy Beach was one of America's most prolific and successful composers, and one of the first women whose musical compositions were as highly regarded as those produced by men.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Amy Beach believed that a good song is an inspired, creative musical response to a text, incorporating both intellect and emotion.
Compositional Technique
Amy Beach had absolute pitch and experienced synaesthesia (seeing colors when hearing musical pitches), which contributed to her selection of keys for her songs.
Composition History
Amy Beach's Three Browning Songs, Op. 44, were commissioned by the Browning Society of Boston and became her most popular and enduring songs.
Performer Biography
Katherine Kelton, the mezzo-soprano on this recording, wrote her doctoral dissertation on the songs of Amy Beach and is a noted expert on the composer's works.
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