Review

Reviewed by Murray McLachlan in International Piano, Summer 2025 edition.

Times have changed for the better for Amy Beach (1867-1944), with many more performances of her works in the 21st century than during her lifetime. Her newfound celebrity is most welcome, adding numerous works of great originality to concert programmes the world over. Beach’s compositions display impressive craftsmanship and stylistically spring from the late Romantic idiom that was prevalent during her earliest years. These five children’s pieces may be modest but they are exquisitely and elegantly constructed, and will certainly give tactile pleasure to young digits.

We have an elegant F major Minuet, a rather mysterious D minor Gavotte, a wistfully charming C major Waltz, bold dotted rhythms for a March in D major and finally much staccato fingerwork in the G major Polka that neatly closes proceedings. The fact that all these pieces use two treble clefs and are arranged from middle C upwards makes it possible for an enterprising tutor to add a secondo part in lessons, possibly extemporising simple accompanying figurations, octaves and chords. In any case, the music stands convincingly on its own, with welcome detail and care over articulation and dynamic inflections (so often neglected by modern composers in children’s anthologies).