Date of Award
Spring 6-8-2018
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Christine Chaney
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Chérie L. Hughes
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Eric A. Hanson
Keywords
American composers, Mrs. H.H.A. Beach (1867-1944), women composers, Western art music
Abstract
Jephthah’s Daughter (Op. 53), a concert aria for soprano and orchestra written by Amy Beach (1867-1944) in 1903, has long suffered neglect due to the fate of its manuscript and the fate of Beach’s work in general. This investigation seeks to probe how Beach engaged the Biblical subject matter and mid-1800s French text in her setting. I discuss this engagement through stylistic comparison with the musical traits of her other work, translation comparison between the literal meanings of the original poem and Beach’s English rendition, and contextualization of Beach’s setting within the history of how this story has been interpreted. The aria fits within Beach’s dramatic Romantic style and deliberate molding of text, and tells a story with notable connections to her life and work.
Recommended Citation
Aaron, Clarissa E., "A Story of Feminine Sacrifice: The Music, Text, and Biographical Connections in Amy Beach's Concert Aria Jephthah's Daughter" (2018). Honors Projects. 72.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/72
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