Women in Music
You actually have heard a woman composer. Have you ever heard (or had to learn) Chopsticks on the piano? That was originally composed by a then-16-year-old named Euphemia Allen. Or have you ever sung "Happy Birthday"? The tune (though not the lyrics) were written by sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill. And you have heard many more songs songs sung, written and composed by women, from the score music for films like Oliver Twist, to the afro-punk song-stories of Jannelle Monáe (pictured above). But there's much more good music you haven't heard, like garage bands like the Mo-Dettes and Bleach 03, and the beautiful compositions of Clara Schumann. Medieval Composers
From this mess came Hildegard von Bingen, who was not only a composer but a scientist, philosopher, herbalist, physician, polymath, and the first known author of a morality play. Highly regarded in her own day, Hildegard corresponded with popes, emperors, statesmen and other visionaries. Saint Kassia, also an abbess, is most famous for composing the "Hymn of Kassiani," sung once a year during Holy Week. Kassia's musical scores still surivive. Related Interest: The Women Troubadors, by Magda Bogin. The Renaissance (1420-1600)
Women also began to become patrons of the arts. Women like Queen Elizabeth of England, Catherine de Medici and Isabella D'este (pictured above) gained new power and influence to patronize artists. Most of them, still, were men. Related Reading: Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence by Kelley Harness Women's Roles in the Renaissance by Kari Boyd McBride Baroque (1600-1750)
Francesca Caccini (pictured above) was an Italian composer from the early Baroque era, and the first woman composer of an opera. She was also called "the best singer in all of France" by King Henry IV; however, she returned to Italy. Little of her music survives, though her opera does. What is surprising about the baroque era is how many young women were child prodigies in music. From Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, a harpsichordist who performed for the King of France at age five, to Maria Theresina von Paradis, an Austrian composer who lost her vision at an early age, there must have been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of female musical prodigies. At around this time, women began going on the stage, which had theretofore been reserved for men. Women like Elisabeth Olin in Sweden became renowned for their skill at singing, while Marianne von Martinez, a Spanish-German singer and composer, gained fame for her compositions and became known throughout Europe, earning the admiration of people such as Mozart. The Classical and Romantic Eras
In her creative hands, the most ordinary passage, the most routine motive acquires a significant meaning, a color, which only those with the most consummate artistry can give. Music will perhaps become his profession, while for you it can and must be only an ornament Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn are easy to remember for their more famous husband and brother, respectively. What is not known about them is that both were prolific and talented composers in their own right. Schumann, née Wieck, was instrumental in her future husband's career; when he was eighteen years old, he heard her playing and was so moved he asked his mother if he could discontinue his law studies and pursue music full-time. Though Fanny Mendelssohn showed great promise as a child, her family discouraged her from playing, as you can see in the above quote. Louise Farrenc, a French composer, earned much praise in her own day for her chamber music, though she had the misfortune to live in a time when opera seemed to dominate the French psyche. Further Reading: Composing A Life by Mary Cather Bateson The 20th Century
Well, I have been a woman for 50 years now and have recovered from my initial astonishment. This section coming soon. In the mean time, check out this further reading: Resources on the Riot Grrrl Movement. Learn how to start your own band.
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