Amy Beach’s Violin Sonata Transcribed for the Viola: An Exploration of Her Letters and Synesthesia

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867–1944) stands as a monumental figure in the history of American classical music, renowned for her achievements as the first American woman to gain widespread recognition as a composer of large-scale orchestral works. Central to understanding Beach’s stylistic practices and her approach to composition is her correspondence, notably the letters housed in the A.P. Schmidt Company Archives.

The A.P. Schmidt Company archives, 1869 to 1958, are located in the Performing Arts Reading Room at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., United States. During my visit to the Library of Congress, I reviewed hundreds of correspondence between Beach and the A.P. Schmidt Company. The letters within this collection not only reveal Beach’s perspectives on music and performance but also offer a glimpse into her methods of transcribing and interpreting works. This lecture recital explores how Beach’s letters, particularly those discussing her transcription of Richard Strauss’ Serenade, can inform contemporary performance practices and guide my original transcription of her Violin Sonata, Op. 34, for the viola.

Amy Beach had synesthesia, the neurological condition where stimulation of one sense triggers experiences in another, unrelated sense. Her strong association of key to color impacted her compositions, transcriptions, and interpretations of works. By considering her preferences regarding key, expression, and technical considerations, this research will argue for maintaining the original key in the viola transcription, as well as highlighting the stylistic nuances that are integral to Beach’s work.