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Despite the critics, the premiere of CODA (
Beach’s symphony established her as Throughout her career as a musician and i
a major American composer, and composer, Beach assumed many leadership T
Gaelic, the most successful American positions, often in advancing the cause of c
symphony by any composer of Mrs. American women composers. She was associated w
Beach’s generation. Despite the fact that with the Music Teachers National Association a
she was a woman in a man’s profession and the Music Educators National Conference.
and composing in a male-dominated In 1925, she was a founding member and first
genre, she proved that a woman can be president of the Society of American Women
just as talented and successful as any Composers, earning her the
male composer. historic designation as dean of

American women composers. Her
A Second Act accomplishments also made her
In 1910, Dr. Beach died, followed a national symbol of women’s
by Amy’s mother. To recover from creative power as American music
their deaths, and to establish her entered the 20th century.
reputation there as both a performer Amy Beach is experiencing a
and composer, Beach sailed for Europe renaissance of sorts as music
and began performing across the conti- historians and composers look to
nent. She received enthusiastic reviews the past for inspiration and find
for recitals in Germany and for her the door she opened for future
symphony and concerto, which were generations of women composers.
performed in Leipzig and Berlin. In 1994, two books on Amy
When World War I broke out, Beach were published by Walter S.
Beach was forced to return to the United Jenkins and Jeanell Wise Brown,
States in 1914, settling in New York with a more recent book published in
City, which remained her home base 1998, Amy Beach, Passionate
for the rest of her life. After her return, Victorian: The Life and Work of an
she toured as a pianist and continued American Composer, by Adrienne
composing, and Fried Block. These books have led to
started giving music a reprinting of her music and renewed
lessons again. examination of her work through a
In 1921 Beach less gender-bias lens. And it holds up!
became a fellow at In her day, critics praised her
the MacDowell “deeper resources of the science of
Colony in Peter- music” that were “difficult to associate
borough, New with a woman’s hand.”
Hampshire, where Her thoughts on the matter?
she composed most “Music is the superlative expres-
of her later works. sion of life experience, and woman
MacDowell was by the very nature of her position
founded in 1907 by is denied many of the experiences
composer Edward that color the
MacDowell and his life of man.”
wife, pianist and Despite all
philanthropist the restrictions
Marian MacDowell, as an artists’ colony. For her time at and limitations
MacDowell, and in support of its mission, Beach left the of the day placed
MacDowell Colony her royalties in her will, helping to support on her as a female
future generations of artists of all forms. musician and
Almost all of Beach’s more than 300 works were published soon composer, Beach
after they were composed and performed. Beach died of a heart was able to break
ailment in New York City on December 27, 1944, at the age of 77. through the
gender barriers of
the Victorian Era
and get her voice
Clockwise from top of page:
heard, perhaps
This photograph shows women composers (from left to right) Phyllis Fergus lamenting but
(1887-1964), Ethel Glenn Hier (1889-1971), Amy Beach (1867-1944), ultimately
Harriet Ware (1878-1972), and Gena Branscombe (1881-1977) in accepting her
McPherson Square, Washington, D.C. The women were in Washington for prescribed role as
the biennial convention of the League of American Pen Women which was
held from April 23 to April 26, 1924, at the Shoreham Hotel. a woman and
wife. Over 75
Amy Beach and friends at Centerville in 1938.
years later, we are
Amy Beach featured on the cover of Etude magazine in November, 1929. still listening and

Beach’s hand written music for A Hermit Thrush at Morning, 1921 her work speaks
for itself.
Amy Beach at the piano ready to perform one of her chamber pieces.

Signed photograph from Beach to her dear friend Violinist Maud Powell.

22 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles