Women Composers' Thread/International Women's Day 2015 on R3

[doversoul1]

What was wrong with this thread, where I'd already posted the Guardian article to which the letters you link to above were a response?

Also, see the last dozen or so posts on the Clara Schumann thread.

[Roehre]

It would take quite a bit of time only to read the 1200odd names of women composers as mentioned in the Dictionary of Women Composers (2 vols), let alone to play their music

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Also, see the last dozen or so posts on the Clara Schumann thread.

And the "Rebecca Clarke on Woman's Hour and Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre Threads, too.

But apart from that ... what have women composers ever done for us?




(Actually, teasing ardy aside, BeefO is right that it's better to have a specific Thread to discuss some of the issues that arose particularly in the BaL Thread; so thanks, ardy.)

[doversoul1]

And the "Rebecca Clarke on Woman's Hour and Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre Threads, too.

But apart from that ... what have women composers ever done for us?

…and what have all those male composers (I wonder why ‘men composers’ sounds odd) done for / to us? Look at us here on this Forum

[ardcarp]

But apart from that ... what have women composers ever done for us?

Well, I feel mankind [and womankind of course] was enriched by Dame Ethel's toothbrush.

[Don Petter]

(Actually, teasing ardy aside, BeefO is right that it's better to have a specific Thread to discuss some of the issues that arose particularly in the BaL Thread; so thanks, ardy.)

Except that, not being qualified in either capacity, I feel unable to contribute. (Cheers, do I hear?)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Except that, not being qualified in either capacity, I feel unable to contribute. (Cheers, do I hear?)

Never stops me!










Yes - jump in and contradict me any time you like, people!


I love reading the Jazz and World Music threads, particularly because I rarely feel unable to contribute. I think this should make a really interesting and informative Thread.

[P. G. Tipps]

Sorry to be a thread-pooper but does it really matter one jot the gender of a particular composer?

The only thing that matters is the composition, nothing else.

One may as well have a thread on composers with big blue eyes ...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Several decades ago, there was a day dedicated to women composers, entitled "Women on 3".

The difficulty I see is that there's a danger of it becoming a wee bit patronising. When I first came into contact with the music of Chaminade and Paradis, I had no idea they were women, so appreciated their music objectively. With Alma Mahler and Clara Schumann, I knew who they were before hearing their compositions, so the fact that they were women did colour my initial familiarisation with their music, and I agree with P.G. Tipps that this is not important.

[Flosshilde]

Sorry to be a thread-pooper but does it really matter one jot the gender of a particular composer?

The only thing that matters is the composition, nothing else.

One may as well have a thread on composers with big blue eyes ...

As I said -

Originally Posted by P. G. Tipps
Nothing like a controversial Bruckner thread to get me reaching frantically for that keyboard!

Oh, I don't know - I can think of a few other topics that get the same response from you, Scotty.

[Flosshilde]

Sorry to be a thread-pooper but does it really matter one jot the gender of a particular composer?

The only thing that matters is the composition, nothing else.

One may as well have a thread on composers with big blue eyes ...

I think the reasons why it is sometimes important to focus on the gender (or, rather, to focus on women composers, or scientists, or whatever) have been explained so often on this board that any repetition would be tedious for all concerned. If you don't get it now, I don't think you ever will. One has to accept that there are people either incapable or unwilling to understand.

[doversoul1]

I think the reasons why it is sometimes important to focus on the gender (or, rather, to focus on women composers, or scientists, or whatever) have been explained so often on this board that any repetition would be tedious for all concerned. If you don't get it now, I don't think you ever will. One has to accept that there are people either incapable or unwilling to understand.

In the case of most jobs/professions when gender is in question, in general, boys/men have no problems in perceiving the jobs as viable careers by which they should be able to make a living and support the family. How many young men choose composition as their career with the same degree of confidence?

As for composition, if there is an issue, it is more likely to be about the society that does not value composers and not much to do with gender related questions.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In the case of most jobs/professions when gender is in question, in general, boys/men have no problems in perceiving the jobs as viable careers by which they should be able to make a living and support the family. How many young men choose composition as their career with the same degree of confidence?

As for composition, if there is an issue, it is more likely to be about the society that does not value composers and not much to do with gender related questions.

Perfectly expressed.

[ardcarp]

I think the reasons why it is sometimes important to focus on the gender (or, rather, to focus on women composers, or scientists, or whatever) have been explained so often on this board that any repetition would be tedious for all concerned. If you don't get it now, I don't think you ever will. One has to accept that there are people either incapable or unwilling to understand.

But tedious or not, I'd just mention that Jocelyn Bell (a woman) discovered pulsars...and her (male) supervisor at Cambridge got the Nobel Prize for it.

[P. G. Tipps]

I think the reasons why it is sometimes important to focus on the gender (or, rather, to focus on women composers, or scientists, or whatever) have been explained so often on this board that any repetition would be tedious for all concerned. If you don't get it now, I don't think you ever will. One has to accept that there are people either incapable or unwilling to understand.

Or maybe they are simply non-sexist and non-discriminatory ... ?