The Violin Sonata of Amy Beach

118 Pages·2017·6.13 MB·English

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LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
2005
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Yu-Hsien Judy Hung
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
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Hung, Yu-Hsien Judy, "The Violin Sonata of Amy Beach" (2005). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 864.
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THE VIOLIN SONATA OF AMY BEACH

A Monograph

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts

in

The School of Music

by

Yu-Hsien Judy Hung
B.F.A., National Sun Yat-Sen University, 1998
M.M., San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 2001
May, 2005
DEDICATION
This monograph is dedicated to my beloved grandparents, Jin-Yi Hung and Yue-Lian
Chang Hung.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my committee members who have provided support and direction
throughout this project. They are Dr. Robert Peck, Professor Michael Gurt, Professor Kevork
Mardirossian, Professor Julian Shew, and Dr. Katrina Powell.
I would also like to express my appreciation to several persons who have provided
expertise, encouragement, and support through the completion of this work; these include Mike
Spooner, Dr. Joe Abraham of the LSU Writing Center, Liduino Pitombeira, Maria Di Cavalcanti,
Enya Dai, and Jeff Medford.
I wish to thank Hildegard Publishing, MacDowell Colony, Inc., and Milne Special
Collections, University of New Hampshire for granting me permission to reprint the musical
examples.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents, Dong-Po Hung and Shirley Xu, for
their love, encouragement, and support throughout my overseas studies.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………...……………………………………………..iii
LIST OF TABLES…...……………………………………………..……………………………vi
LIST OF EXAMPLES………………………………………………………………………….vii
LIST OF FIGURES......………………………………………………...………………...……...x
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………...xi
CHAPTER 1. LIFE AND MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMY BEACH……..…….…...1
1.1 Amy Marcy Cheney, 1867-1885………………………………...…………………….……1
1.2 Mrs. Henry Harris Aubrey Beach, 1885-1911………………………………………….......5
1.3 After Her Husband’s Death, 1911-1936…………………………………………….………8
1.4 Late Years, 1936-1944…………………………………………………….……………....10
CHAPTER 2. CHAMBER MUSIC COMPOSITIONS AND COMPOSITIONAL
STYLE OF AMY BEACH………………………………………………………….......13
2.1 Music for Violin and Piano……………………………………..………………...…….....13
2.1.1 Romance, Op. 23…………………………………….…….…………………….....14
2.1.2 Three Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 40…..….………………………………....17
2.1.3 Invocation, Op. 55…………...………………………………………………….….22
2.2 Major Chamber Compositions…………………………………………………………….22
2.2.1 Quintet for Piano and Strings, Op. 67………………………......………................24
2.2.2 Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, Op. 80..……………..............27
2.2.3 String Quartet, Op. 89……………………………………………………….……..31
2.2.4 Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 150...….……………..……………….….…34

CHAPTER 3. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE SONATA FOR VIOLIN AND
PIANO IN A MINOR, OP. 34…………………………………………………………...40

CHAPTER 4. MUSICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SONATA FOR VIOLIN AND
PIANO IN A MINOR, OP. 34……………………..………………………………….…45
4.1 Movement I: Allegro moderato……………………..………………...…………….….....45
4.2 Movement II: Scherzo: Molto vivace………………………………...…...………….…...52
4.3 Movement III: Largo con dolore………………………………………....…………....…..64
4.4 Movement IV: Allegro con fuoco…………………………………………...……….……70
4.5 Performance Considerations…………………………...……………………....………….80
4.5.1 Tempo………………………………………………………………………………82
4.5.2 Dynamics…………………………………………………………...…………….. 83
4.5.3 Phrasing and Articulations…………………………………………...…………… 84

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4.5.4 Fingerings and Pedals……...…………………………………………………...….86
4.5.5 Interpretation……………………………………………………………………….86

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………….…….87
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………….…………….…92
APPENDIX
A. CATALOG OF BEACH’S MUSIC..……….………………………...…………………95

B. MUSIC’S TEN COMMANDMENTS AS GIVEN FOR YOUNG COMPOSERS……..100

C. LETTERS OF PERMISSION.…..…………………………………………………….101

VITA..……..……………………………………………………………………………....……106

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LIST OF TABLES
1. Amy Marcy Cheney’s Color-Key Relationships…...…………………………………………...3
2. Beach’s Chamber Music Compositions………………………………………………..….…..14
3. Formal Analysis of Movement I: Sonata Allegro Form……………...…………………....…..53
4. Formal Analysis of Movement II: Scherzo and trio form………………………………....…..63
5. Formal Analysis of Movement III: Sonata Form………...…………………………….…...…71
6. Formal Analysis of Movement IV: Sonata Form…………...…………………………....……81

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LIST OF EXAMPLES
1. “Mamma’s Waltz,” copyist’s manuscript: mm. 1-35…………………………………………..2
2. Programs for 75th Birthday Celebration of Amy Beach……………………………………..11
3. Romance: mm. 1-15………………………………………………………………………….16
4. La Captive: mm. 18-26…………………………………………………...………………….18
5. Berceuse: mm. 1-14………………………………………………...………………………..20
6. Marzuka: mm. 1-15…………………………………………………………………………..21
7. Invocation: mm. 48-57……………………………………………………………………….23
8. Quintet for Piano and Strings: Op. 67, mm. 1-24………………………………...…..………25
9. An Indian Lullaby: mm. 1-4………………………………………………………....……….28
10. Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, theme: mm. 1-4……………………….29
11. Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, var, I: mm. 1-10…………….…......….30
12. String Quartet: mm. 1-14…………………………………………………………………….33
13. Trio, mov. I: mm. 1-2...……………………………………………………………...………..35
14. Trio, mov. II: mm. 30-42……………………………………………………………………..37
15. Trio, mov. III: mm. 1-9…………………………………………...…………...……….…….38
16. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 1-9…………………………...………………………….….…...46
17. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 10-29…………………………..……………......……….……...46
18. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 30-36………………………………..……………...…….….….47
19. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 63-69……………………………..…………………...….….….48
20. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 77-83…………………………..……………………...…..…….49
21. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 84-90…………………………………………..……….....…….50
22. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 165-169……………………………………...…………...….….51
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23. Violin Sonata, mov. I: mm. 324-335……………………………….…….……...…….……..52
24. Violin Sonata, mov. II: mm. 1-6…………………………………………………….……......55
25. Violin Sonata, mov. II: mm. 7-12…………………………………………………...……......56
26. Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto, Op. 35, mov. III: mm. 54-61……………………...….….......57
27. Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto, Op. 35, mov. III: mm. 231-238……………………....……...57
28. Violin Sonata, mov. II: mm. 69-82……………………………………...………….………...58
29. Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto, Op. 64, mov. I: mm. 127-137………………………..……..59
30. Violin Sonata, mov. II: mm. 90-104………………………………………………....…….....59
31. Violin Sonata, mov. II: mm. 154-167…………………………………………….….…….....60
32. Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1, in E Major, mov. III: mm. 389- 394.……….…………..……61
33. Franck, Violin Sonata in A Major, mov. II: mm. 224-229…………………..…………...…..62
34. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 1-4………………………………..…………………...……....64
35. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 9-11…………………………………………………….....…...65
36. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 24-27……………….………………………………….…..….65
37. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 30-34…………………………………………………..….......66
38. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 43-47………………..………………………………….……..67
39. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm. 48-54…………………..………………………………….......68
40. Violin Sonata, mov. III: mm.85-89………….…………………………..…………………...69
41. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 1-9………………………………………….…..….……….....72
42. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 13-15…………………………………….………………..…..73
43. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 45-49………….………………………………………….…...73
44. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 55-64…….…………………………………………..……......74
45. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 65-67……………..………………………………...………....75
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46. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 74-78…………….……………………………...…...…….….76
47. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 93-104………………………………………………......…….77
48. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 113-122…………………………………………………..…....78
49. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 157-160………………………….……………………...….....79
50. Violin Sonata, mov. IV: mm. 203-209……..………………………………………………...79
51. Violin Sonata, manuscript, mov. I: mm. 1-22……………….………….…………………....85

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