Bal Masque

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) was a virtuoso pianist, and the first female composer in the United States to garner success in her native country and abroad. She began her composition career at the tender age of four, and made her public debut as soloist when she was seven. She was a very prolific composer, producing over 150 works of various genres, including chamber works, concertos, songs, and large-scale orchestral and choral works. She also wrote volumes of music for solo piano, which are still in print today.
Bal Masque ("The Masked Ball"), a charming little work for solo piano which dates from 1894, is emblematic of Beach's early style. It contains all of the elegance, humor, and good cheer found in much of her music, and this orchestration for wind band by Patrick Burns reflects the colorful spirit of Beach's original composition.