Amy Beach, a mostly forgotten composer, is just a footnote in most music history textbooks. Why? This week was her birthday, and I’ve been listening to her symphonic music, and loving it. Her compositions are brilliant, challenging, and deserve their place in American history.
Also on today’s show: Nina Simone, Missy Mazzoli, and Mary Jane Leach. In this episode of American Highways, pianist Guy Livingston brings us four great American women composers.
AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #94 Happy Birthday, Amy Beach
Jan Jeroen (J.J.) Spijkervet & Immersive Sound
“American Highways” Jingle
Sounds About Right
composed for Concertzender
Mrs. H. H. A. Beach (Amy Beach)
Singing Joyfully
Susanne Mentzer and Sunny Joy Langton
Koch 37360-2
Mary Jane Leach
Ariadne’s Lament (1993)
The New York Treble Singers
New World Records NWR80525-2
Nina Simone
See Line Woman (1954)
Nina Simone and friends
Metro CD010
Mizzy Mazzoli
Orrizonte
Lisa Moore
Cantaloupe Music 21115
Amy Beach
Symphony in E Minor, Op. 32, Gaelic
V. Allegro con fuoco
VI. Alla Siciliana; Allegro vivace
VII. Lento con molto espressione
VIII. Allegro di molto
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond by Karl Krueger
Bridge Records (4) – BRIDGE 9086
David King
Super America
The Bad Plus
E1 Records: EOM-CD-2112
Links
New York Times playlist of adventurous women in rock and indie music
Mince Pies and Minor Chords, the life and music of Amy Beach, a radio feature produced by Claire Cunningham for RTE lyric fm radio in Ireland. Listen to this great show!
Thanks for playing my music – the performers were actually the New York Treble Singers (David Echelard sang another piece on that cd – Tricky Pan).
Thanks for writing in! Sorry to have wrongly credited the performers. I’ll fix that now in the playlists.
Warmest regards,
Guy
Loved this episode, Guy. I hope you continue to shine the spotlight on many of our lesser known composers. Awesome work!
thanks! For this show I was inspired by Claire Cunningham, who made a gorgeous biographical-musical show for Irish Radio last week, all about Beach.