Amy Beach - Piano Concerto Op.45 PART 1 of 5 - MARY LOUISE BOEHM

[etienne818]

In whatever time-frame you might imagine, Amy just rocked!!

[dylanr64]

good song



[agreatgeat]

I find this concerto very Rachmaninoff-y?

[LHSMusicClass]

Terrific music! If the Wikipedia Article is to be believed, Beach was a Mozart/Mendelssohn level prodigy singing 40 tunes by the age of one!

[AA19752012]

This is the third  time I have listened to this piece. It gets better every time .

[Jubalover]

Until the 20th Century the United States truly was a 'back-water' in serious music and in most of the fine arts. We excelled in science and technology, i.e Edison, Bell, Tesla etc. but not anywhere near the high standards of European culture in the arts. Amy as a woman was a stand out even in her time for the USA. MacDowell and Chadwick the only other men of merit in composition

[MrBeethovenfan]

On a slightly irrelevant side note - I don't recall seeing a picture of Amy Beach as a younger lady such as the one shown here. She was quite lovely.

[wks1978]

I am astounded by the fact that a composer who wrote musi of this quality is not better known

[Elgigante21]

She has perfect pitch an synesthesia (The ability to interpret musical notes as colors).

[windstorm1000]

Amy Beach's music should be more well known--that she is a woman should not color things, of course, but make one appreciate her music all the more as she had so many struggles to get over to compose in that narrow minded time. Her family, for one, did not support her efforts. Beach would have done MORE orchestral work had Boston critics not poo--pooed her music & wrote--words to the effect-- "Good concerto/sym.--for a WOMAN." Comments like those took the wind out of her creative sails.

[Fusiondoom]

Amy beach is in my top 5 list of favorites composers, and im a male music major at a university. it may comfort you to know her songs are quite well known. in the vocal world, shes top tier for art songs and accompanying. i play her piano works but im the only one in the department that plays her solo piano works; her songs are the more well known works. thank god i can shine even a little light by including her 'four sketches' and 'eskimos' set of piano works for my senior recital.

[TourRoyale]

Hi, I like amy Beach a lot, i can even say I love her music. Can anyone point me to more American classical composers, especially pre-20th century. I already know about Charles Ives, but havn't heard of many others.

[deviantrake]

@TourRoyale One that springs immediately to mind is Edward MacDowell, well worth a look.

[OGoldin]

@deviantrake MacDowell was Ives' teacher by the way.

[fierydog]

@deviantrake Especially his 2nd concerto! Look up the one played by Van Cliburn!!!

[vinylsingleman]

@TourRoyale Yes, MacDowell and also Louis Gottschalk. 

[windstorm1000]

@TourRoyale Yes, all those are good. There's Chadwick (Boston school of musical thought)--his Holiday Sketches are wonderful; John Paine (also Boston school). Both are somewhat colored by Brahms, but there's also a vigorous open Am. element to them. Oh, and Griffes--he's great (not the boston s.)--his chordal structure is so inven. There is a German Am. comp. from the 1830's--but I can't think of his name--its in 'American Music' book. He lived for quite some time in Kentu. Anybody help?

[carplo111]

@TourRoyale Although it's 20th century, I really like Samuel Barber. If you look up his violin concerto, you would probably like it if you like Beach.

[shishirth]

@TourRoyale You might also like John Knowles Paine, Louis Gottschalk, and Horatio Parker.

[Rhythmroo]

@TourRoyale To restate and add to what others said: Horatio Parker, Arthur Foote, George Chadwick, Edward MacDowell, Gottschalk, Daniel Gregory Mason and John Knowles Paine to name a few. ;)

[zbaby82]

Incredible. She was very talented.

[splincerhunterX]

I have to admit: Amy Beach's music was "so" inspirational that I want to write my own neoclassical pieces based on hers, and her music has also touched my heart. I "love" this music!!!

[ThePianistBotto]

such an amazing concerto... quite original

[anabenedicto]

We know Fanny Mendelssohn but unfortunately she was an intelligent woman in a man's world. In fact, his brother said, a woman can write music better than a man, can be more intelligent than man but what a shame that this is not the role of women in life and he was so quiet.

[anabenedicto]

and he was so quiet. Currently he (my son) has performed chamber music composed by Louise Farrenç, a music of uncommon beauty ... and is sure he will continue playing music composed by women and women that have been totally ignored by the history of music. I think it is time to do justice. Thanks for your words

[anabenedicto]

The name of my son is Francisco Fierro and he is on youtube.

[anabenedicto]

I am discovering women who were composers and really is surprising that they are so ignored in all of history and in any country of the world. This concert is so wonderful.. my son is a great pianist and he is thinking to record a CD only with women's music that were composers and totally ignored. Is a great proyect. Thank you for put this beautiful concert.

[snaaptaker]

@anabenedicto

Your son is indeed a fine pianist. Is he aware of the music of Felix Mendelssohn's sister Fanny? She wrote some pieces that are as lovely as her brother's. Your son might enjoy playing some of them.

Best wishes for his career.

[anabenedicto]

Yes, we know Fanny Mendelssohn .. but unfortunately she was an intelligent woman in a man's world. In fact, his brother said, a woman can write music (be composer) better than a man can be more intelligent than man ... but what a shame that this is not the role of women in life ..

[Fusiondoom]

i love Fanny's piano works. i actually prefer her stuff over felix's; it was more daring because frankly, she had nothing to lose if it was badly received. with this said, it is astoundingly beautiful as a whole repertoire. i've played her opus 8 lied and two melodies, op. 4 #2 and op. 5 #5, and i blew the piano faculty away with those because they hadnt heard the piices (shame) and mind you, this is at a university music department. it starts in the colleges. fanny needs to be standard NOW

[shishirth]

@anabenedicto You might also enjoy three Swedish women composers: Elfrida Andree, Amanda Maier and Alice Tegner; French composer Cecile Chaminade and Polish composer Maria Szymanowska.

[caryhoneybee]

thank you for posting