Marcy Beach

Words: 567
Pages: 3

On September 5, 1867, Amy Marcy Cheney was born to a wealthy family. Clara Imogene, her mother, was her most prevalent inspiration. By the time Amy Beach had turned one, she already had over forty songs memorized. Her mother was tremendously talented with the piano, often playing chamber music. When Beach was just five years old, she had begun composing her own hymns and waltzes. Seeing how talented her daughter was, Beach’s mother decided to make her take piano lessons by the time she was six. At age seven, Beach was ready to perform. The pieces she played at her first performance consisted of a few of her own compositions, works from Chopin, Beethoven, and Handel. Her first debut performance was in Boston with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. …show more content…
Amy Beach composed the piece in 1894. She debuted the piece two years later in Boston. It quickly became the most notorious piece in this time. This is the only symphony by Beach, despite her other numerous orchestral works. Many musical critics have linked other symphonies to her work. Irish-based melodies could be heard throughout Beach’s symphony. Melodies from some of her other pieces such as Dark is the Night are also included in the symphony. I think Beach’s apprehension for searching for a plusher palette, in regards to instrumental color, is the reason this symphony in particular became so popular. There are four different movements within the symphony. The first movement, Allegro con fuoco, has a sonata form. The middle movements are where the Irish–based melodies come in at. In the second movement, Alla siciliana- Allegro vivace- Andante, the full woodwind choir performs a fast, persistently moving rhythm. Now the third movement, Lento con molta espressione, the violin is significantly highlighted. In the final movement, Allegro di molto, the tempo presents a sense of intensity and power. Altogether the symphony was