Dr. Henry Beach, her husband, limited her to merely two performances a year, with all proceeds towards charity. This hindrance was due to the aforementioned social norms of the century; music was not thought to be an appropriate profession for women. However, what sets apart Dr. Beach from the majority of men at the time is his encouragement of her musical career at all. Henry Beach encouraged Amy Beach to compose and she did just that. In 1894, she composed The Gaelic Symphony and in 1896, it was performed in Boston. The symphony was well received, despite her detraction from music’s patriarchal norms. Amy Beach composed the symphony herself, an extreme rarity in those times. The symphony was a “large-scale work,” something deemed over the capabilities of that of a woman. She also not only composed, but she also performed in her symphonies. After her husband’s death, Amy Beach became a full-time performer. As a woman in the nineteenth century, this was an amazing
Dr. Henry Beach, her husband, limited her to merely two performances a year, with all proceeds towards charity. This hindrance was due to the aforementioned social norms of the century; music was not thought to be an appropriate profession for women. However, what sets apart Dr. Beach from the majority of men at the time is his encouragement of her musical career at all. Henry Beach encouraged Amy Beach to compose and she did just that. In 1894, she composed The Gaelic Symphony and in 1896, it was performed in Boston. The symphony was well received, despite her detraction from music’s patriarchal norms. Amy Beach composed the symphony herself, an extreme rarity in those times. The symphony was a “large-scale work,” something deemed over the capabilities of that of a woman. She also not only composed, but she also performed in her symphonies. After her husband’s death, Amy Beach became a full-time performer. As a woman in the nineteenth century, this was an amazing