Amy Beach Research Paper

The nineteenth century was a complicated time for women and music. Men imposed patriarchal gender roles onto the rules of music, inhibiting women from breaking into the field of music by forcing upon them a list of “do’s and don’ts.” If a woman follows all of these rules, she may be finally acknowledged by her male peers as an “accomplished woman.” One woman in particular who had been affected by these constraints on her creativity was Amy Beach, a musical prodigy. Despite Beach’s restrictions, she was able to both adhere to her societal roles of the time while also pushing past her limits, becoming much more than just an “accomplished woman.” So what exactly is an accomplished woman? This title seems to compliment women, but in nineteenth century society, it had a much different meaning. To become accomplished meant for a woman to follow a series of social rules constructed by males of the time. The goal of all this: to find a …show more content…
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