Unsung Composers

Hello everyone.

Having just listened to Emilie Mayer's 5th symphony, I thought I'd find out more about her and came across this rather interesting website about women composers. Although most seem to have flourished in the 20th century, there are some 19th century women who look as though they might have something interesting to offer us.

http://67.220.225.100/~oboe3583/ambache/wWomen.htm#Different  (http://67.220.225.100/~oboe3583/ambache/wWomen.htm#Different)

Click on the 'back to navigation page' at the top left for lists.

Lew Lewis

Very interesting and a lot of new names to me. Thanks for this link.

A few missing that have provided me with some enjoyment on the piano, being Marie Jaell, Terresa Carreno and Julie Rive - King, the latter having written some rather pleasing transcriptions.

Let us never forget our female "Unsungs".

Thal

One missing from that list is Mel(anie) Bonis -- a very lovely composer who reminds me somewhat of Faure.

There's also an oboe virtuoso-composer whose name completely slips by me (Edit: Whoops, checking I found I was thinking of Marie Grandval, who IS there)

And Sophie Menter, who wrote the nice Hungarian Fantasy that used to be attributed to Liszt.

A few weeks ago, i was messing around with some variations by Leopoldine Blahetka that i thought in the Herzian mould.

There is a clip on youtube of a polonaise by the same composer, but my speakers appear not to be working at the moment.

Thal

Yes - Blahetka does indeed show some promise, if you like Kalkbrenner (which I am not ashamed to admit that I do!) -perhaps on one of his better days! I have her Concertstuck for piano & orchestra (piano solo part only however - if the orchestral parts survive this could be a useful "filler" for a future Hyperion release!). Also, some of her piano solo & instrumental works have been reprinted by Hildegard Publishing if anyone is interested...

Re Sophie Menter: does anyone know if the waltz it is claimed that she composed for a young Claudio Arrau (she cannot have heard him play at the age of 18, as is mentioned in one source, because Menter died in 1918 when Arrau was born in 1903!) - and was 'recorded' by him on piano -roll in 1919, has been reconstructed. The same source mentioned above states that the unpublished manuscript has disappeared without trace. This piece is a wonderful example of late 19th century virtuoso pianistic extravagance which I would be extremely pleased to have a printed score of! (and perhaps other like-minded members also?)

Finally - may I take this opportunity to recommend Rosalind Ellicott (1857-1924)to anyone who has not come across her - it would seem that most of her music did not get published (including a Fantasie for piano & orchestra performed at the Crystal Palace in 1895) and that which did seems to be incredibly hard to track down. However, I did stumble across the scores of both piano trios some 15 or so years ago - and consequently No2 in D minor was recorded and issued on the Meridian label about 4 years ago. Obviously, any further information as to the whereabouts of any of her manuscripts would be more than welcome.....

Hello Martin,

I do have a scan of the Menter Waltz. It was reconstructed by Takashi Hayashikawa. I can see no copyright markings, but would prefer to have the permission of the Site owners before posting a link.

If possible, i would love to see the Blahetka Concertstuck you mention if you ever get around to digitalising it. Collecting works for piano and orchestra is my passion and i do not have this one, nor do i remember seeing it on any of my "hunts".

Regards

Thal

Does anyone know where Rosalind Ellicott's MSS are - or must we assume that, like most of the works of Dora Bright, they are lost. Our women composers have been dreadfully neglected and it does seem that far too much of their music has been allowed to disappear altogether. Dora Bright and Lilian Elkington are two cases in point. But there are so many more...

I can't believe that excellent page has not even a mention of Dame Ethel Smyth, whose Serenade in D Major I honestly feel Brahms would have been proud to have written. Listen to a few clips from it here: http://www.amazon.com/Ethel-Smyth-Concerto-Orchestra-Serenade/dp/B000000AYX (http://www.amazon.com/Ethel-Smyth-Concerto-Orchestra-Serenade/dp/B000000AYX)

-J

--
Jim Moskowitz
The Unknown Composers Page:  http://kith.org/jimmosk/TOC.html
My latest list of unusual classical CDs for auction:  http://tinyurl.com/527t7

Hi All,
Oddly, on this very topic, earlier today in the car on the way to work I was listening to Fanny Mendelssohn's 3 pieces for piano duet (on a CD coupled with her brothers own transcription for 4 hands of his 2nd Piano Trio, Op.66) - really charming and fun little pieces, well worth a listen. 

I've also got a recording of her piano cycle "The Year" played by Laura Skride which is also well worth a listen too!

Quote from: jimmosk on Thursday 29 October 2009, 21:46
I can't believe that excellent page has not even a mention of Dame Ethel Smyth

I my opinion, she is the greatest female composer.

Marvelous Ethel Smyth!  Anyone who has been fortunate enough to hear The Wreckers will attest to its brilliance.  It is the work of a true dramatic composer, a woman born to write operas of the most heaven-storming sort.  Oddly, most of Dame Ethel's other operas are rather light in tone, although the Mass is certainly in her h-s mode.  The only complete recording of the Wreckers is still available as a reissue from Archiv--and it's a good one, Sir Charles Grove and Dame Ethel herself recorded the overture, and there are excepts from a staged performance (a reduced orchestra version) on Youtube.  The rather irritating New York Times review of American Symphony's concert performance a few years back is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/arts/music/02wrec.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/arts/music/02wrec.html)
The audience reaction that day was overwhelming; I had tears in my eyes at the composer's triumph.  Writing effective operas is not quite the same thing as writing great music (or Zandonai and Giordano would be great composers) but the Wreckers is tremendously effective and very often great.
David

I agree wholeheartedly. The Wreckers is a great opera - really splendid stuff. You can hear how the sea music influenced Britten.
Her dramatic choral piece "The Prison" remains unrecorded - now that is a work of genius.

Nina Makarova - the wife of Aram Khachaturian, studied composition under Myaskovsky and Gliere at Moscow Conservatory. Most of her works have never been recorded, but her Symphony in D minor, which was written 5 years after her marriage, then revised some years later, is a solid composition.

Zara Levina - much more prolific than Makarova and better represented on disc. Two piano concertos and assorted chamber music have been released. Most were on the old Melodiya label.

However, Levina's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Makarova's Symphony in D minor appear on an old Russian Disc CD that is worth a listen, if you can find a used on floating around.

Makarova was quite the beauty. I can see why Khachaturian married her.

(http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/images/makarova2.jpg)

Personally, I've always had a soft spot for Amy Beach; her Gaelic Symphony is really quite something, in a Parry-esque sort of way.

What do you lot consider the best-known orchestral work by a woman composer? I'd say probably Clara Schumann's piano concerto, or did I overlook something very obvious?

Schumman's PC is almost certainly it, yes. Chaminade's Flute Concertino may be a close second, though, as pretty much any flute player past high school will know of it.
Beach's is probably the best known symphony, though (we even covered it in music history class in college).

I would consider myself fairly knowledgeable on the topic of women composers, but I'm not sure if the most "famous" ones are the best.

In my opinion, the most talented woman composer was Louise Farrenc. The first woman to teach at the Paris Conservatoire, her three Symphonies and two Piano Quintets are appealing works which show high technical mastery as well as significant innovation and individuality of style. In my opinion, these works hold their own well when compared even with the more famous chamber music and symphonies written by contemporaries such as Schubert or Mendelssohn.

Amy Beach was also very gifted. I would agree that the Gaelic Symphony is an excellent work, but I would also recommend the Piano Quintet, the Violin Sonata, and the Piano Concerto. A good version of this concerto is coupled with the symphony on Naxos.

Lili Boulanger's cantata Faust et Helene was a phenomenal achievement for a teenager. Too bad she died so young.

Rebecca Clarke wrote some very good chamber music. The sonata and the passacaglia for viola and piano are possible her best works.

I would agree that Ethyl Smyth's "The Wreckers" is a good opera, but I'm not as convinced of her other works. Maybe I should give them another listen.

Never been much of a fan of Fanny Mendelssohn. Das Jahr is OK, but her output from before her last years was generally not that good. I also have no strong feelings about Clara Schumann, but I think she was a much better composer than Fanny.

Marion Bauer was inconsistent but she wrote some excellent impressionistic piano works. (I would recommend the Stephen Beus CD, coupled with some works by Barber).

My preference among woman composers is Elfrida Andree, but I am possibly biased because I am researching her. I wrote a post about this in other thread if anybody wants to know more about my opinions.

Women composers don't generally get the credit they deserve. The only women composer I have looked at at all who is "bad" is Luise le Beau. Her music is just awful. One long sequence. The best I can say about her piano concerto is that the orchestration is not dreadful.

We should also name Jeanne Beyerman-Walraven, whose Concert Overture of 1910 is a truly bizarre mix of Scriabin, Strauss and Tchaikovsky. Worth a listen in amazement. Don't know much else by her, though.

And is Miss Beyerman-Walraven's overture recorded, Ilja? Or, indeed, any of her music?

The Australian composer Miriam Hyde (1913-2005) should be mentioned here.  The only music of hers which I've heard are two exceedingly winning piano concertos (ABC label).  Romantic, lush and in the style of Rachmaninoff, if I recall correctly.

Also there's Alla Pavlova (b.1952).  Naxos has championed her works with four or five discs, which include 5 of her symphonies.  These are static and somber, for the most part, but quite interesting.

And Margaret Buechner (1922-1998), a German-born US citizen who wrote large works for orchestra - tone poems, choir-included pieces, and a sprawling ballet. http://www.nord-disc.com/ (http://www.nord-disc.com/)

Like JSK, I've always been impressed by the viola sonata of Rebecca Clarke. Since wunderkind mentions Alla Pavlova, it may not be out of place here to nominate the Russian Sofia Gubaidulina and the American Ellen Taaffe Zwilich for consideration.

Regarding the Beach Gaelic, I wish someone would record it in a performance as idiomatic as Karl Krueger's, but without his massive cuts.

You're right, chill319, mentioning Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939). Some time ago a Clarinet Quintet of her was broadcast. A most lovely piece in 20th century style, and fortunately tonal, so that I didn't need to switch off the radio. I've mentioned Zwilich in the thread "American Composers (The 4th of July is coming)".

Und vielen Dank, wunderkind, to draw some attention to Miriam Hyde and her Piano Concertos. Winning concertos, in the style of Rachmaninov, a woman and an Aussie. Well, I'll give it a try and order the Naxos disc. Maybe my last CD purchase of 2009.
By the way, how many Australian composers, writing in a classical, romantic style, are there?

I believe there is a good recording of the Gaelic symphony on Chandos coupled with some Barber.

Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Friday 11 December 2009, 17:27
And is Miss Beyerman-Walraven's overture recorded, Ilja? Or, indeed, any of her music?

I own a private recording of the Concert Overture by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic conducted by Miklos Erdelyid, but that, I fear, is it. More information is here: http://www.donemus.nl/componist.php?id=62&lang=EN (http://www.donemus.nl/componist.php?id=62&lang=EN). I fear she apparently turned a rather nasty Schoenberg in later years.

Thanks very much, Ilja.

Quote from: Peter1953 on Saturday 12 December 2009, 08:00


Und vielen Dank, wunderkind, to draw some attention to Miriam Hyde and her Piano Concertos. Winning concertos, in the style of Rachmaninov, a woman and an Aussie. Well, I'll give it a try and order the Naxos disc. Maybe my last CD purchase of 2009.

Peter 1953:  The Hyde CD is from ABC Classics.  I do not believe Naxos has recorded her music.  http://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Piano-Concertos-Village-Australia/dp/B00006IKTQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1260628893&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Piano-Concertos-Village-Australia/dp/B00006IKTQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1260628893&sr=1-3)

Thank you, wunderkind. You're right. This morning I already ordered the CD, indeed from ABC Classics (mdt.co.uk). I don't know why I thought it was Naxos; the sleeve design perhaps.

And then there's Augusta Holmes.  I became interested in her in college after singing a song called "Noel d'Irlande", an heroic (?!?!) Christmas carol for the children of (then British) Ireland.  Although Augusta was born in France, she was of Irish backround and a great Fenian.  She had a fiery personality, apparently was quite beautiful, favored a degree of decolletage remarkable even in a decollete age, and hung around with the Franck bunch earning the ire of Mrs. Franck.  Saint-Saens (playing, as usual, both sides of the fence,) proposed to her and was turned down.

She wrote a lot: many songs and vocal pieces, orchestral music and opera.  Everything I've seen (even some of the songs) was big and loud.  The Naxos disc of her orchestral music was a terrific disappointment.  Everything sounds amateurish: rackety construction, no counterpoint, coarse orchestration.  I know it has been occasionally admired on this and the previous forum, but, imo, it is disastrous.  And I wanted to like it so much, knowing the woman she was...oh well.

David

Some songs by Holmes have recently appeared on IMSLP: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Holm%C3%A8s,_Augusta_Mary_Anne. As the work of someone bold enough to bear four children out of wedlock, her Hymne a Eros would seem to speak from experience. On the page, at least, it doesn't appear piercingly loud. It has a proper climax, of course (on g# above the staff), but its dynamics wax and wane throbbingly within a comfortable vocal range, and the work ends ppp.

Only one proper climax? ;) ;) ;)

Ethyl Smyth's Serenade in D is for me the best thing written by a female composer of the period and type of music for which this forum is intended. It simply teems with life and is gloriously orchestrated; the highest compliment I could pay it would be to agree with the Penguin Guide's assessment that it could be by Brahms.

Don't forget Alice Mary Smith(1839-1884)  Her two symphonies are available on Chandos. Very Pleasent music IMHO.

Yes I have the Meyer 5th symphony - very well written.
The  three symphonies of Louise Farrenc, on CPO,  are also very fine works. Also, Amy Beach"s Gaelic Symphony is a gem.It is a pity that women  composers in the 18th & 19th centuries were not encouraged. Imagine the works which Fanny Mendelssohn may have written had she been encouraged, or Clara Schumann,. just to name two.
A composer from Croatia, Dora Pejacevic, (1885-1923) wrote a Symphony in F#minor, which was performed in Holland in 2007 ? She also wrote 3 string Quartets, a piano Trio,a piano Quartet,,Fantasie Concertante for Piano & Orchestra, Piano, Violin,& Cello sonatas, & Piano pieces etc. Does anyone know if the Symphony, or any of her works has been recorded ?
Two  female composers who are better known for their piano music wrote symphonies .They were Cecile Chaminade, (1857-1944) Dramatic Symphony -" Les Amazones ", and Louise Adolpha Le Beau, (1850-1927) Symphony in F minor.
These works have never been recorded to my knowledge.

cpo plans to release two CDs of Dora Pejacevic's chamber music in 2010.

Quote from: Marcus on Tuesday 15 December 2009, 11:52
Two  female composers who are better known for their piano music wrote symphonies .They were Cecile Chaminade, (1857-1944) Dramatic Symphony -" Les Amazones ", and Louise Adolpha Le Beau, (1850-1927) Symphony in F minor.
These works have never been recorded to my knowledge.

Re The Le Beau: You aren't missing anything. The symphony has not been recorded, and I do not believe that it has received a modern performance. After hearing her poor piano concerto I discussed the symphony with my professor who has seen the score. She has an amazing ear and can "hear" scores in her head, and she told me that it was not worthy of performance, just one giant boring sequence with no real development of themes otherwise. Le Beau was in fact jealous of Clara Schumann's success and her narcissistic complex seemed to, in my opinion, make her feel entitled to the same success without even objectively assessing her music and fixing some basic problems. I gather that Le Beau's cello sonata is the "best" of her works, which probably isn't saying all that much, but I am not familiar with it.

Chaminade is not among my favorites, but I imagine that her symphony might be interesting. Her piano concerto bears some uncanny architectural similarities to Rimsky-Korsakov's work in the same genre.

In terms of Woman composers, I still advocate Elfrida Andree. Her second symphony and the suite from her (unperformed) opera have been recorded on Sterling. The symphony is good, though not particularly memorable, and the suite is excellent.

Florence Price (1888-1953) wrote four symphonies. At least two are in print, edited by Rae Linda Brown. Her first symphony won a prize.  I have not heard the symphonies played, but her piano sonata in e minor, written around the time of her first symphony, has found a persuasive advocate in Althea Waites. It's an ambitious work from a talented person who, like Alice Mary Smith, dared, then persevered.

Quote from: JSK on Tuesday 15 December 2009, 19:38

Chaminade is not among my favorites, but I imagine that her symphony might be interesting. Her piano concerto bears some uncanny architectural similarities to Rimsky-Korsakov's work in the same genre.

I've mentioned this before, and probably above, but for ME, she's an absolute favorite. I'd LOVE a new recording of the concertino (not concerto), though thankfully the Vox set it's on is one of their better ones.

Chaminade was indeed a very unique composer. She was a master of writing huge quantities of "salon" music which could make her lots of money, yet she was also perfectly capable of writing more "serious" works of high quality. It's too bad that her reputation as a "salon composer" has diminished interest in her better works.

Hi all

Especially Peter1953.There are a number of Australian composers known to have written music in the 'grand manner', ie, in the classical romantic tradition we tend to prefer.  Miriam Hyde (lovely concertos!) is actually a fairly recent example.

Some composed in the 19th century, but the only survivor of recent Australian musical politics (leaving aside Percy Grainger) is Alfred Hill. He was active as a composer from the 1890s until the 1950s.

I fear the largely modernist domination of the conservatories in this country over the last few decades condemned just about about all colonial or early 20th Australian music to oblivion. And sometimes to destruction. The works of a respected composer, organist, teacher and critique (W.A.Orchard) could not be located in our National Archives a couple of years ago.

In my own State (Western Australia) the one major work of Paschal Needham (a  large-scale cantata of 1881 which impressed European visitors) has been lost. I think the works of William Stephens (active in the 1890s) have also 'gone missing'.

There has been a recent independent recording of a fine 1866 Mass (soli, chorus, orchestra) by an obscure Melbourne-based musician known as G.O.Rutter, plus an earlier recording of a Mass by John Delany (1850-1907). And there are other recorded fragments and bits and pieces around - but very little. As far as I now, the 'quaint' but possibly interesting operas of Isaac Nathan have never been given an airing.

A couple of solid 'imports' (Marshall-Hall and Bainton - the latter an early 20th century man) have received a little more respect, but there is not much available in the musical tradition that is the core object of our attention. In passing, I believe not one note by a composer ancestor of mine (early to mid-20th century) can be traced.

regards
Peter

I know this is a subject I have seldom looked into -- so much so, that I wonder if I couldn't have been labeled a musical chauvinist.  That being said, I have made little steps here and there to make amends and discover beautiful music written by women (i.e. Amy Beach, Alla Pavlova, etc.).  As I feel the board indirectly, yet constantly, reminds me of how much music is out there to enjoy! 

Much to my shame, I used to think Beryl Rubinstein was female. I guess this is partially forgivable.

I have recently played some rather charming variations by Clasine Josephine van Brussel who has not been mentioned yet. I fully expect someone will tell me she was a he.

Thal

What about Grace Williams? Over at the R3 forum everyone seemed to be raving about her after she was featured as a Composer of the Week.Although maybe a bit too recent,her music is lyrical & often tuneful.Some of her music gets a hearing now & again in Wales,but always the same ones.
Also Morfydd Owen,a sort of Welsh counterpart to Augusta Holmes,perhaps;glamorous & died young in rather mysterious circumstances. Some people still reckon she was bumped off!
Two books on her were released by the Gomer Press some years ago & the BMS Journal had an article about her once.She's a bit of a legend in Wales.

Quote from: peter_conole on Wednesday 16 December 2009, 15:27
Especially Peter1953.There are a number of Australian composers known to have written music in the 'grand manner', ie, in the classical romantic tradition we tend to prefer.  Miriam Hyde (lovely concertos!) is actually a fairly recent example

Thanks for your interesting post, Peter. I think I've always been to narrow-minded by thinking that classical composers were typically something from Europe and the US. There is so much more to discover, at least for me.

I'm awaiting the CD with Miriam Hyde's PCs.

Quote from: Pengelli on Thursday 17 December 2009, 17:43
Also Morfydd Owen,a sort of Welsh counterpart to Augusta Holmes,perhaps;glamorous & died young in rather mysterious circumstances. Some people still reckon she was bumped off!
Two books on her were released by the Gomer Press some years ago & the BMS Journal had an article about her once.She's a bit of a legend in Wales.

Morfydd Owen does sound like an interesting composer. According to Wikipedia, she wrote about 180 compositions, mainly songs, but also a few orchestral works. Something for Dutton, perhaps? On that label you find an interesting work by Lilian Elkington, who apparently abandoned composition at an early age. Judging from the work on this cd, Out of the Mist, this might have been something of a loss to British music.

There is, by the way, more information on British Women composers on Musicweb International:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2002/Oct02/distaff.htm

Another remarkable woman composer is Minna Keal, 1909-2000.Born in England, she studied at the RAM, came under the influence of William Alwyn & Thomas Knott. In the 1920's married and assumed control of a family business. She produced a few early compostions, her last being the Ballade in F minor in 1929, before abandoning music, and devoting herself to the family and family business. In the 1970's, 46 years later  she rekindled her interest in music and began giving piano lessons.  With the help of Justin Connoly, a piano student examiner, and Oliver Knussen, she began composition again. Her music is typically late 20th century in style.
Her Symphony Op.3,( 3 movts. 20'26"), took 5 years to complete, from 1980-1985, and she has written a String Quartet Op.1, a Wind Quintet Op.2, Cantillation for Violin & Orchestra Op.4,  & Cello Concerto Op.5. All of these works have been recorded on Lorelt CD #INT-110, and NMC CD #DO48S. The last disc includes the early work ,Ballade in F minor for Violin & Piano. These are the only works published, and I am not sure if she wrote beyond the Opus 5 before dying in January 2000.
Minna Keal's early works in M/S,are most likely  held  by the family.

Readers of this forum may l.ike to know that a public performance of Lilian Elkington's quite splendid "Out of the Mist" will take place at a concert in aid of the St Lazarus Charitable Trust (which raises money for the relief of leprosy) I am organising in  the Cadogan Hall, London on November 11th, 2010. It will also include Dorothy Howell's Piano Concerto. Valentina seferinova is the pianist and the orchrestrea is the Orion Orchestra (a professional band of young musicians) under the baton of Toby Purser.

Another woman composer who is probably little known : Helen Taylor (1915-1950) USA. She was the wife of pianist Grant Johannesen, and died in an auto accident. She was not a prolific composer, and a small USA label, Tantara, based in Utah has released two CDs of her works.
The major offering, and probably her major work was a symphony finished one month before her death. Her last work was a Sonata for Two Flutes unaccompanied., but she wrote a Piano Sonata, (dedicated to her husband), a Sonata for Violin & Piano, a Fugue for String Quartet, Six Preludes for Piano, and a few other chamber works.
The Symphony, completed in September 1950, one month before her death , was
a manuscript awaiting her proof-reading & corrections. The orchestral score differed in some ways from her twp piano score. Grant Johannesan, together with Dr Ralph Laycock, misician, teacher & conductor, produced a score which was recorded by the LA East Studio Orchestra, conducted by Ralph Laycock.
As might be expected, it is basically a student work , yet there are times when  Copland, Hindemith, and her idol Ruth Crawford ,come to mind. For me personally, this symphony has a definate English flavourin parts.
As Grant Johannesen said, " we can only wonder where a more prolonged life span may have taken her ".

Miriam Hyde. I received her CD with both PC's and a sort of Symphonic Poem called Village Fair. This evening I've listened twice to this CD. The recording of both concertos is from 1975 with the composer at the piano, and the Village Fair is from 1979.

Not unpleasant music, but not memorable at all (at least to my ears), and quite simple without any depth. There are certainly some nice passages, but these are scarce. Impossible to compare these works with Rachmaninov or Bortkiewicz, although they are written in their style. In summary, I'm a bit disappointed, but never mind, it's for me interesting enough to get to know three of her works.

And the booklet notes? Nothing more than a few non-informative sentences. What a difference if you compare it with, let's say, cpo.

In agreement with the poster who mentioned Farrenc above.  CPO has done a praiseworthy job of rescuing her symphonic works from ill-deserved obscurity.  The c minor Symphony, in particular, is at least on par with any of Mendelssohn's, is (to this ear, at least) better than anything by Raff, Berlioz, and host of other "minor" masters.  It features memorable, driving motives, tight development, and restrained, but full and convincing, orchestration.  Farrenc is to be doubly praised for the respect she shows her forebears (i.e., Beethoven, Haydn) and the sense of taste she brought to an oeuvre that was starting to suffer from bloat and overprogrammatization, even at that early date (the 1830s). 

Better than anything by Raff or Berlioz? Er, surely not. On a par with any symphony by Mendelssohn? Hmmm....

Farrenc was certainly an excellent composer - and one of some originality. However, I'm not sure whether her cause is advanced by unwarranted hyperbole. The C minor Symphony is a most interesting and exciting work, certainly repertoire-worthy, but no more so than the works of Berlioz or Raff.

At least with regard to form, Farrenc stays firmly within the mold - and that is something you can't really say about Berlioz. Now, I don't want to start off a whole mine-is-better-than-yours discussion, but I think we need to acknowledge that Berlioz's was an exceptional talent and a unique personality. And while Farrenc may have shared the former (not to my ears, but that's another matter), the same doesn't hold true for the latter.

Well, gintonic, I think it's certain that Louise Farrenc had better looks than both Berlioz and Raff, but that doesn't make her Symphony in C Minor (although certainly a fine work!) better than anything by Berlioz and Raff...  ;)

Hmm, we sometimes get carried away here.  Farrenc c minor is better than Les Troyens?  I must hear it.

And when did Berlioz become a minor composer?

David

I wouldn't say that Farrenc is "better" than composers like Berlioz or Raff, though to me she is undoubtedly in the top tier of composer unsungs.

Here's a very interesting CD at auction on eBay.  It is a compilation of works by female composers:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FEMALE-COMPOSERS-rare-stuff-KOCH-SEALED-CD-Symphonic_W0QQitemZ360220454930QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item53decff012 (http://cgi.ebay.com/FEMALE-COMPOSERS-rare-stuff-KOCH-SEALED-CD-Symphonic_W0QQitemZ360220454930QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item53decff012)

The only female composer you seemed to hear of when I was young,hundreds of years ago,was Thea Musgrave,who doesn't exacty fit here, but actually seemed to receive some recordings of her music, probably because it was seen as progressive (?)! (some of her music is okay,but I don't return to it much). So even less traditionally tonal women composers got 'shut out'. I notice a new cd of music on the Dutton label by Elinor Remick Warren,who has a website devoted to her, I think; but it is the sort of cd I am loathe to purchase without hearing samples first. Of course,she may be very good.

Whoops,the old return button again.By the way,thanks for the tip!

Pengelli here's the writeup I did of a different Warren CD a couple of years back when I auctioned it off:

An American woman writing in the '30s was a relative rarity, but Warren did not bow under the pressure to write 'dainty' music.  Her orchestral works have a bold, slightly gruff energy to them, somewhat like the music of Diamond mixed with Havergal Brian. In most works, anyway - the symphonic poem The Crystal Lake is much more sumptuous, and impressionist, in sound, close to Koechlin. Szymon Kawalla leads the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra in that work and her Symphony in One Movement, Suite for Orchestra, and Along the Western Shore, and is joined by the PRTVSO Chorus and narrator Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. for Good Morning, America!, which has nothing to do with a television program of the same name and everything to do with the Carl Sandburg poem which it depicts - very cinematically too, sort of like Bloch's America.
 

A mixture of Diamond & Brian,sounds interesting. So we're not talking about a female Rutland Boughton here!

Quote from: JSK on Friday 25 December 2009, 05:28
I wouldn't say that Farrenc is "better" than composers like Berlioz.

I would!!!

Quote from: JSK on Friday 25 December 2009, 05:28
I wouldn't say that Farrenc is "better" than composers like Raff.

Neither would I.


It's all opinion!
But I have to say, Farrenc's symphonies are pretty incredible in my opinion book. A book which is going on sale for 2 US cents this week.

I've just listened to a radio broadcast of the 2nd movement of Piano Quartet no. 1 in B Major op. 69, by the French Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937). Never heard anything of her before, but I must say that I'm impressed. See http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Melanie-Bonis-Klavierquartette-Nr-1-2/hnum/9124613 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Melanie-Bonis-Klavierquartette-Nr-1-2/hnum/9124613)
She has written a lot of music, but only very little is available on CD. I wonder how her orchestral output sounds...

That would be B-flat Major in English, Peter.  B Major is H-Dur in German.

I once heard a waltz by a female composer on the radio. The announcer called her the "Female Strauss"....Think her (first)? name was Joseffine (???????)...... I cant recollect her full name!!!  :-[  Any idea who it was?

The only Josephine I know is Josephine van Brussel, but we are talking Herzian type Variations here and not Strauss.

Thal

Quote from: Peter1953 on Monday 28 June 2010, 06:54
I've just listened to a radio broadcast of the 2nd movement of Piano Quartet no. 1 in B Major op. 69, by the French Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937). Never heard anything of her before, but I must say that I'm impressed. See http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Melanie-Bonis-Klavierquartette-Nr-1-2/hnum/9124613 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Melanie-Bonis-Klavierquartette-Nr-1-2/hnum/9124613)
She has written a lot of music, but only very little is available on CD. I wonder how her orchestral output sounds...

Several works of hers have reached IMSLP - not this one, but the near-contemporary cello sonata in F major op.67 (http://imslp.org/wiki/Cello_Sonata,_Op.67_(Bonis,_Mel) (http://imslp.org/wiki/Cello_Sonata,_Op.67_(Bonis,_Mel))) for example.
Eric

Here is the URL for the site run by one of her descendants. There are certainly some orchestral works extant, although she does not list them - but indicates she can be contacted about other compositions.
http://www.mel-bonis.com/ (http://www.mel-bonis.com/)

Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Monday 28 June 2010, 14:55
Here is the URL for the site run by one of her descendants. There are certainly some orchestral works extant, although she does not list them - but indicates she can be contacted about other compositions.
http://www.mel-bonis.com/ (http://www.mel-bonis.com/)

Not sure what you mean. She has a complete (I assume. Well, extensive.) list of works there under "Catalogue", including orchestral works.
Eric

She lists the orchestral works in the CATALOGUE, but that does not mean that scores of all of these are available. A composer's catalogue of works, as we know, can differ markedly from the list of extant works.
If you go to the PARTITIONS page you will see that no orchestral works are listed as being disponible (available), but scroll to the end of the section and you will see the message: "Pour  le reste de l'œuvre, demander communication de copies à  : Christine Géliot."

Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Monday 28 June 2010, 18:10
She lists the orchestral works in the CATALOGUE, but that does not mean that scores of all of these are available. A composer's catalogue of works, as we know, can differ markedly from the list of extant works.
If you go to the PARTITIONS page you will see that no orchestral works are listed as being disponible (available), but scroll to the end of the section and you will see the message: "Pour  le reste de l'œuvre, demander communication de copies à  : Christine Géliot."

Ah, got you now.
Worldcat does list a couple, if that counts (extant in another sense, though parts would have to be obtained by a difficult process):
"Danse sacrée pour orchestre" (at the Free Library of Philadelphia) (pub. 1895) (this may be op. 36/2);
"Sarabande pour orchestre" (likewise, and pub. 1909), (poss. op.81/1).
Eric

Fleisher (which is part of the Free Library of Philadelphia) has printed score and MS parts of Danse sacree; also her 3 movt. "Suite in  the form of waltzes" (printed score and printed parts). It has only the score of Sarabande. The Pavane and Sarabande are almost certainly the orchestral versions of Opp. 81 and 82 respectively; these were published in their orchestral guise together with a Bourree Op. 62 (originally for piano) as "Trois Danses pour orchestre". An mp3 file of the Pavane can be found here: http://www.musimem.com/audio/Bonis_Pavane.mp3 (http://www.musimem.com/audio/Bonis_Pavane.mp3)

I mentioned Bonis earlier in the thread. There's two very worthwhile CDs of her music available that I know of.

Quote from: TerraEpon on Monday 28 June 2010, 20:59
I mentioned Bonis earlier in the thread. There's two very worthwhile CDs of her music available that I know of.

While I don't know how much of the rest is worthwhile she's amassed a reasonable discography (including multiple recordings of some of her sonatas and the piano quartets) - of her songs, piano and chamber music anyhow (nothing so far apparently of her choral and orchestral music). (According to her website.) Which are the two CDs in particular you recommend?

If someone starts a topic Piano Quartet must hear I'll make a strong case for Melanie's opp. 69 & 124  ;)

Quote from: Peter1953 on Monday 28 June 2010, 21:29
If someone starts a topic Piano Quartet must hear I'll make a strong case for Melanie's opp. 69 & 124  ;)

Someone should.  I remember my first encounters with Mozart's first piano quartet very, very well (as a - no good - violist, when all but one violinist of our string ensemble begged out, my first year in college. Couldn't play it except barely, but grew to really love it, unsurprisingly!... and the other, and Brahms' three... ...)
Eric

Any opinions of Mathilde Kralik, who was a fellow student of Mahler and Rott in the 1880s?

Quote from: FBerwald on Monday 28 June 2010, 09:11
I once heard a waltz by a female composer on the radio. The announcer called her the "Female Strauss"....Think her (first)? name was Joseffine (???????)...... I cant recollect her full name!!!  :-[  Any idea who it was?

Josephine Lang?
Will keep having a look. That's one possibility...

I see way back in 2009 Rosalind Ellicott was mentioned.  She was the daughter of a former Bishop of Gloucester.  When I went to the records office several years ago to find out when she died, they had her surname as Eliott so it took me some time to find.

No one has mentioned Kathleen Bruckshaw 1879-1935 who wrote a good piano concerto..

Pauline Viadot-Garcia 1821-1910  is well worth investigating.  Try her Cendrillon on Opera Rara, it is delightful and the nearest one might get to a 'Chopin' opera !
Freda Swain 1902-1985 wrote her 'Airmail' concerto in green ink on tissue paper.  This is soon to be released on CD.
Ethel Leginska (Liggins) 1886-1920 led a very eventful life as testified by a very thick and expensive biography.
Avril Coleridge-Taylor reinvented herself after a period of depression. She was Gwendoline Taylor originally.  She wrote a piano concerto and was also an orchestral conductor.  Does anyone know the fate of her brother, Hiawatha ?
Josephine Lang 1815-1880 wrote many songs which were well thought of in her day.
Ingeborg Stark 1840-1916 wrote a piano concerto several years before her husband, Hans Bronsart.  It has to be said that his is much the finer work.
Dora Estella Bright 1863-1951 wrote two piano concertos as well as other music
Madelaine Dring 1923-1957 Some of her chamber works are currently available on CD.
Ethel Scarborough1880-1956 - They don't have names like that anymore !!!  She wrote three piano concertos. They can't all have been flops.
Edith Swepstone 1885-1930 wrote two piano quintets, the second for piano and wind.
Cecily Foster 18xx- of Italian/British parents wrote a piano concertino.
Agathe Grondahl 1847-1907 Who knows of any other Norwegian women composers.
Joanna Muller-Herman 1868-1941 Austrian
I am currently researching Bluebell Klean who wrote and had performed in Bournemouth, a piano concerto.  She also wrote a quantity of chamber music which was performed at Wigmore hall ( a big thank you to their archivist)
To mention a few more: Oliviera Prescott 1842-1919, Adelina de Lara 1872-1961, Pamela Harrison 1915-1990, Phyllis Dale 1914- ? , Elizabeth Firestone, and lastly Tekla Bardazewska-Baranowska and after mantioning the last named, I still hope to be taken seriously.

QuoteAgathe Grondahl 1847-1907 Who knows of any other Norwegian women composers.

Well, here are some within the romantic era:

Frederikke Egeberg (1815-1861) - Songs

Jacobine Bernard-Gjertz (1819-1862)

Emma Dahl (1819-1896) - Songs and piano music

Hannah Løvenskiold (1860-1930) - Piano music

Borghild Holmsen (1865-1938) - Songs, piano music, a Violin Sonata

Signe Lund (1868-1950)

Inger Bang Lund (1876-1968) - Songs, piano music, music for violin


No wellknown names here, and most of them seem to have composed miniatures only.


Morten

Well, if they're good miniatures (like some of Medtner's songs and his Forgotten Melodies piano cycles, or some other works not too hard to think of, to mention somewhat better-known composers from other countries) their being miniatures is no barrier to their making for a very good concert indeed, of course :) though one harder to put together!

Also, was Signe Lund also known (maybe for reasons of marriage) as Signe Lund-Skabo? Her compositions seem to show up under both names on WorldCat?

One other thing- in 1991 a CD was released on the Norsk Kulturråd label with some works by 7 women composers from Norway - Inger Bang Lund, Borghild Holmsen, Signe Lund among them. (See http://www.worldcat.org/title/little-suite-for-piano-and-string-orchestra-and-piano-works-by-7-women-composers/oclc/476042560 (http://www.worldcat.org/title/little-suite-for-piano-and-string-orchestra-and-piano-works-by-7-women-composers/oclc/476042560) ).
Eric

QuoteAlso, was Signe Lund also known (maybe for reasons of marriage) as Signe Lund-Skabo?

Yes, she was for some time married to a doctor called Jørgen Skabo.

Some history:
Signe Lund wasn't very popular in Norway since she was a member of Vidkun Quislings political party, and especially unpopular after she composed ¨Føreren kaller" (Der Führer calls - or something like that).
After the war in 1945, Signe Lund lost her Norwegian citizenship and was sentenced to hard labour at a remote farm in southern Norway. She was there until she died in 1950.

On the other side, she received the King's Medal of Merit long before the great war for her contributions to strengthen the relationship between Norway and the USA.

Morten

How about a recording of 'The three Ethels' Smyth, Scarborough and Leginska.

What would you suggest, Giles? There don't seem to be any scores available of concertante music by Scarborough or Leginska. In fact, not a great deal of music by either of them seems to have survived. I would be delighted to be shown to be wrong, by the way.

Sweden in the Romantic period had Elfrida Andree, Laura Valborg Aulin (2 string quartets, other works?), Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (born Saint Petersburg, so maybe doesn't fit...listed by Sv-Wikipedia as a Swedish-German composer - http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingeborg_Bronsart_von_Schellendorf (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingeborg_Bronsart_von_Schellendorf) - because of her ancestry, actually. Wife of v. Bronsart-Schellendorf, one of Liszt's pupils, and herself a Liszt pupil - mentioned in Walker's biography, v.2, Weimar Years); others too I'm sure, who composed large-scale works as well as miniatures.  It's odd not to be able to find more women composers in Norway at the same time who did so, all the same, for all that I don't deprecate miniatures; just statistically I guess.
(I don't know that many of these works, but I've heard some of Andree's, I think, and one of Valborg Aulin's 2 quartets, both of which have been broadcast by Radio 3; which - quartet - was rather good.)
Eric

Although Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) is (in relative terms) still the best-known British female composer, surprisingly little attention has been paid to her in concert and on disc. Although it was not quite an ideal recording, the long-deleted Conifer set of The Wreckers at least proved the value and interest of a highly-accomplished maverick composer. There is the excellent Chandos recording of the Serenade and Double Concerto (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethel-Smyth-Concerto-Orchestra-Serenade/dp/B000000AYX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1278228529&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethel-Smyth-Concerto-Orchestra-Serenade/dp/B000000AYX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1278228529&sr=1-1)) and the Audite account of the wonderful Mass in D (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethel-Smyth-Mass-Andreas-Macco/dp/B0000268B4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1278228529&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethel-Smyth-Mass-Andreas-Macco/dp/B0000268B4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1278228529&sr=1-3)), but there really ought to be greater representation of Smyth's output, particularly the operas The Boatswain's Mate and Entente Cordiale, and the choral works The Prison, Hey Nonny No and Sleepless Dreams.

Smyth's chamber works, admittedly easier to record, have received a few recordings each I believe (cpo and ASV?)
Eric

The chamber works are certainly worthwhile but mostly quite early, when Smyth was very much still a disciple of her beloved Brahms, and do not really showcase her individuality. Even the Mass in D, although an outstanding achievement, is largely rooted in Dvorak (another composer Smyth admired greatly). As she gained experience of the operatic stage through Der Wald and Fantasio she seemed to find her feet musically, leading to her first truly representative work The Wreckers.

We really do need a good recording of The Prison, a very important and substantial work in Smyth's output.

Elizabeth Firestone, daughter of the tyre magnate composed a lot of film music and was the first woman to write a complete full score for a Hollywood feature, in 1949. 'Once More My Darling'

Quote from: eschiss1 on Saturday 03 July 2010, 17:58
Sweden in the Romantic period had Elfrida Andree, Laura Valborg Aulin (2 string quartets, other works?), Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (born Saint Petersburg, so maybe doesn't fit...listed by Sv-Wikipedia as a Swedish-German composer - http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingeborg_Bronsart_von_Schellendorf (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingeborg_Bronsart_von_Schellendorf) - because of her ancestry, actually. Wife of v. Bronsart-Schellendorf, one of Liszt's pupils, and herself a Liszt pupil - mentioned in Walker's biography, v.2, Weimar Years); others too I'm sure, who composed large-scale works as well as miniatures.  It's odd not to be able to find more women composers in Norway at the same time who did so, all the same, for all that I don't deprecate miniatures; just statistically I guess.
(I don't know that many of these works, but I've heard some of Andree's, I think, and one of Valborg Aulin's 2 quartets, both of which have been broadcast by Radio 3; which - quartet - was rather good.)
Eric

There is also a CD on Sterling with orchestral music by Helena Muncktell. Not the sort of music that stays in mind, though, I'm afraid. Valborg Aulin's two string quartets are available on a Musica Sveciae CD, together with chamber music by Elfrida Andrée (mentioned earlier in this thread), Amanda Maier, Laura Netzel and Alice Tegnér. Tegnér is actually one of the best known composers within Sweden, though not for her classical music. Some of the best known and loved songs for children in Sweden are composed by her. That sort of musical career was probably regarded as more "suitable" for a woman in those days...

The Concertstück for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 40 by Cécile Chaminade is wonderful. Any chance Hyperion might do it?

Mostly an organ/choral composer, but I'd add Germaine Labole...  she wrote some nice pieces, among them this organ Symphonie:

Prélude (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/uploads/Labole1.mp3)

Fugue (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/uploads/Labole2.mp3)

Adagio (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/uploads/Labole3.mp3)

Final (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/uploads/Labole4.mp3)

I've heard one mvt of her Tryptique which is nice also, and understand there is some nice choral stuff as well.

Re Labole, I believe the symphonie has been recorded commercially (by Julian Bewig on Classicophon) and is available in score here (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_in_B_minor_(Labole,_Germaine)) (may only be downloadable in Canada etc., maybe some other places, not US or EU, for copyright reasons, at this time) by the way :) - knew the name sounded familiar, unfortunately information about her seems somewhat scarce?

QuoteThe Concertstück for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 40 by Cécile Chaminade is wonderful. Any chance Hyperion might do it?

It's on Mike Spring's radar, and will almost certainly get recorded in due course.

If I could pick the pianist to record Chaminade's Concertstück, it would be the redoubtable Bengt Forsberg, who seems to have a direct line to the composer's joie de vivre.

Quote from: eschiss1 on Wednesday 17 November 2010, 16:28
Re Labole, I believe the symphonie has been recorded commercially (by Julian Bewig on Classicophon) and is available in score here (http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_in_B_minor_(Labole,_Germaine)) (may only be downloadable in Canada etc., maybe some other places, not US or EU, for copyright reasons, at this time) by the way :) - knew the name sounded familiar, unfortunately information about her seems somewhat scarce?

Germaine Marie Labole (b.1896, Bordeaux; d. 1942, Bordeaux)  Pupil of Marcel Dupré, organist of Saint-Martial in Bordeaux.

I have seen the Bewig disc on jpc.de, I have another of his, so I'm sure he does a fine job.  I u/l the score to IMSLP, so I have it in my posession  ;D
Probably one  of the most unsung categories of unsung composers is that of women composers for organ...  not surprising, as there is a staggering list of unsung organ composers and music!  :o

Giwro, were you the author of the dissertation on Labole whose abstract I think I happened on (including a recording of the organ symphony, preceding Bewig's- still haven't heard either.) - when I was doing some brief research on her so as to improve her sketchy composer category page on IMSLP?...
Eric

No, not I....  ;)  My current project is a book about the solo Organ Symphonie, hence my interest in Labole.
I have found it difficult to get much information about her - not much beyond what I posted above.

If you do want to hear a recording, you can try the links in my earlier post...

Hello - don't suppose it counts really, but, if you've nothing better to do, look up on You Tube the channel of an Italian composer, Giuliana Spalletti. To my untrained ear she has some lovely melodies, not least perhaps the Allelulia.

Quote from: JSK on Tuesday 15 December 2009, 19:38

Quote from: Marcus on Tuesday 15 December 2009, 11:52
Two  female composers who are better known for their piano music wrote symphonies .They were Cecile Chaminade, (1857-1944) Dramatic Symphony -" Les Amazones ", and Louise Adolpha Le Beau, (1850-1927) Symphony in F minor.
These works have never been recorded to my knowledge.

Re The Le Beau: You aren't missing anything. The symphony has not been recorded, and I do not believe that it has received a modern performance. After hearing her poor piano concerto I discussed the symphony with my professor who has seen the score. She has an amazing ear and can "hear" scores in her head, and she told me that it was not worthy of performance, just one giant boring sequence with no real development of themes otherwise. Le Beau was in fact jealous of Clara Schumann's success and her narcissistic complex seemed to, in my opinion, make her feel entitled to the same success without even objectively assessing her music and fixing some basic problems. I gather that Le Beau's cello sonata is the "best" of her works, which probably isn't saying all that much, but I am not familiar with it.

The pianist Ana-Marija Markovina, who recorded Urspruch's piano music, also recorded the piano music of Luise Adolpha le Beau. For audio samples see  here  (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Luise-Adolpha-le-Beau-S%E4mtliche-Klavierwerke/hnum/4984775)

There has been some critic on the musical output of Le Beau (e.g. her PC and symphony). For those who can read German see  this review  (http://blog.codaex.de/2011/01/ana-marija-markovina-luise-adolpha-le-beau-complete-works-for-piano/)

Here's another huge listing of women composers:  http://www.kapralova.org/DATABASE.htm (http://www.kapralova.org/DATABASE.htm)
Jerry

If I am not wrong nobody has indicated the name of Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983; born Marcelle Taillefesse).
And, even if she was one member of "Les Six" , hardly we can consider her "sung".
Apparently she composed up to the age of ninety (so, she never stopped).
Just some months ago I could attend, for once, an actual  performance of one piece by GT: the fine (and tuneful) Piano Trio.
You can hear them on a double Brilliant Classics (with other chamber or solo piano works).
The Concertino for Harp and orch. exists on DG Galleria (and existed on a Koch).
Magical to me the Ballade for Piano and Orchestra of 1920 (I own a VOX LP, I fear never transferred to CD).

The Concertino is also on an ASV disc along with the (John) Williams Tuba concerto, and Mayuzumi Xylophone Concertino...and something else I forget, I believe. Very lovely piece. She also wrote a reletively popular solo harp sonata (as far as the popularity of solo harp sonatas go, anyway)

Quote from: Hovite on Friday 30 October 2009, 22:27

Quote from: jimmosk on Thursday 29 October 2009, 21:46
I can't believe that excellent page has not even a mention of Dame Ethel Smyth

I my opinion, she is the greatest female composer.

Tons of major women composers, difficult to say who's the dean among them. The most important, perhaps: Hildegard von Bingen, Jacquet de la Guerre, Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach, Rebecca Clarke, Ethel Smyth, Germaine Tailleferre, Vita Kapralova, Dora Pejacevic, Lili Boulanger. And Ruth Crawford-Seeger, for the near contemporary ones. And many more.
Anyone interested in reading well-researched articles on the issue of "woman composer" - you can download them free online: http://www.kapralova.org/JOURNAL.htm
There are also two important articles in this journal on Fanny Mendelssohn and Ethel Smyth, both by Dr. Eugene Gates, of Toronto's Royal Conservatory.

Quote from: alberto on Friday 22 April 2011, 09:35
If I am not wrong nobody has indicated the name of Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983; born Marcelle Taillefesse).
And, even if she was one member of "Les Six" , hardly we can consider her "sung".
Apparently she composed up to the age of ninety (so, she never stopped).
Just some months ago I could attend, for once, an actual  performance of one piece by GT: the fine (and tuneful) Piano Trio.
You can hear them on a double Brilliant Classics (with other chamber or solo piano works).
The Concertino for Harp and orch. exists on DG Galleria (and existed on a Koch).
Magical to me the Ballade for Piano and Orchestra of 1920 (I own a VOX LP, I fear never transferred to CD).

Tailleferre is a major woman composer and quite a few discs are available. One of the most important ones - the Koch CD mentioned in the quote - has been re-released and is available, worth spending the bucks not only for Tailleferre's Harp Concertino, a magical work, really, but also for Fanny Mendelssohn's Overture. Other major releases: Piano Concerto, Flute Concerto, and Partita on Helicon Records; Harp Sonata and String Quartet on Helicon Records; works for piano and violin on Dynamic; two pianos and piano four hands on Elan; and Concerto Grosso for two pianos, singers, saxophone and orchestra on Elan. Most of them still available, I believe.

Quote from: jerfilm on Friday 22 April 2011, 00:23
Here's another huge listing of women composers:  http://www.kapralova.org/DATABASE.htm (http://www.kapralova.org/DATABASE.htm)
Jerry

And also check out their online journal, downloadable free from http://www.kapralova.org/JOURNAL.htm
Some articles are on Kapralova, who was a major 20th-century European composer, but there are also some general articles on women in music, American women composers of choral music, and special features on Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Ethel Smyth, Amy Beach, and Jennifer Higdon.

Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 15 December 2009, 18:10
cpo plans to release two CDs of Dora Pejacevic's chamber music in 2010.

To my knowledge, the above has not been released. One disc is available  - mainly piano works - from the Croatian Music Information Centre.

Pejacevic is a major composer (both among men and women), best in her orchestral works: her piano concerto, her symphony, and most importantly, her Fantasy Concertante - an astonishing piece, really. There is no commercial release of this (or any other orchestral) work; the only recording I know of has been recorded by and for the Croatian national radio.

Quote from: Albion on Sunday 04 July 2010, 09:05
The chamber works are certainly worthwhile but mostly quite early, when Smyth was very much still a disciple of her beloved Brahms, and do not really showcase her individuality. Even the Mass in D, although an outstanding achievement, is largely rooted in Dvorak (another composer Smyth admired greatly). As she gained experience of the operatic stage through Der Wald and Fantasio she seemed to find her feet musically, leading to her first truly representative work The Wreckers.

Her Wreckers is a great opera. Too bad it was not staged at the Met instead of Die Wald. Nevertheless, Smyth holds the record of being the only woman to have ever been staged at the Metropolitan.

I would certainly pay good money to hear more of Ethel Smyth's stage-works, especially the comedies The Boatswain's Mate (1916) and Entente Cordiale (1926), or the late cantata The Prison (1930).

Incidentally, there are orchestral suites from Fete Galante (1922) and Entente Cordiale in her work-list, also Two Preludes rearranged from The Prison, together with another piece I'd very much like to hear, the Overture Anthony and Cleopatra (1889).

no longer unsung by our standards though not as well-known as some mentioned in this thread either would be Lodz-born Grazyna Bacewicz (diacritics removed, apologies) (1909-1969, died the year of my birth). 4 symphonies, 7 string quartets, 7 violin concertos, 2 cello concertos, viola concerto, 2 piano quintets, quite a whole lot else, from a somewhat Bartok?-like style (though her 3rd symphony does seem very much to hint at Borodin's 2nd symphony's main theme), early on to a rather more modernist style... (criticism of her middle/early late works as maybe lacking in character - well, on the basis of the few of those I've heard, I tend to agree, though I hope that was more the performers' fault...) - to late-last works (7th string quartet, 7th violin concerto) that are really pretty fantastical and fantastically good I think (though noways "Romantic" in the usual sense of this forum.)

Just some more names.
You can hear short piano pieces of the Norwegian Agathe Backer Groendahl (1847-1907) on Swedish Society SCD 1043 (Solveig Funseth, pianist).
In the same CD also one piano work between classical and romantic : the Nocturne in B-flat major the by Polish Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831).
Decidedly classical the Italian Maddalena Sirmen Lombardini (1745-1818). She composed six -fine- quartets recorded by the Allegri Quartet in 1994 (Cala records CACD 1019). The talented Lombardini was known as composer, violinist and singer and apparently was only a teacher for the last thirty years in her life. So she qualifies herself for another topic in the forum.

Briefly remembered in re: Louise Heritte-Viardot, but later no longer mentioned (if I am not wrong), are the sisters Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910, mother of Louise Heritte) and Maria Malibran (1808- 1836, born Garcia, married Malibran, later married de Beriot). Singers of the utmost celebrity, both were also composers.
I would indicate them both as, in some way, less "unsung" than many others, as they both have appeared on "best selling" records by Cecilia Bartoli (Pauline with three songs on "Chants d'Amour", Decca 452 667-2 (1994), Maria with one vocal display piece and one alternative aria to "Elixir of Love" on the CD "Maria" Decca 475 9077 (2007).
Pauline is represented also, at least, by en entire CD Analekta (2004) AN 2 9903 (soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian).
I could attend a concert by Bartoli singing the two Maria Malibran items. And a concert by the soprano Mariella Devia singing a group of Pauline songs after Chopin's Mazurkas. 

The Concerstuck op.40 by Chaminade was together with Tailleferre Ballade on a Vox-Turnabout LP I own (Rosario Marciano pianist, L.de Froment Orch. of Radio Luxembourg): both works last about 15' each (the LP contained also two shorter classical works by the earlier Anna Amalia Duchess of Saxe-Coburg: same pianist, different -chamber sized- orchestra).
A CD transfer may be hoped.

Quote from: alberto on Tuesday 26 April 2011, 15:26
The Concerstuck op.40 by Chaminade was together with Tailleferre Ballade on a Vox-Turnabout LP I own (Rosario Marciano pianist, L.de Froment Orch. of Radio Luxembourg): both works last about 15' each (the LP contained also two shorter classical works by the earlier Anna Amalia Duchess of Saxe-Coburg: same pianist, different -chamber sized- orchestra).
A CD transfer may be hoped.

The Chaminade recording is on CDX 5110 "French Piano Concertos".

if not mentioned, the Wikipedia category Women Classical Composers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Women_classical_composers) contains biographical articles (incomplete- a number have not been put into that category yet, etc.) from all eras (799 in the category presently) who compose in a generally-speaking classical style.  This too may be somewhat useful here, or may not, I do offer it.
Eric

Listening to Louise Farrenc's symphonies, they are glorious to me, outshine many another romantic symphony I have heard. I have collected music by woman composers for over 40 years, thank God nowadays with the current group of contemporary composers the representation is so much better, and a lot more will never have to be discussed on "Unsung Composers" as such a 100 years from now. And I quickly tire of the old "most of their music deserves obscurity", that being a chauvinist attitude that discounts listener-type people like me who find beautiful music in the unlikeliest of byways. I figure that someone who wrote a "weak" symphony wrote something stronger than I ever could and I admire that they at least believed in themselves enough to try to put the sounds in their heads on paper. Ooops, diatribe coming on.....

hrm. I'm more impressed by Farrenc's quintets than by her symphonies, though not by a wide margin, and the symphonies are impressive and have proven often worth returning to.  (With the caveat that I often listen to Bacewicz' 3rd symphony even in the Koch recording of it- there are now several- so maybe I am relatively easily pleased...)

Emilie Mayer, Nina Makarova, Zara Levina. i have never heard their music. a big love for who shared me

kaja- cpo has already released a CD with two orchestral works by Pejacevic including the fantasia, or so I thought? (I've only heard one of the chamber works you refer to, though actually there's a 2-CD set of her music from Frauenmusikforum Schweiz including the piano quintet and other works too from 2002, also the Jugoton lp from 1982, that it could have been from...)
Eric

have heard some of the Levina/Makarova CD that used to be produced by Russian Disc (not the viola/piano work but the symphony and the piano concerto therefrom).  Good stuff.

i think Princess wilhelmine of Prussia (later Margravine of Bayreuth) is good too. her opera Argenore now is quite famous :D

Act 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?y54azkwr3c5mnap
Act 2: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7UP32BKR

overture and aria:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS4X-F5Rgj4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj-aUYnTthY

this is live recording, you also can find some her opera arias and harpsichord concerto in higher quality here:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71rvaxDMgPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)

i want it but i can't :((

A French group, Quatuor des Iles (http://quatuordesiles.free.fr/Repertoire.htm), has been performing recently the work of Rita La Villette (1865-1941) aka Rita Strohl, composer of two symphonies, opera, chamber music... There's a short documentary here (http://www.france3breizh.fr/fr/balibreizh/series/rita-la-villette) in Breton with option of French sub-titles that contains an extract of a Quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello.

I've seen most of the ones I can think of mentioned throughout this thread - Elinor Remick Warren (I own a very fine recording of The Legend of King Arthur), Amy Beach (lovely chamber music), Rosalind Ellicott (<3<3<3)...

What about Margaret Rutheven Lang?  Benjamin Joseph Lang's daughter - she was quite the talent, if the one song on YouTube I've been able to find is any indication.  (Another CD for my ever-expanding want list, alas.)

I'm also rather fond of what I know of Mary Carr Moore's music, including the piano concerto I discovered on these shores.  One day I would love to exhume her opera Narcissa.

Also from these pages - Ina Boyle and Susan Spain-Dunk.  And Elizabeth Maconchy.  Fine composers all, based on what I know of their work (the Boyle Violin Concerto was one of my discoveries of the year last year.)

One more...Guirne Creith, if we are to commend Dutton for their exhumations.  Quite a fine Violin Concerto.

Oddly enough, we are listening to a CPO recording of Fanny Mendelssohn's string quartet, coupled with works by Emilie Mayer and M.Laura Lombardini Sirmen.  Lovely stuff and well worth seeking out. 

I've looked up Emilie Mayer on Wikipaedia, she was very prolific, I'll have to investigate her music further...
As for M.Laura Lombardini Sirmen, she appears to have had an interesting life and studied with Tartini - there is less information about her on the net than on E.Mayer though.

Ruthven Lang- besides Wikipedia there is also a family webpage (http://www.margaretruthvenlang.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=117) providing some background information though not music (and IMSLP has a US-only-for-now - she died in 1972, so copyright precludes - pair of songs.)

One of Emilie Mayer's 6 symphonies has been recorded (of her orchestral works I think only one of her symphonies, and her Faust overture were published in the 19th century and then only in duet reduction, as I recall) and a musicologist who's posted here has been typesetting the lot (and other works of hers and other people) for performance and publication, it seems.

The Pejacavic Violin Sonatas recently being discussed (out of context, thanks to me.....) on another thread, have just recently been uploaded to YouTube.......

jerry

No mention of Augusta Holmes in this thread?

I just discovered Lucija Garuta's piano concerto in F sharp minor from 1952. A wonderfully anachronistic, lush specimen of the genre that I thoroughly recommend to anyone here.

Quote from: jerfilm on Tuesday 12 March 2013, 18:43
The Pejacavic Violin Sonatas recently being discussed (out of context, thanks to me.....) on another thread, have just recently been uploaded to YouTube.......

jerry

I have one of them on a Croatian disc (purchased in Zagreb, as I recall) of Croatian violin sonatas.  I believe it was the First; it's coupled with a sonata by Boris Papandopulo and a couple of other works.  I don't even remember the rest of it, except that I didn't care much for the other three.  But the Pejacevic was a revelation.  I have a piano cycle of hers as well, which I'm not so wild about, and the wonderful CPO symphony release, which I found secondhand and which is a treasure beyond measure.

I didn't see Mabel Wheeler Daniels mentioned, though I may have glossed her - any familiarity?

No, the sonata on the 2001 CD is Pejacevic's opus 43 (Slavonic sonata), and she wrote an earlier(-published?) one (opus 26 in D) (if not others) as well as some miniatures for violin and piano.

Quote from: Gauk on Wednesday 13 March 2013, 08:38
No mention of Augusta Holmes in this thread?

Hmmm... she has only been mentioned a couple of times on UC, and the comments have been mixed. The Marco Polo disc received good reviews when it was issued but, although quite engaging, I think the music lacks originality and unless I am careful I end up playing 'spot the composer'.  :)

Quote from: eschiss1 on Wednesday 13 March 2013, 16:08
No, the sonata on the 2001 CD is Pejacevic's opus 43 (Slavonic sonata), and she wrote an earlier(-published?) one (opus 26 in D) (if not others) as well as some miniatures for violin and piano.

Ah - thanks.  I'm going entirely off of memory here, not currently having any access to the disc in question (it being at home and me being a lazy sod who refuses to look for stuff in his collection when he gets there.  :) )

What about Margaret Bonds?  I've always been curious about her; apparently nothing's been recorded (at least on CD) apart from a couple of songs and small pieces.  I know she wrote some larger-scale pieces, but the only thing I'm aware of that's been done recently is her setting of Ballad of the Brown King, with piano instead of orchestral accompaniment

Has (Hildegard) Quiel (1888-1971) been mentioned yet? Haven't seen/heard her music, but a violin sonata of hers was published in 1921...

Various uploaders at Youtube have almost all of Pejacevic's substantial chamber music. The quality of her work spurred me to purchase all of her CDs I could get a hold of:

cello Sonata in e, op 35
piano quartet in d, op 25
piano quintet in b, op 40
piano trio no. 2 in C, op 29
String quartet in C, op58
Violin Sonata No. 1 in D, op 26
Violin Sonata No. 2 in bb, op 43

I haven't seen a recording of piano trio No. 1 in D, Op. 15, and the rest are smaller salon pieces... (except possibly the impromptu for piano quartet, op 9b)

Enjoy; I've only heard one of those works so far and seen another. (B-flat minor-are-you... oh. Mic.hr (http://www.mic.hr/products/sonate-slave-pour-violon-et-piano) has sound samples of the openings of the three movements of the cpo recording of Op.43, and that's B-flat minor (I don't have perfect pitch, but I compared it to Brahms op.76 pieces in B minor and B-flat major on IMSLP just to be sure ;^)  Sorry. Rare enough key, that...

The trio op.15 was recorded back in 2001. See this disc. (http://www.worldcat.org/title/sonate-fur-violine-und-klavier-d-dur-op-26-trio-fur-violine-violoncello-und-klavier-d-dur-op-151-quintett-fur-2-violinen-viola-violoncello-und-klavier-h-moll-op-40/oclc/729878611&referer=brief_results)

Hrm, and there's another recording of the Cello sonata in E minor on "celliris'" channel from what seems to be a live performance (I tend to prefer those especially since the "other kind" have this unaccountable habit of disappearing periodically...) (see first movement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsOWMKpACxY) et seq.)

Like Ilja, I've just discovered Garuta's PC - and it is, indeed, SUPERB.  And, to my ear, at least (and I know these things are subjective) a real Northern concerto. It seems to possess an "icy" lyricism. Anyway, whether it makes that impression on you or not, I highly recommend it. Available on YouTube.

FBerwald:
"I once heard a waltz by a female composer on the radio. The announcer called her the "Female Strauss"." -
hrm... Ravel once dedicated a work of his to "The American Female Strauss, Hilda Emery Davis." (or something?)

Not even nearly a Joseffine, but might be who you heard?

My favorite woman unsung is Pejacevic, whose big-boned late-romantic music is tailor-made for my tastes. Farrenc is one of my favorite unsung early romantics, with her three stirring, Beethovenian symphonies. Emilie Mayer's Fifth Symphony is another highly-charged piece of early romantic symphonism. Lillian Elkington's tone poem Out of the Mists was a major discovery for me-a hauntingly beautiful work that makes one despair that it is her only surviving orchestral work! There's a similarly bittersweet situation with Lili Boulanger, who only left us the intensely beautiful Psalms 24 and 130 and Faust et Helene and a few smaller works.

Is the Elkington something that has been recorded somewhere, sometime??

Jerry

Dutton Epoch CDLX 7122

Lilian Elkington's superb little masterpiece Out of the Mist is supremely moving. I programmed it in a concert I organised at The Cadogan Hall three years ago.

Thanx, Mark

J

@Mark I think that should be CDLX 7172 for the Elkington...

I have the Elkington on a Cameo CC9041CD, although they misspelled her name.

QuoteI think that should be CDLX 7172 for the Elkington

Quite correct. It's here (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7172).

Many thanks to Ilja and Gareth, both of whom praised Lucija Garuta's magnificent Piano Concerto. What a find. There's an austere nobility to it, a sort of craggy lyricism, which is really impressive and quite affecting. It's a shame that she composed so little, but I see that a Piano Trio is also available on YouTube, and that's my next stop....

To try and amplify Gareth's CD notes re Elkington 'Out of the Mist', I took my 'web-paddling' skills (limited though they are!) for a short spin and found the attached link.

http://www.maudpowell.org/signature/Portals/0/pdfs/signature/Signature_Autumn_2008.pdf

Goodness knows what other treasures may be buried within their vaults?

Cheers

Richard

There's also Maria Bach (1896-1978). She is described in the Encyclopedia of Women Composers as a follower of Korngold (who she knew rather well), but her only composition teacher was Joseph Marx. One would think that should be enough to mount a major investigation. She certainly had enough public success to warrant reexamination of her work. Little has been written about her, but there is a significant chapter devoted to her in the book Five Lives In Music, by Cecelia Hopkins Porter. You can read a little of it here: http://goo.gl/xG1hka (http://goo.gl/xG1hka). I should really look into this.

Thanks, Mark, for the tip on the Piano Trio - one (of many I suspect) that I've missed on YouTube.....

J

Maria Bach's ballet "Silhouettes" from 1937 used to be available on a Thorofon CD entitled Frauentöne Vol. I, in a 1959 arrangement by the composer. The booklet notes mention that Julius Korngold was her influential sponsor, and that a monograph about her appeared in 1995: Gerda M. Eiselmair: Die männliche Gilde sehe sich vor [The male guild beware!] Die österreichische Komponistin Maria Bach. Vienna: Löcker Verlag 1995 (Frauentöne Vol. 2)

Every scrap of information is helpful. Thanks.