Classical music and the celebration of cultural heritage have always been linked, or at least have often been linked. Consider Mozart’s “Turkish March”, for example, the German Requiem of Brahms, or even William Grant Still’s “Afro-American” Symphony. It gives the music a bit more context for listeners, even if the culture being referenced is one that’s far away. I’m Loki Karuna, and on this edition of Noteworthy I’d like to share a Celtic example of this artistic phenomenon, brought to the world by composer Amy Beach.
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was very much America, born in New Hampshire back in 1867. As composers of her day were figuring out what a uniquely American engagement of symphonic music should sound like, Amy looked back to the so-called Old World for inspiration – namely the sounds of English, Scots, and Irish tunes. This led to the premiere of not just her first symphony, but the first symphony composed and published by a woman in the United States. It’s titled, appropriately enough, the Gaelic Symphony.
Following the very successful premiere of her Gaelic Symphony, she soon began supporting other composers through literature, penning articles including “Music’s Ten Commandments as Given for Young Composers”, as well as a work titled, “To the Girl Who Wants to Compose”. While her achievements as a woman remain central to her legacy, it’s important to remember the ways in which heritage and culture shaped her early successes, earning her a rightful place among America’s most noteworthy.
Noteworthy is a production of WDAV, classical public radio.