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

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Afternoon on Three has this week been broadcasting a number of works by women composers, some well known like Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, others less so (has anyone heard of Ina Boyle before today?). Always on the lookout for new music to expand my listening horizons I would like to know who is your favourite female composer and, dare I ask, do you detect any differences between male and female composers?

I was recently very impressed when I heard a CD of the Mass in D by Ethel Smyth who shows a shows a firm command of large scale forms in this work. Of the current composers my favourite is Sally Beamish, especially in her concertos.

Over to you....

[Mahlerei]

Of the female composers I've discovered in recent years Gloria Coates and Amy Beach are the most interesting. Beach's piano music (on Guild) and Coates's orchestral pieces (on Naxos) are well worth exploring, IMO.

[Tony.Haywood]

I like Gloria Coates - I can never listen to glissandos in quite the same way now! If you like more unusual textures and a bit more modernism, check out Kaaja Saariaho.

[Uncle Monty]

I have listened to Sofia Gubaidulina a lot, always interesting. I echo Tony Haywood's mention of Saariaho.

In the early baroque period, Barbara Strozzi wrote some beautiful stuff.

I'm not sure who the woman announcer was on Afternoon on 3 on Tuesday, I think it was, but she read out Lili Boulanger's name, and followed it with a quip about it sounding very racy. Nothing could be further from the truth! Lili, who died young, was very pious and ascetic.

Oh, there's Cecile Chaminade -- I've seen her work dismissed as lightweight, but that doesn't mean it isn't very pleasant to listen to.

And in Britain, Grace Williams and Doreen Carwithen (Mary Alwyn). Some beautiful orchestral textures.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Lili Boulanger, was certainly one of the most remarkable woman prodigies, I have feeling if she'd ponly lived another 20 years she'd have been considered one of the great 20th century composers. I enjoy the works of Louise Farrenc from the mid 19th century and also the 20th century American Ellen Zwilich, whose imposing 1st symphony is well worth trying, quite a number of her works are available in recordings including concertos for a number of instruments that are normally overlooked in the concerto genre. Also for me Elizabeth Maconchy with her fine string quartets.

[Barbirollians]

There was a very good Chandos album of Ethel smyth works including her Violin and Horn Concerto and her Serenade .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Chaminade's "Automne" was something I first heard on Radio 2's Grand Hotel in the 1960s. When I got hold of the piano music, my teacher went ballistic. "How could you play such rubbish?" This attack had the opposite of the desired effect, and made me even more determined to learn to play the very difficult middle section.
I still like it.

Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto is rather good too.

And Debbie Wiseman.

[Anna]

I would say Amy Beach and Grace Williams. But my goodness, what a condescending thread this is. Women? Composing? Nexr thing you know, they'll be demanding the vote, wearing dungarees, proclaiming themselves Feminists and Lesbians and goodness knows what.

[MrGongGong]

Pauline Oliveros
Meredith Monk
Tansy Davies
Judith Wier
Sofia Gubaidulina
Wendy Mae Chambers
Ellen Fullman
Elizabeth Maconchy
Kaija Saariaho
Evelyn Ficarra
Annea Lockwood
Katherine Norman
Hildegard Westerkamp
Natasha Barrett
Pippa Murphy
Elisabeth Lutyens
Galina Ustvolskaya

for a start are all worth listening to

[LeMartinPecheur]

Glad to see Judith Weir getting a mention - thanks Mr GG. One not so far mentioned I encountered for the very first time last night in a concert - Cecilia McDowall, b London 1951, a work called Dream City, the 3rd movt of which was so gorgeous I rushed home and ordered the CD (Dutton)!

Of those already mentioned my picks would be Weir, Smyth, Chaminade (the tune in her flute Concertino I can always bring instantly to mind then then can't get out of my head [Galway/RPO/Dutoit - RCA], Gubaidulina, and maybe Maconchy (this jury's still out on her quartets). Plus another not so far mentioned, Rachel Stott.

Amy Beach I've listened to sympathetically but am far from persuaded about so far.

[Edit] Should have included Boulanger!

[Roehre]

Grace Williams
Catharina van Rennes
Olga Neuwirth
Maaike Nas
Hildegard von Bingen
Tera de Marez Oyens
and some 1000odd others :)

[bluestateprommer]

In Anthony Tommasini's recent New York Times series on "Top 10 Composers", one blog post does cover the subject of female composers:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/top-10-composers-the-female-factor/

BTW, no one put in a plug for Thea Musgrave?

Also, from this side of the pond, two of the so-called "Atlanta School of Composers" are Jennifer Higdon and Angel Lam. Among the "grand old" generation, Joan Tower has been composing for many years and is now in her 70's.

[BBMmk2]

Indeed Thea Musgrave, very good composer. Judith Bingham, anyone?

[Uncle Monty]

But my goodness, what a condescending thread this is. Women? Composing? Nexr thing you know, they'll be demanding the vote, wearing dungarees, proclaiming themselves Feminists and Lesbians and goodness knows what.

Ooh, I think the thread contributions are motivated by sorrow rather than condescension. The scarcity of women composers generally regarded as being in the top rank is surely a loss to all of us? The historical and sociological reasons are pretty clear: for women music -- playing it rather than composing it -- was seen as one more social accomplishment, not a profession. And music of any seriousness was the preserve of the classes whose women simply didn't have professions.

No one now thinks this was a good thing! I don't know if there is any glass ceiling in composing, but I would take some convincing that women are inherently less fitted to compose than men. Let's hope this is something that time will put right.

[verismissimo]

Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979). Outstanding IMO. Especially her sonata for viola and piano of c. 1919.

She had 20 works published in her lifetime with some 80 more left in manuscript. Much still to be played and recorded.