Amy Beach and the poetry of Robert Browning

Abstract

This study has focused on the American composer Amy Cheney Beach and her Three Browning Songs, Op. 44. These works use the poetry of Robert Browning and the first was commissioned by the Boston Browning Society to celebrate the poet’s birthday. Beach was known for her romantic, lyrical, and memorable melodies, her religious outlook, and her love of nature. All of these qualities are seen in Browning’s poetry making them the perfect fit for Beach’s compositions. By looking at the context of the poetry Beach uses and understanding the views of both poet and composer, a singer can better make musical decisions and choices when preparing these pieces.