A Transcription for the Viola of Three Violin Works by Amy Beach: A Historical, Theoretical, and Pedagogical Analysis

The primary purpose of this project was to transcribe and create publisher-ready scores for viola and piano of three works originally written for violin and piano by Amy Beach. These scores are being made available through Spartan Press Music. The pieces transcribed are the Romance, opus 23, Three Pieces for Violin, opus 40, and Invocation, opus 55. A detailed analysis of each of these pieces is also included, as no other scholar has yet published such an analysis. The harmonic, thematic, and melodic components are broken down into as much detail as possible.;Each piece also adds significantly to the viola repertoire. There is a noticeable lack of pieces composed by early American women composers currently available for viola. Besides helping to fill that void, many of these pieces could also serve a specific pedagogical purpose within a viola studio. For example, La Captive, one of the pieces from opus 40, is to be played entirely on the C string when transcribed (originally entirely on the violin G string), necessitating many shifts into high positions. Berceuse, another piece from opus 40, is to be played muted. The inclusion of these works into the viola repertoire provides both performers and teachers with new programming and study options.