Op. 100

Amy Beach

Amy Beach’s Op. 100 comprises two evocative songs for soprano, violin, cello, and piano—"A Mirage" and "Stella Viatoris." These songs weave her lush Romantic style with poetic imagery. The first, “A Mirage” is set to text by the poet, B. Ochsner. The poem begins by describing purple mountaintops rising through a mist of silver clouds under the moon, which shines like a ghost in the pallid heavens through the evening shadows. The second stanza depicts a lofty eucalyptus stretching toward the heavens with drowsy westwind, sighing the theme of lamentation, depicting echoes of a heart’s unfulfilled longing.

​

Stella Viatoris begins with a mystical flurry of sound from the instruments, setting the stage for the Soprano to appear dazzlingly in the song with a whisper about the sky growing dark. The music winds on as the Soprano finds her way through moaning winds, past bare trees plying futile, weaving sadly and slowly, continuing on the theme of sad lamentation introduced in the first song, A Mirage. Stella Viatoris begins to gain energy with the wandering soprano until the text interjects a gripping “But.” But: that arresting word! But what? The text continues that over the east, the grim clouds part, a fleece of white, revealing a space of blue. With the music we feel the growing excitement: Aloft, afar! There’s a single shining star! The music accelerates to a grand climax in which the Soprano declares that the star is like “the kindness of God shining through.” 

​

Amy Beach was an active member of the St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City and, like many composers, wrote music inspired by her faith. During my university music studies, my cello professor would always tell me that music has the ability to connect people to the divine. I don’t think my teacher was a particularly religious person. But this lesson she taught has remained with me and rung true in my experience both as a musician, teacher and audience member. I have fond memories of sitting in concert halls, allowing my heart and mind to wander, taking the chance for spiritual introspection, as I listened to live performances. Please allow me to invite you to do the same now. Life is full of dark lamentations. But tonight, may you feel the kindness of God shining through to you. 

​

​

​

A Mirage
Text: Bertha Ochsner 

Now the mountaintop all purple 
Rises thro’ a mist of silver 
While the moon, a disc of cobwebs
Shining in the pallid heavens
Ghostlike thro’ the evening shadows

Now the lofty eucalyptus 
Stretches forth its chalky branches 
Toward the lovely, lustered heavens
While the drowsy westwind sighing 
Sings the theme of lamentation
 

Stella Viatoris
Text: Jessie Hague Nettleton

Dun grows the sky
The cloudrak dark
In the west hangs low

The wind moans by
The bare trees ply their futile weaving 
Sad and slow 
But o’er the east
The grim clouds part
A fleece of white
A space of blue 
Aloft, afar
There’s a single star
Like the kindness of God
Shining thro’