Female Musicians

Some were mentioned, Clara Schumann, Mozart's sister (Nannerl), and Fanny Mendelssohn.

I am quoting Frank's succulent post

Frank wrote:

Fanny Mendelssohn had the opportunity to benefit from the same lessons given to her brother Felix, sharing numerous teachers, including Zelter. Like her brother Felix, she showed great skill in composing music at an early age. The frequent guests of the Mendelssohn family salon, in the years around 1820, were amazed by the talent of the two young Mendelssohn siblings.

However, she was limited by the prejudices of the time towards women, prejudices apparently supported even by her father, who tolerated rather than supported her activity as a composer (sic!)

He wrote to her in 1820: “Music may become his (Felix's) profession, while for you it can and must be only an ornament”

Fortunately, her brother Felix, on the other hand, supported her both as a composer and as an artist, even though he was cautious (probably for family reasons) about the idea of her publishing her works under her own name. He nevertheless helped her arrange a certain number of compositions that she published under her own name, and in exchange, she helped him with critiques that he considered very constructive.

In 1829, after a courtship lasting several years, Fanny married the painter Wilhelm Hensel, who encouraged her artistic production. Subsequently, her works were always played alongside those of her brother during concerts held at the family home in Berlin. Her public piano debut took place in 1838, when she performed to the notes of her brother's work, Piano Concerto No. 1.

I have become aware of the cost of certain cultural situations that have belonged to us for centuries, see the post by pianista65

pianista65 wrote:

In effect, if you think about it, until only 100 years ago women's rights were aimed at having children and doing housework. Let us also remember the right to vote, acquired relatively recently, or later in Roman history, the total impossibility of participating in political life. In some countries of the world, I am referring to Eastern countries, women still suffer from these abuses today... At Mendelssohn's time... Just think about it for a bit...

I am asking, are there other notes (and non-notes) that I am missing and should know?

What do you all think?

Hildegard von Bingen

Some listens

Hildegard von Bingen - Kyrie Eleison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yXJ0MDTI4Q

and in the meantime I came across this

Vision of Hildegard von Bingen-voice Hana Blochová-KVINTERNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMnXjLD7J24

Beautiful... well...

Open content (youtube)

Open content (youtube)

Nadia Boulanger?

Even if not properly known as a composer or performer, I believe she can be defined as an important presence in the music of the '1900s.'

You bet Boulanger was important.

I would add at least Francesca Caccini, daughter of Giulio, and Barbara Strozzi.

Then, Ethel Smyth at the beginning of the 1900s (author of the famous suffragette march, the one sung in Mary Poppins...), and in the 1900s many others: Sofia Gubaidulina, Kaija Saariaho, Chen Yi, Ada Gentile, Pauline Oliveros, Meredith Monk, and many others. I would also include "boundary" composers, like Björk, Yoko Ono, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson...

Carla Bley, Diana Krall, Aziza Mustafah Zadeh, Alice Coltrane, ...

How many reports, I basically ignored them all

Organista94 wrote:

So many reports, I basically ignored them all

Pense, there are those who say that if Nannarelle - Mozart's sister - had been able to study like her brother, she would have become like him, if not even more of a genius.

Cathy Berberian!

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/6285-l’altra-metà-della-musica-storie-di-donne-compositrici-dal-seicento-ai-giorni-nostri/