Amy Beach was born on September 5, 1867 in Henniker, New Hampshire. By the age of six, she began studying piano with her mother and performed her first public recitals one year later. She made her Boston debut in 1883, and two years later performed as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Throughout her marriage, Amy was asked to limit her public performances to one annually and as such decided to focus on composition to satisfy her creative needs. Through intensive study and dedication, Beach became the first American woman to achieve renown as a composer of large-scale orchestral works.

Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet, composed by the largely self-taught Beach in 1908, opens with a dark and expressive Adagio led by the first violin in a mysterious and brooding mood. The second movement explores a highly romantic theme. Despite a rather contained dynamic range, this Adagio espressivo manages to convey tremendous emotional intensity. The finale of this work stands in stark contrast to the previous two movements, opening with an explosive and driving quality. This forward-moving pace is interrupted by a lush lyrical theme before descending back into the main theme and bringing about a dizzying climax at the work’s close.