The Americans

Variations on Balkan Themes Op. 60

Theme
The opening section is extremely haunting in nature, as the composer herself states in the Preface. The voicing reminds me of Schubert and the dissonances remind me of Chopin… specifically section C of Chopin’s “Raindrop” prelude.

Var. I
It is very interesting to me that Beach would use the 1st variation as a canonic restatement of the theme. It is amazing though that the music takes on such different qualities with such a simple structural change.

Var. II
This second variation seems to get very intense very quickly. This music is definitely not what I expected, due to the natural stereotypes that exist for someone who isn’t well versed in the music of female composers. The music is heavy, masculine, orchestral, dramatic, and I would imagine that it would be one of the more difficult passages to pull of cleanly.

Var. III
This variation seems a bit like a gypsy music box to me. The use of the N6 chord here is very special to my ears.

Var. IV
This barcarolle is very sweet in nature. However, the scales are similar in treatment to Chopin’s 24th prelude. The use of double-note harmonization’s for timbre rather than technique creates a sound that seems to evoke penetrating emotions.

Var. V
The layering of sonorities here shows a high degree of musical sophistication. This music seems to contain extreme elements of dramatic emotion, yet it is able to package them in manners that are confined and never abrasive.

Var. VI
The use of raised fourth, along with parallel sixths, creates a staged introduction to the Hungarian gypsy music that is to come. The registers, ornaments, and simple harmonic treatment are extremely similar to the final sections of Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies

Var. VII
We transition quite easily from the gypsy tune into what sounds like the elegant music of a haunted ballroom. It is always interesting for me to consider what makes music sound “dark”, which is always weird to think about something sounding like something else appears.


Var. VIII
For the con vigore section Beach employs a large use of dramatic virtuosity to excite a seemingly simple musical idea. It is evident by the number of dynamic indications that Beach considered the craftsmanship of her compositional style to leave few questions for performance indication.


Var. IX
This funeral march is almost entirely rooted in the use of register and dynamics. The melodic content begins as second to the atmosphere, and as the variation continues the melody becomes a triumphant song, only before returning to the dark and ominous chimes from the beginning.

Var. X
Whereas the initial theme of these variations was completely functional, this variation alters to the realm of coloristic harmony. This fantasia section is used to gradually increase excitement and sound as we transition back to the 2nd variation content.

Var. XI
This section is a bit mysterious to me. It seems that Beach opted to omit the typical climax style of traditional variation sets. Instead this set seems to do more of a symmetrical arch, rather than reaching a loud and virtuosic penultimate variation with a final resolve section.

Var. XII
It ends as it began, soft and sad.


Woodland Sketches

1) To a Wild Rose
The music here contains a highly delicate nature. The upward motion of the music suggests to me the blossoming of the rose, while the “slightly marked” descending tenor scale near the end suggests a wilting quality. In this sense the music contains the idea that any elements of sorrow only eventually return to the delicate and happy qualities that complete the cycle.

2) Will-o’-the-Wisp
The monophonic element of this composition is the most interesting to me. I always find myself questioning why a composer would write anything monophonic for piano, such as Chopin’s “Wind Over the Grave” following the famous funeral march. I still have not found any answer on this subject.

3) At an Old Trysting Place
This piece reminds me again of Schubert, in the way that each voice in the piano seems to carry its own melody, almost like a choir.

4) In Autumn
This depiction of autumn seems to be attached to a mischievous quality. The use of chromaticism makes great use of a rich color in a functional setting. I find the direction to “diminish without retarding” interesting. I wonder if the piece is meant to display the games of autumn.

5) From an Indian Lodge
The rhythm of the introduction is confusing to listen to and comes across as almost improvisatory. I see the character of this piece as being like that of the totem pole: stern, strong, stubborn, and mighty.

6) To a Water-lily
The sonorities of this piece are beautiful, as well as unique to my ears. The layering is like that of Debussy. The harmonies are a mixture of folk and coloristic, all the while portraying the atmosphere of a hymn. The delicate writing seems to perfectly match the vision of a water lily floating about.

7) From Uncle Remus
The sporadic rhythm, mixed with jumping articulations, carries the same excitement of an old man telling humorous and surprising stories. You can hear that the story teller increases the movements and volume in order to make the tale as effective as possible. The goal of this piece is to excite, not to narrate.

8) A Deserted Farm
In the case of this piece I believe that the programmatic title becomes a part of the composition. The portrayal of a static image would be close to impossible, however, if you allow the title to carry the image and the music to carry the emotion then the work emerges as one complete piece of art. I do not think that the composer intended anyone to envision a farm without the aid of the program.

9) By a Meadow Brook
Here we get a variety of flowing textures: such as trills, triplets, arpeggios, swiftly broken octaves, and uses of high register.

10) Told at Sunset
This piece, like the sunset, seems to be constantly descending. There are twinkling sounds that reveal to me the rippling water reflecting the glow on the horizon. At the end of the piece there is a seemingly random use of the upper register, which one would not expect if the sun had set, almost as if this were the final statement of our setting sun.


Sketches, Op. 15

1) In Autumn
I really enjoy Beach’s method of presenting thematic material in a simple fashion before harmonically exaggerating it. This is the type of music that I would love to play for “entertainment” purposes. It possesses those salon qualities while remaining harmonically complex enough to make is fun and engaging.

2) Phantoms
This definitely sounds like a Chopin waltz to me. I enjoy Beach’s use of thick harmonies within light textures. The sound becomes folk like while remaining in the upper echelon of musical integrity.

3) Dreaming
The design of this sketch is beautiful. The treatment of the accompaniment must be at least partially derived from Chopin’s etude in E-flat minor. Her skills as a composer are obvious in her ability to keep the listener engaged despite the never-ending change in texture.

4) Fire-flies
This seems as if it must have originally been conceived as an etude in thirds. The content is lovely. However, it is obvious that this piece, unlike the others, is all about technique.


New England Idyls

1) An Old Garden
It is always interesting to listen to a piece that contains little variance in rhythm or harmony, and that could easily be like a hymn, but captivates you no differently than a supreme show of color and flare could. Having never heard American music of this type I find myself making visual associations with the music that are very rewarding for me.

2) Mid-Summer
The use of motives here creates a lovely dialogue of texture. I would imagine that the overlapping textures symbolize the drifting of lazy clouds over the swaying wheat, as suggested in the poem. The use of such variety in a confined register is interesting, as well as the fact that this piece seems to specifically evoke the sweet sounds that only a piano could, unlike that music that is for piano but meant to sound like something else.

3) Mid-Winter
This piece is much more complex than the previous two. The sound is used to portray a mixing of emotions, whereas the others seemed to represent specific and self-contained moods or scenes. The lower registers are used to create a moaning\groaning effect.

4) With Sweet Lavender
The poem suggests that this is a piece about a lost lover. The sounds represent some pain, but mostly favor only the love side of the idea. I like this outlook, favoring the better end of memories and emotions; a remembering of life rather than a mourning of death.

5) In Deep Woods
The presence of four stanzas is interesting enough to comment on, but even more interesting than the separation of stanzas is the performance indications that accompany the various stanzas. The level of involvement by the composer in the interpretation of the music is second only to that of 20th century composers.

6) Indian Idyl
The mentioning of the flute in the poem is obviously evident in the music. The harmonies here are reminiscent of what we associate with the native-americans (the title doesn’t seem to be up-to-date with politically correctness). The use of the damper pedal in this piece is similar to impressionist ideals.

7) To an Old White Pine
Crescendos and large chords are used to evoke the image and stature of a large tree. I would imagine that the lighter sections are meant to display height, or the feeling of open air.

8) From Puritan Days
I am not sure how to interpret this piece. The quote would suggest that it is a chant. The harmonies would suggest that it is meant to convey the harsh and powerful.

9) From a Log Cabin
This piece seems more about the creation of a quaint feeling than the display of any scene or character. I am beginning to see that the pieces with folk rhythms are meant to convey something from human perspective, whereas the more inventive figures are used to personify non-human elements.

10) The Joy of Autumn
This piece is quite simply a sickeningly happy work. The ending seems to contain the most virtuosic elements of the set, bringing the work to an exciting close.