All posts by Chris Trotman

The Signature Symphony at TCC will be performing Amy Beach’s monumental “Gaelic” Symphony tonight!

The Signature Symphony at TCC, under the direction of Andrés Franco, will be performing Amy Beach’s monumental “Gaelic” Symphony tonight as part of their concert program entitled Power of Diversity!

The concert will be 7:30PM CDT at the Tulsa Community College – Van Trease PACE, Tulsa, OK. For more info, please visit here.

Also, they will be performing from the revised edition score and parts available from Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications!

 

Mezzo-soprano Dr. Mary Brown Bonacci of Westfield State University will be performing Amy Beach’s Three Songs, Op. 11 in Kansas!

Mezzo-soprano Dr. Mary Brown Bonacci of Westfield State University will be performing Amy Beach’s Three Songs, Op. 11 (W.E. Henley): Dark is the night (1890), The Western Wind (1889), The Blackbird (1889) in a series of concerts in Kansas early next month! More info below:

March 2 at 2pm – Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery. More info here.

March 6 at 7:30pm – Kansas State University. More info here.

March 7 at 7pm – Tabor College. More info here.

Two upcoming performances of Amy Beach’s music this next weekend, Feb. 23, 2019!

Two upcoming performances of Amy Beach’s music this next weekend, Feb. 23! Also, both orchestras will be performing from editions available from Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications (www.amybeach.org)!

(1) The Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing Beach’s monumental “Gaelic” Symphony in E minor, Op. 32 on Feb. 23 at 8 PM at Shaughnessy Heights United Church, 1550 West 33rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC. For more info, please click here.

(2) The Springfield Symphony Orchestra together with Rachel Barton Pine, Violinist will be performing an orchestral transcription of Beach’s Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23 on Feb. 23 at 7:30 at Symphony Hall, 34 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103! For more info, please click here.

February will include two performances of Amy Beach’s music by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the second of which will also feature renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine!!

February will include two performances of Amy Beach’s music by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the second of which will also feature renowned Rachel Barton Pine, Violinist!! Also, the orchestra will be performing from editions available from Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy, and you may learn more by visiting our publications page.

Feb. 2 at 7:30 – Their program SCHEHERAZADE & AMERICAN WOMEN COMPOSERS will feature Beach’s Bal Masqué for Orchestra, Op. 22! For more info please click here.

Feb. 23 at 7:30 – Their program MENDELSSOHN’S ITALIAN & BRAHMS will also include an arrangement of Beach’s famous Romance, Op. 23 (originally for violin/piano) for violin, harp and string orchestra with Rachel Barton Pine as violin soloist! For more info please click here.

Check out the recording of Amy Beach’s “The Rose of Avontown” performed by The Concord Women’s Chorus!

Check out the recording of Amy Beach’s “The Rose of Avontown” performed by The Concord Women’s Chorus! The recording is now available via SoundCloud!

The Concord Women’s Chorus (www.concordwomenschorus.org), directed by Jane Ring Frank, presented the concert entitled “Amy Beach and her Contemporaries” on May 12, 2018 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord, Massachusetts.

The concert’s featured work, Amy Beach’s “The Rose of Avontown,” was performed by the chorus with a 14-piece chamber orchestra and soprano soloist Adriana Repetto. It was the first performance to use the newly revised edition of Beach’s score and parts, the product of Chris A. Trotman (the Publications Director of Women’s Philharmonic Advocacywww.wophil.org). This publication is part of WPA’s mission of encouraging performances of neglected music by women. “The Rose of Avontown” was one of Beach’s most performed and best-known works in her lifetime, yet it is hardly known today. WPA hopes the new edition will help bring this delightful choral music to many audiences and ensembles, and we are happy to have such a truly wonderful first performance. This work by Amy Beach and many others are available from Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications (www.amybeach.org/music/publications/).

The Metropolitan Orchestra of New Jersey will be performing Amy Beach’s monumental “Gaelic” Symphony!

Metropolitan Orchestra of New Jersey (a community orchestra) conducted by Michael Stratechuk will be performing Amy Beach’s Symphony in E-minor, Op. 32 “Gaelic” on Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 3:00 at the Chatham Middle School, 480 Main Street, Chatham, NJ.

Other works being performed include Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to West Side Story arranged by Maurice Paress, George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and Aaron Copland’s Rodeo Movement 4 “Hoe-Down”.

Admission is free. For more information, please visit their website.

 

Enjoy an evening of choral and chamber works composed by some sophisticated FIRST LADIES and performed by Cappella Clausura!

Enjoy an evening of choral and chamber works composed by some sophisticated FIRST LADIES who pursued careers as composers despite obstructions galore, and were first in their pursuits. Works by Amy BeachRebecca Clarke, Ethel Smyth, Marianna von Martines, Francesca Caccini and Patricia Van Ness will be performed by Cappella Clausura, Inc. and string quartet under the direction of Amelia LeClair! The concerts will also feature a concert talk with renowned musicologist Dr. Liane Curtis, president of Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy (www.wophil.org) and the Rebecca Clarke Society (www.rebeccaclarke.org)

Concerts:

  • 8PM Saturday, Oct 20 at Eliot Church Newton (474 Centre St, Newton)
  • 4PM Sunday, Oct 21 at Lindsey Chapel Boston (15 Newbury St. Boston). For more info and tickets, please visit https://www.clausura.org/beach-clarke-caccini.

Program:

  • Amy Beach: Quartet for Strings (In One Movement), Op. 89 (1929) & Kyrie from Grand Mass in E-flat, Op. 5 (1892) arr. for string quartet and chorus by Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications Director, Chris A. Trotman. Available from https://www.amybeach.org/music/publications/. Chris will be attending both concerts!
  • Rebecca Clarke: Comodo e Amabile (1924) for string quartet & He That Dwelleth (1921) for double choir a cappella
  • Marianna von Martines: Miserere (1768) for chorus and continuo
  • Francesca Caccini: Duets (1618) for voices and continuo
  • Ethel Smyth: Kyrie from Mass in D (1891) arr. by Amelia LeClair for string quartet and chorus
  • Patricia Van Ness: Premiere of new work for string quartet and soprano

Ensemble for the Romantic Century presents a play involving the fusion of Emily Dickinson’s writings and music by Amy Beach entitled “Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson”

Ensemble for the Romantic Century presents a play involving the fusion of Emily Dickinson’s writings and music by Amy Beach entitled “Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson.”

Works by Amy Beach include her songs “Ah, Love but a Day,” “Chanson d’Amour” and “Stella viatoris” as well as excerpts/movements from her instrumental chamber works – Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, Op.80, Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150 and Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67!

September 15- October 21, 2018: Performances at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036

Emily Dickinson produced some of the most haunting and mysterious works of the 19th Century but she was one of the most elusive artistic personalities. In Dickinson’s self-imposed solitude, she constructs a world of images, sensations, and emotions ruled by the breadth of her imagination. Through a pairing of her words with the music of renowned composer Amy Beach, audiences embark on a journey through Dickinson’s soul and inner world.  For more info and tickets, please visit their website.

Enjoy reading about how music theory professor Dr. Sabrina Clarke makes a point to use musical examples written by Amy Beach and other women in her classroom to teach music theory concepts as well as inclusiveness!

Many music professors in the areas of theory, history, etc. strive to remain inclusive in their classrooms by using research and examples from diverse sources.  In this case, Dr. Sabrina Clarke makes a point to include musical examples written by women every Friday using her strategy #femalecomposerfridays!

According to Dr. Clarke:

Each semester I try to develop new strategies for consistent representation of diverse voices in my theory classes. These strategies get worked into my regular course plans, and hopefully are positive steps towards a more inclusive music theory experience…Emphasizing and re-emphasizing the problems of representation in music theory is essential not only as a starting point for change, but for students to understand the context and need for this change.

Enjoy reading more about her strategy and her use today of musical examples taken from Amy Beach’s Dancing Leaves, Op. 102, no. 2 to aid in her in-class interval identification lesson!

Concert Update – Due to the risk of inclement weather, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra have postponed their “Symphonic Dances” performance to Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7 pm

Important update regarding this week’s concert:

“Because of significant risk of severe weather and lightning on Wednesday both during the concert and during the set up period, we have decided to postpone our performance of “Symphonic Dances” to Thursday, August 23 at 7:00 pm at the DCR’s Hatch Shell. Thursday promises to be a beautiful summer day.” 

The Boston Landmarks Orchestra, under the direction of Christopher Wilkins, will be performing Amy Beach’s Bal Masqué for Orchestra, Op. 22 using Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications’ revised edition!

For more info, please visit the Boston Landmarks Orchestra website.

 

Congratulations to the Lark String Quartet of New York for 34 years of wonderful music making including recordings of works by Amy Beach!

The Lark Quartet has announced they are set to disband at the end of the current 2018-19 season – after more than 34 years as an ensemble.  Founded in 1985, the quartet’s current members include violinists Deborah Buck and Basia Danilow, violist Kathryn Lockwood and cellist Caroline Stinson.  This decision was made after cellist Caroline Stinson informed the others that she would be leaving New York for a position at Duke University.  The remaining members decided they would rather finish on a high note with the strong musical and personal relationship among their current ensemble rather than going through the process of auditioning a replacement cellist.

The Lark String Quartet recorded Amy Beach’s Quartet for Strings in One Movement, Op. 89, and together with pianist Joanne Polk of the Manhattan School of Music, they recorded Amy Beach’s Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 34, Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67 and Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150!

For more information, please click here.

Boston Landmarks Orchestra will be playing Amy Beach’s Bal Masqué for Orchestra, Op. 22 using Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications’ revised edition!

On August 22 at 7 PM at the Hatch Memorial Shell, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, under the direction of Christopher Wilkins, will be performing Amy Beach’s Bal Masqué for Orchestra, Op. 22 using Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Publications’ revised edition!

For more info, please visit the Boston Landmarks Orchestra website.

 

“Women Composers Hidden in Plain Sight” – guest post from Music Reference Specialist Melissa E. Wertheimer.

Enjoy reading a guest post on May 30, 2018 from Library of Congress Music Reference Specialist Melissa E. Wertheimer entitled “Women Composers Hidden in Plain Sight,” which includes a picture (below with Beach in the center) and information about Amy Beach (among other female composers), a broadcast program including her music and finally a holograph manuscript page of her music!  

New Critical Edition of Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 45!

A new critical edition of the score and orchestral parts for Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 45 is now available from Subito Music Corp.  The score is available for purchase here and the orchestral parts are available exclusively as rental from the Subito Music Rental Library via Zinfonia. The new edition has already been used by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra.  Good news to finally have an engraved version of this important work!

The editor of this new edition, Laurine Celeste Fox, worked with the manuscript score and parts held in the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music in the Free Library of Philadelphia.  Laurine is also a member of our Beach Advisory Committee.

London-based Marsyas Trio is Fundraising for Video Recording of Amy Beach’s “Pastorale & Caprice (The Water Sprites)” for Flute, Violoncello and Piano!

The London-based Marsyas Trio will be recording a CD “Gates of the Soul,” which will be released with NMC Recordings (one of the leading British labels) in October, to celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage in the UK. The disc will feature music by six living British women composers, including Judith Weir who is our first ever female Master of the Queen’s Music, and two composers who have spent their lives living in the USA: Hilary Tann and Thea Musgrave.

In conjunction with this upcoming CD recording project is the “Stretch Goal” video recording project of AMY BEACH’s “Pastorale & Caprice (The Water Sprites)” for flute, cello and piano, which were written in 1921, a year after American suffrage was obtained, and so connect with the theme of their CD rather nicely! They have a fundraising campaign to record these two works by Beach, and the URL is www.marsyastrio.com/kickstarter. They’ll be setting visuals made from shadow puppetry to the video, to accompany the music, and this will all be freely available on YouTube or similar. Please consider providing financial support for their project! Their fundraiser runs until March 15.

In the words of the Marsyas Trio cellist Dr. Val Welbanks:

“Women of my generation and younger take our rights for granted and we know very little about how difficult things were before us. So if people can give a little money towards our project that’s great (!) but mainly we’re using this as a way to contribute to the year’s celebration of the strong and creative women before us, and around us, and to participate in the discussion on how we can take the next steps towards equality. And of course this will also be our contribution towards celebrating (albeit a little late) Amy Beach’s 150th anniversary!”

Dreams of Romance: Music of Amy Beach Featuring Piano and Chamber Music in Saint Paul, Minnesota!

Enjoy piano and chamber music by Amy Beach in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Feb. 11! The performers Lillie Gardner (piano) with Hannah Schendel (violin) will perform the following:

BERCEUSE for violin and piano, op. 40
HERMIT THRUSH, op. 92
LES RÊVES DES COLUMBINE, op. 65
NOCTURNE, op. 107
ROMANCE for violin and piano, op. 23

The event is free admission and will take place on Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m. at the Thelma Hunter Recital Room, Landmark Center, St. Paul, Minnesota.