Rewriting musical history, re-introducing female composers
April 8, 2020 2:25 PM Subscribe
She was a remarkably gifted French composer, pianist and singer with a voice of extraordinary range and colour. Rossini told an audience after one of her early concerts: “Mark my words, you will hear a lot more from her. Remember that Rossini told you this.” Liszt wrote that the works by her male contemporaries were mere trifles compared to her 1870 opera Astarté. Yet we find the press of her day concentrating instead on descriptions of her beauty and charm, and speculating about her affairs, and now she is called a minor figure among French composers of her time (All Music biography). Anastasia Belina writes for The Guardian, celebrating Augusta Holmès and other women erased from the musical canon.
In writing about Renoir's The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, the Met even down-grades their mother as "the virtuoso pianist Augusta Holmès."
Belina notes that, to date, there is but one recording of Holmès' work (Discogs; YouTube playlist of official audio), though she has a few more writing and arranging credits elsewhere. Aurélie Loilier performed a number of her pieces, and put two on YouTube: Barcarolle and Charme du jour. Another piece, in two different performances: Fantasie, by Thiago Tavares on clarinet, and Silas Barbosa on piano; and Daniel Becker on clarinet, with John LeTellier on piano.
Dr Anastasia Belina-Johnson introduces Augusta Holmès, from the Royal College of Music.
Back to Anastasia Belina's article, with added links to biographies and audio samplings on YouTube:
And MUCH more: Music Theory Examples by Women, who have a large list of female composers, sorted by Pre-Baroque, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods or styles, in addition to female music theorists and music theory examples.
In writing about Renoir's The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, the Met even down-grades their mother as "the virtuoso pianist Augusta Holmès."
Belina notes that, to date, there is but one recording of Holmès' work (Discogs; YouTube playlist of official audio), though she has a few more writing and arranging credits elsewhere. Aurélie Loilier performed a number of her pieces, and put two on YouTube: Barcarolle and Charme du jour. Another piece, in two different performances: Fantasie, by Thiago Tavares on clarinet, and Silas Barbosa on piano; and Daniel Becker on clarinet, with John LeTellier on piano.
Dr Anastasia Belina-Johnson introduces Augusta Holmès, from the Royal College of Music.
Back to Anastasia Belina's article, with added links to biographies and audio samplings on YouTube:
In Holmès’s day, music publishers rarely took risks with orchestral works written by women, and it was generally expected that a female composer in the 19th century would write salon music or songs.See also: The women erased from musical history -- On International Women’s Day 2018, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a concert of music by five “forgotten” women composers.
But far from writing dainty salon pieces, many of Holmès’s female contemporaries also created substantial large-scale works. Among them are the Swedish composers Valborg Aulin (1860-1928) and Elfrida Andreé (1841-1929) [both links to Swedish Musical Heritage biographies]. Aulin wrote numerous works for piano, including the stunning Grande Sonate Sérieuse (1885) and chamber and organ music [as well as choral pieces]. Among Andrée’s compositions are symphonies, an opera and other orchestral works [bonus playlist: Complete Piano Works]. The German composer Emily Mayer (1812-83) [Music Theory Examples by Women] wrote eight symphonies, an opera, a piano concerto, and a number of orchestral overtures. The French composer Marie Jaëll (1846-1925) [Thea Derks] created two piano concertos, an opera, and works for orchestra and voices [bonus playlists: Complete Works for Piano, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4]. In England, Alice Mary Smith (1839-84) wrote a large number of secular and sacred choral works, overtures, symphonies and a clarinet concerto, but no publisher was interested in anything other than her songs and piano music [bonus: Sonata for a Clarinet and Piano].
And MUCH more: Music Theory Examples by Women, who have a large list of female composers, sorted by Pre-Baroque, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods or styles, in addition to female music theorists and music theory examples.
I’m in charge of putting together music that is played in a public garden twice a day for 25 minutes. I’ve put significant effort into finding classical music that isn’t just by white men. Thank you for this wonderful post that I’m sure will help me greatly.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:42 PM on April 8, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by sciencegeek at 2:42 PM on April 8, 2020 [6 favorites]
The most blatant example of the divide is Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix's sister. They started out with similar musical talent, but while he was encouraged to become a composer by his entire family, she was discouraged. She published one collection of songs in her lifetime. The Easter Sonata that she wrote was discovered in 1970 and attributed to her brother until 2010.
posted by dannyboybell at 3:38 PM on April 8, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by dannyboybell at 3:38 PM on April 8, 2020 [7 favorites]
The Big Serious Sonata. Powerful title!
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 4:15 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 4:15 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Louise Farrenc should be added to the list.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 5:19 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 5:19 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Nannerl Mozart toured with her father and brother, "sometimes receiving top billing." Her brother wrote letters praising her works ... but none survive.
::: More on Nannerl
::: 21 female classical composers
Clara Schumann (wife of Robert, close friend of Brahms) wrote a Piano Concerto at 14, and gave concerts for 60 years.
posted by Twang at 10:42 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
::: More on Nannerl
::: 21 female classical composers
Clara Schumann (wife of Robert, close friend of Brahms) wrote a Piano Concerto at 14, and gave concerts for 60 years.
posted by Twang at 10:42 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Many thanks for the post, flt, I've only very recently heard anything about Holmès' music. Another French woman composer of that era whose work I've only lately started getting to know is Mél Bonis (among the names listed in the 'Romantic' link near the end of the post): hear, for example, her Piano Quartet No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 69.
posted by misteraitch at 11:46 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by misteraitch at 11:46 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Since this previous post led me to her page on hildegard.com, I've been slowly exploring the piano music of Agathe Backer Grøndahl.
Natalia Strelchenko (Strelle) - Impromptu (Agathe Backer Grøndahl)
Lubov Timofeyeva plays Agathe Backer Groendahl
There's a lot to unpack there. Sooner or later I'll make an FPP about her. For now, highlights and lowlights (CW domestic violence, murder):
* Gyngende, Op.45 no.4, is absolutely dreamy. I'm gradually learning it, but it's rather more difficult than it sounds. If your piano skills are up to it then please consider uploading your performance somewhere, the world will thank you. It comes immediately after Sommervise, a piece that's made me cry and has recently joined the ranks of ABRSM's grade 7 piano syllabus.
* Her (almost, for example) complete piano works were recorded on 5 CDs by Natalia Strelchenko/Strelle (archive link), but as far as I can tell these recordings are out of print and sold out everywhere, and not licensed to any digital download/streaming services. Some of the copies have been snapped up by Norwegian and US public and university libraries; they can be obtained if you have the right card. Strelchenko also wrote a 69-page text on interpreting ABG's piano music, which is not preserved at the Internet Archive. One of her lecture-recitals can be watched on youtube.
* (CW domestic violence, murder) In addition to Backer Grøndahl's erasure from the classical music canon discussed in this FPP, her music suffered further suppression after Natalia Strelchenko was murdered by her husband in 2015. Her website's hosting was not renewed, and all her writings not archived elsewhere were presumably lost.
(End of CWs)
As a pianist I try to do what I can to spread more interest in ABG's music. It's important for us as listeners to explore and appreciate "less popular" female composers, but to really change the modern landscape of classical music requires sharing their music and spreading the passion for their greatest works to people who otherwise wouldn't hear them.
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 2:26 AM on April 9, 2020 [5 favorites]
Natalia Strelchenko (Strelle) - Impromptu (Agathe Backer Grøndahl)
Lubov Timofeyeva plays Agathe Backer Groendahl
There's a lot to unpack there. Sooner or later I'll make an FPP about her. For now, highlights and lowlights (CW domestic violence, murder):
* Gyngende, Op.45 no.4, is absolutely dreamy. I'm gradually learning it, but it's rather more difficult than it sounds. If your piano skills are up to it then please consider uploading your performance somewhere, the world will thank you. It comes immediately after Sommervise, a piece that's made me cry and has recently joined the ranks of ABRSM's grade 7 piano syllabus.
* Her (almost, for example) complete piano works were recorded on 5 CDs by Natalia Strelchenko/Strelle (archive link), but as far as I can tell these recordings are out of print and sold out everywhere, and not licensed to any digital download/streaming services. Some of the copies have been snapped up by Norwegian and US public and university libraries; they can be obtained if you have the right card. Strelchenko also wrote a 69-page text on interpreting ABG's piano music, which is not preserved at the Internet Archive. One of her lecture-recitals can be watched on youtube.
* (CW domestic violence, murder) In addition to Backer Grøndahl's erasure from the classical music canon discussed in this FPP, her music suffered further suppression after Natalia Strelchenko was murdered by her husband in 2015. Her website's hosting was not renewed, and all her writings not archived elsewhere were presumably lost.
(End of CWs)
As a pianist I try to do what I can to spread more interest in ABG's music. It's important for us as listeners to explore and appreciate "less popular" female composers, but to really change the modern landscape of classical music requires sharing their music and spreading the passion for their greatest works to people who otherwise wouldn't hear them.
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 2:26 AM on April 9, 2020 [5 favorites]
@sciencegeek - do you have a list where I can listen to your setlists? I would really love to listen to them.
posted by yueliang at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2020
posted by yueliang at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2020
Yet we find the press of her day concentrating instead on descriptions of her beauty and charm, and speculating about her affairs
Out of curiosity, I just browsed through the thousands of articles that French newspapers wrote about her through the 1870s-1900s (they're all available on Gallica/Retronews), and I've failed to find anything like that. I don't doubt that such articles existed - it's pretty much unavoidable -, but most of what I found is high praise for her music, both as a composer and as a singer. There were criticisms (particularly about her Wagner-like "Montagne noire", an opera from 1895) and speculations about women composers, but her work seems, at least, to have been taken seriously by the public and by the critics. The general idea is that she was a very talented composer who was doing "virile" music (the term was used a few times), such as the Triomphe de la République, a patriotic (and expensive) piece she wrote on commission for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 (the one with the Eiffel Tower). She seems to have been fairly popular, but not a household name, which may explains why she was quickly forgotten.
posted by elgilito at 3:26 PM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Out of curiosity, I just browsed through the thousands of articles that French newspapers wrote about her through the 1870s-1900s (they're all available on Gallica/Retronews), and I've failed to find anything like that. I don't doubt that such articles existed - it's pretty much unavoidable -, but most of what I found is high praise for her music, both as a composer and as a singer. There were criticisms (particularly about her Wagner-like "Montagne noire", an opera from 1895) and speculations about women composers, but her work seems, at least, to have been taken seriously by the public and by the critics. The general idea is that she was a very talented composer who was doing "virile" music (the term was used a few times), such as the Triomphe de la République, a patriotic (and expensive) piece she wrote on commission for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 (the one with the Eiffel Tower). She seems to have been fairly popular, but not a household name, which may explains why she was quickly forgotten.
posted by elgilito at 3:26 PM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
elgilito, thanks for doing that research! Most of the text in the OP is what I copied from The Guardian.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:21 PM on April 10, 2020
posted by filthy light thief at 4:21 PM on April 10, 2020
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posted by acidnova at 2:32 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]