By Jeanette McDonough
For centuries the role of women in the arts has been debated. One of the key issues of discussion has often been the idea that women in general are not capable of producing masterworks of art and music. A viewpoint that has been fostered by many because women haven’t been represented equally in terms the sheer volume of work produced when compared to their male counterparts. The argument has been supported frequently by citing the prolific body of work available from gifted male composers. Women, or men for that matter, who’d like to argue that women are as capable of producing great works of music are often stymied because they themselves haven’t been exposed to many works by women composers.
Recently I was pulled into this discussion by a man that I sincerely admire. He can be a bit sexist, but he is bright, articulate and talented in his own right. I respect his opinion on most things. He has a tendency, on occasion, to ruffle my feathers by making outrageous statements about men and women. He does this, I believe, for the sheer entertainment value of watching me get worked up. I also believe that sometimes he likes to pique my curiosity. He began the discussion by making the assertion that women simply were not as deep as men. He supported this argument by citing the dearth of musical masterpieces by women. I was by this time searching for a logical argument that would shut him up and in the process defend the dignity of women everywhere. The problem was that at that moment I couldn’t think of a single female composer whose work rivaled that of Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Schumann or Brahms. I am ashamed of this fact and was resolved to remedy the situation post haste!
I began my quest to track down women composers by asking my self the most basic of questions. Why are women underrepresented in the arts? It isn’t possible to look at women in the arts without looking at the times and societies in which creative women have lived. It isn’t news to note that women have often faced prohibitions that have made creative expression difficult or in many cases impossible. For example, women were expected to put their energies into their homes and families rather than in to the creative pursuits. Even truly gifted women such as Amy Cheney Beach (1867-1944), American composer, were asked to put aside their careers to accommodate their spouses and family commitments (http://womenshistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=womenshistory&cdn=education&tm=18&gps=81_7_753_399&f=10&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//metalab.unc.edu/cheryb/women/abeach.html). Amy Beach has earned the distinction of being the first great American woman composer despite honoring the wishes of her husband to curtail her performances during his lifetime, a fact that only further illustrates her tremendous gifts.
In addition, prevailing ideas about the roles and limitations of women have often reinforced the idea that women were subordinate to men in all ways. Hildegard of Bergen for example, was a remarkable woman who seemed to defy many of the stereotypes imposed by her generation. She was a visionary, artist and composer par excellence who left behind a rich legacy of work that has elevated her in the eyes of many to the status of a Saint. She was the first person to write a musical drama which she called The Ritual of the Virtues. In addition, her work was unconventional for her time. Instead of writing pieces that were monotonous by modern standards as was the custom in medieval times, her pieces were lavish and vibrant. Despite the fact that she clearly stood out amongst the composers of that age, she was modest and unimposing and believed women were inferior to men when she referred to herself as “paupercula feminea forma” or a poor, weak woman,( Nancy Fierro http://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/horst/hildegard/music/music.html).
Women composers were also overshadowed by their husbands and relatives as well, even when they demonstrated tremendous talent. Two examples of this are Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn. Clara Schumann is known for her chamber music and piano pieces. Many musical scholars suggest that her compositions influenced her husband Robert Schumann greatly though she never attained the acclaim in her lifetime of her famous spouse (Jone Johnson Lewis, http://womenshistory.about.com/od/toppicksmusic/tp/womenalbums01.htm). Today she is considered one of the greatest women composers of the 19th century (http://www.geneva.edu/~dksmith/clara/schumann.html).
Fanny Mendelssohn was a child prodigy and sibling to well-known composer Felix Mendelssohn. Recent critiques of her work suggest that she was equal to her famous brother in talent and by some accounts perhaps even more gifted. She was discouraged in her lifetime by the males in her family, yet she persevered and wrote over 400 pieces (http://www.ambache.co.uk/wMendelssohn.htm). Women historically have been relegated to the shadows by the conventions of their lifetimes, yet some have transcended those limitations like bright sparks of light to illuminate our lives today. As important, the contributions of these amazing women composers are out there as inspiration for young women who are striving to find their way in the world today if only they have the opportunity to be exposed to them.
The next time I’m drawn into a conversation regarding the virtues or lack there of creative women with my caustic friend, I’ll be better equipped to defend women in the arts. In fact, I should be grateful to him for getting me mad enough to explore the contribution of women in arts and specifically in music. Inadvertently, maybe, he opened my eyes to a wealth of talent and beautiful music that may have escaped my attention for quite some time. This issue has also made me realize that promoting the work of these incredible women not only brings belated recognition to them, but helps establish credibility of the women artists that follow.
For more information of women composers, take a gander at these links;http://womenshistory.about.com/od/toppicksmusic/tp/womenalbums01.htmhttp://www.ambache.co.uk/women.htm
http://library.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/women.html
This a fantastic topic! Just a few months ago, the underrepresentation of women in poetry was brought to my attention by someone I know who keeps quoting male poets. This is a wealth of information. Thank you very much for sharing.
Unfortunately the battle to be taken seriously as women and as composers of new music is a constant one, and it is a battle that may never be won.
Every intelligent person knows that women are just as capable of creative art as men. The physical requirements of being a composer are the same for women and men, and the record (literally the record, or a bunch of CD recordings) shows that it is impossible to identify the gender of a performing musician, unless s/he is a singer.
When intelligent musically-literate men and women are challenged to “name a great woman composer” they name the list you have above, and they add some others like Lili Boulanger, Rebecca Clarke, and Ruth Crawford Seeger. Then they go on to name a few of the more visable living women like Joan Tower, Melinda Wagner, or Deborah Drattell, who have their works performed by major orchestras. Those who “know” often feel strongly about the under-representation of women as composers in the historical musical record.
I am a composer and a woman. I have had quite a bit of personal success as a composer, which means that I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful musicians who have enjoyed playing my music. I am also fortunate to have had a lot of my music published, so it is sometimes played by people I do not know. When I go to performances of my music, I often get looks of surprise when people see me. Perhaps it is because, in addition to being female, I am also short, and look rather young for my 48 years. People in the audience often give me words of encouragement, and complement me on a job well done. Some people tell me I should keep writing. Some express surprise that a non-intimidating woman “wrote all that.” Many just don’t know what to say.
This is not something I have noticed when I have gone to performances of music written by my male counterparts. They tend to be treated as “wonderkinder” if they are young or look young, or as “masters” if they are older or look older. Instead of encouragement to “keep writing” they get offered commissions by people who are impressed by their music, and they are treated as professionals.
Mariella, We hope that this will be the first of several articles on women in the arts. There are so many talented women artists out there and they just don’t get the acknowledgment they deserve. Thanks for your feedback
Elaine, Thanks you for the additional information on women composers! I really appreciate your expertise on this topic as well.
Bonjour,
I am happy to help you on this subjetc, as I spent the last ten years researching 19th century French women composers, and published a book on the subject. My website in unfortunately only in French. For a wonderful source of information in English on the subject of women composers, I recommend the site of Eugene Gates:
http://www.kapralova.org/INTPROJECT.htm
Amicalement.
Florence Launay
Mannheim, Germany