BaL 15.01.22 - The works of Amy Beach

[LeMartinPecheur]

Haven't listened yet but was there ever a BaL that attracted so little interest.

If 'lack of interest' is being measured by the number of postings on this thread, isn't the real test the number of listeners? This listener, not entirely ignorant of Beach's merits, listened with great interest, and now likely to explore further

Not perhaps the classic rationale for BaL but still worthy?

[Darloboy]

Not much interest in this BaL ... The only piece I had by Amy Beach was the Piano Concerto which came via a gargantuan (21 hours of music) and absurdly cheap download of Romantic Piano Concertos from Presto. Mainly older but serviceable recordings from the Vox/Turnabout back catalogue and an intriguing cornucopia of neglected pieces. The Hyperion is a newer recording and probably preferable but I don't need two.

When I saw this BaL coming I became interested in her songs and discovered that Presto listed several options;

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7930337--american-classics-amy-beach-songs

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7981634--amy-beach-rendezvous-love-songs-of-the-belle-epoque-era

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7943059--songs-of-amy-beach

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7936760--amy-beach-chanson-d-amour

I was hoping for guidance - in vain, as it happened, because the one song disc mentioned is a recital of songs by various female French composers. It appears to be an excellent disc which I may well get (reviewed here). However, it contains only one two minute setting by Amy Beach so it seems to me to be not an appropriate recommendation in a BaL devoted to one composer. I can't see that it was necessary to harp on about the disc's supposedly unsuitable title.

And what about the 5 CD Jussi Björling box set she recommended - which only includes one Beach song lasting 3:17?

In the past when BaL did these composer surveys the reviewer would recommend a basic library of core works and list the other recordings played as "Also recommended". Discs containing only one very short work by a composer would not have been included in the basic library. It strikes me that Katy Hamilton could have tried to do something similar here. I appreciate she said there's not many Beach only discs out there (which perhaps suggests that she isn't really the best composer for such a survey in the first place - compare this with eg the amount of Schütz and Zelenka material available) but I can see that there's a CD of 36 Beach songs available on Naxos, which would seem to be much more suited as an introduction to the composer's vocal works than the 2 CDs recommended. It has reasonably good reviews online so surely should have been at least mentioned?

[Darloboy]

And what about the 5 CD Jussi Björling box set she recommended - which only includes one Beach song lasting 3:17?

In the past when BaL did these composer surveys the reviewer would recommend a basic library of core works and list the other recordings played as "Also recommended". Discs containing only one very short work by a composer would not have been included in the basic library. It strikes me that Katy Hamilton could have tried to do something similar here. I appreciate she said there's not many Beach only discs out there (which perhaps suggests that she isn't really the best composer for such a survey in the first place - compare this with eg the amount of Schütz and Zelenka material available) but I can see that there's a CD of 36 Beach songs available on Naxos, which would seem to be much more suited as an introduction to the composer's vocal works than the 2 CDs recommended. It has reasonably good reviews online so surely should have been at least mentioned?

I've also just noticed that there are 4 CDs of Beach's complete piano works by Kirsten Johnson on Guild Music. Very highly praised on MusicWeb. I don't recall this being mentioned by Katy Hamilton either.

[BBMmk2]

She composed a terrific piano concerto, most certainly! I heard that on Hannah French’s programme yesterday. I’ve placed my copy on order!