Classifying hybrid forms can be complicated. 2) briefly explore blurred boundaries and quasi-parallel constructions within sectional formal designs. Finally, analyses of “Sweetheart, Sigh No More” (op. 2) highlights complex principles of strophic modification. The focal analysis of “Ah, Love, but a Day!” (op. 3) demonstrate additions to and replacements of strophic material. After describing the analytical model, I will explore these questions in five representative songs from Beach’s output published over a span of 25 years, with forms that range from relatively straightforward strophic modifications to more complex ones. The interpretive model and the analyses that follow are motivated by the following questions: How can analysts deal with the grey areas between an extensively modified strophic form and a through-composed design, or between strophic and other formal designs? In what ways might listeners understand formal modifications in Beach’s songs? To what degree must musical material be altered before listeners are likely to hear it as something new rather than a varied restatement? Finally, how do Beach’s formal modifications interrelate with the song texts? The model is most useful for understanding song forms that lie in between standard formal categories rather than those that lie squarely within one. To this end, I offer a model for interpreting song form that situates songs based on the nature of recurring material, from strophic (maximal recurring material) to through-composed (minimal recurring material). The purpose of this article is to explore formal deviations in Beach’s art songs and seek new ways to understand form in this genre. (3) More common are hybrid designs that rely on some degree of strophic or sectional modification. In fact, out of 111 published songs by Beach that I have examined, just two use simple strophic designs, three resemble rounded binary, and only one is a straightforward ABA′ structure. In addition, Sharon Llewellyn argues, “The strophic and modified strophic often push the envelope of form as Beach increasingly varies the original melody with each return” ( 2008, 209). and lack of well-defined sections” ( 1994, 161–62). Jeanell Wise Brown observes the difficulty of categorizing the forms of Beach’s music, especially her songs written before 1899, due to “the multiplicity of melodic ideas. The formal designs of Beach’s songs are particularly compelling, often featuring hybrid structures that fuse principles of modified strophic form with other formal schemes. I would argue that they also deserve a permanent place in the music-analytical repertory.
For these reasons, Adrienne Fried Block argues, “Beach’s songs deserve a permanent place in the vocal repertory” ( 1998, 158). Furthermore, many of Beach’s songs exhibit high levels of emotion, long vocal melodies, and artistic accompaniments. (2) Stylistically, most of her published songs draw upon rich chromaticism that recalls the style of late Romantic German Lieder.
In addition to her numerous chamber works and her famous larger works, such as the Gaelic Symphony (1897) and the Mass (1890), American composer and pianist Amy Beach (1867–1944) composed well over one hundred art songs, which have received scant analytic attention in mainstream music-theoretic discourse. Above all things, avoid becoming stereotyped in expressions of melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic ideas. Learn to employ as much variety in form as possible. 2) explore blurred boundaries and quasi-parallel constructions within sectional formal designs.Ĭopyright © 2014 Society for Music Theory 2) highlights complex principles of strophic modification in which the melody preserves strophic structure but the harmony and texture depart from strophic design. An analysis of “Ah, Love, but a Day!” (op. 3) demonstrate additions to and departures from strophic design. In order to explore form in Beach’s art songs that resist simple classification, I develop a new model for interpreting song form that situates songs based on the nature of recurring material, from strophic (maximal recurring material) to through-composed (minimal recurring material). BeachĪBSTRACT: American composer Amy Beach wrote over a hundred art songs, many of which comprise compelling hybrid formal designs that fuse principles of modified strophic form with other formal schemes. KEYWORDS: song, form, strophic, modification, Amy Beach, Mrs.
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