Her more serious musical education was pursued under Mr. Ernst Perabo at first, and afterward under Junius W. Hill, of Wellesley College, and Carl Baermann. Under Professor Hill she took a single course of harmony, but in all the important subjects of counterpoint, fugue, musical form, and instrumentation, she carried on her work entirely alone. Among the tasks she set for herself was the translation of the books on orchestration by Berlioz and Gevaert. Another consisted in memorizing Bach fugues and rewriting them with a voice on each staff.
She made her Boston début as a pianist in 1883, at the age of sixteen, playing a Moscheles concerto and a Chopin rondo. Her success was instantaneous, and in the same season she gave several recitals with similar result. In the next year she played a Chopin concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a Mendelssohn work with the Thomas Orchestra. Since then she has appeared constantly in all of our large cities, often devoting whole programmes to her own works. At one of the Symphony concerts she brought out her own concerto. In December, 1885, she married Doctor Beach, and has since then made Boston her permanent home.
The first performances of her large works have often been events of importance. In 1892, when she brought out her mass in E flat at the Handel and Haydn concerts, she was on the programme for the piano part of Beethoven's Choral Fantasie, and the ovation she received on her appearance will not soon be forgotten by those present. Her "Jubilate" cantata was written for the dedication of the women's building at the Chicago Exposition, and scored a great success there. During the fair, she played for the first time her romance for violin and piano, in conjunction with Miss Maud Powell. A violin sonata, which she composed later and played with Mr. Franz Kneisel, has become a favourite with the most famous artists in Paris, Berlin, London, and other great musical centres. The same popularity and favourable mention have been accorded to her piano pieces and songs, the Italian audiences especially becoming enthusiastic over some of the latter.
Her Gaelic Symphony, built on real Gaelic themes, was another ambitious work. It was first given at Boston in 1896, and since then has gone the rounds of all the great American cities. Among her other large works are three cantatas, with orchestral accompaniment that can be reduced to dimensions suitable for piano. They are "The Rose of Avontown," for female voices, "The Minstrel and the King," for male chorus and soloists, and "Sylvania," a wedding cantata recently published. Another vocal work of great merit is an a capella motet, while among her earlier compositions is the scena for contralto and orchestra, entitled "Eilende Wolken," on a text from Schiller's "Maria Stuart."
Mrs. Beach's piano works consist of a cadenza to Beethoven's C minor concerto, a valse-caprice, a ballade, four sketches, a "Bal Masque" Waltz, a Children's Carnival and Children's Album, her concerto in C sharp minor, a transcription of Richard Strauss's "Serenade," five pieces (Barcarolle, Menuet Italien, Danse des Fleurs, Scottish Legend, Gavotte Fantastique), and a set of six duets entitled "Summer Dreams." For violin and piano, besides the two works already mentioned, are three pieces, "La Captive" (G string), "Berceuse," and "Mazurka," all three being arranged for 'cello and piano also. Her vocal works include more than sixty songs, most of which are well known to American music lovers. Some are provided with violin obligato, while others have orchestral accompaniments. There are a number of part-songs for different combinations of voices, and several sacred selections for various occasions. Among her songs the favourites are "Fairy Lullaby," "Ecstasy," "Thy Beauty," "Scottish Cradle Song," "Elle et Moi," "Spring," "Hymn of Trust," some sets of Shakespeare, Browning, and Burns poems, and many others,—in fact, practically the entire list.
Margaret Ruthven Lang, another of Boston's gifted musical women, was born November 27, 1867. The name of her father, Mr. B. J. Lang, is familiar to all Americans who can claim to know anything of music. Her mother was an exquisite amateur singer, and in the musical atmosphere of the family the daughter's talents have had every opportunity to develop. She commenced her piano study under a pupil of her father's and continued it under paternal direction. She took up violin with Louis Schmidt in Boston, and carried it on with Drechsler and Abel in Munich, where she also began composition with Victor Gluth. After her return she continued her work for a time with Prof. John K. Paine and J. C. D. Parker, finishing her orchestration with George W. Chadwick. Her own persistent study has been of great advantage to her.
She began composing at the age of twelve, numbering among her early works several songs and a movement of a piano quintette. Her efforts in larger forms have been unusually well received. Her "Dramatic Overture" was given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1893, and in the same year Theodore Thomas performed her overture, "Witichis." Still another overture, "Totila," is in manuscript. Among other works are three orchestral arias, "Sappho's Prayer to Aphrodite," for alto; "Armida," for soprano; and the yet unperformed "Phœbus," for baritone. An orchestral ballade won much success in Baltimore in 1901. She has also written an orchestral cantata, a string quartette, and several works for violin and piano.
Miss Lang has published a number of successful part-songs for men's, women's, and mixed voices. Of her fifty or more songs, all are more or less widely known. The favourites among them seem to be "My Lady Jacqueminot," "Meg Merrilies," "Deserted," "Eros," and the well-known sets, "Five Norman Songs," "Six Scotch Songs," "Three Songs of the Night," and "Three Songs of the East." Her piano music is also excellent, among the best examples being the Rhapsody, the Meditation, a poetic revery, the charming Spring Idyll, and her early suite, entitled "Petit Roman."
Clara Kathleen Barnett, now Mrs. Rogers, is also a resident of Boston. Born in England, she received her earliest musical education from her parents. They were of a talented family, for her grandfather was the famous song-writer, Robert Lindley. In 1856 she was sent to the Leipsic Conservatory, studying piano with Moscheles, ensemble playing with David and Rietz, and harmony with Richter. Her singing, by which she first became famous, was begun with Goetze and finished at Berlin under Frau Zimmermann. Under the name of Clara Doria, she appeared with success in many Italian cities, and finally came to America, where she married and settled in Boston. Her present work consists of teaching and composing. In the former field, her book, "The Philosophy of Singing," contains much new and valuable material. Among her compositions is first of all a string quartette of excellent workmanship. There are also sonatas for violin and for 'cello with piano, and a piano scherzo. Her songs are many in number and excellent in quality. Among them are two sets of Browning Songs, six Folk Songs, and such favourites as "The Rose and the Lily," "Clover Blossoms," "Confession," "At Break of Day," and many others.
In the front rank of American pianists is Julia Rivé-King. A native of Cincinnati, she began her musical education under William Mason and S. B. Mills, finishing abroad with Reinecke and Liszt. At her début, in Leipsic, she scored a great success, and since then has been steadily before the public. Her compositions are mostly for piano, including some excellent Liszt and Scarlatti transcriptions. Among her own works are a Polonaise Héroïque, Polka Caprice, Gems of Scotland, and many other popular numbers.