Obscure Music Monday: Beach's Nocturne

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (Sept. 5, 1867 - December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. Extremely gifted from a young age, Beach's talents seemed to run in the family, with various members playing instruments or singing, and showing great aptitude for music.

Beach was exceptionally talented, having learned 40 songs around the age of one, and at two she was able to sing counter melodies. She taught herself to read at three, and composed some piano waltzes at age four. She began formal lessons with her mother at six, and was soon giving public recitals and performing her own music. In 1875, her family moved from New Hampshire to Chelsea, Massachusetts, and instead of enrolling their talented daughter in a European conservatory, they chose to keep her training local. She studied piano along with harmony and counterpoint, but her thirst for knowledge was formidable. She did additional work on her own time outside of her studies.

Beach's output of compositions was significant; she wrote for many different genres, including several works for solo piano, including Nocturne. The strong opening chords let the listener know what to expect for the entire piece: rich harmonies and thick textures. Beach's melodic writing in this is equally gorgeous, with some very long lines over the robust harmonic changes. The syncopation in the left hand pushes the piece along, giving it just the right amount of forward motion while the melody blossoms above. Romantic to the core, this lush work is a treat for the ears!