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A Quiet History of Influence
By Pamela YoungbloodPublished: November 2010
PDF Version AvailableHow many female composers can you name? Throughout history, women have made significant contributions to the development of music, yet many people have never heard or performed their compositions. Learning about the lives of role models, past and present, from Hildegard to Higdon, will encourage young musicians to pursue their passion. The beautiful music and inspiring stories of women composers, though underreported in traditional music texts, can be incorporated into the music curriculum at all levels with great results.
Historically, a female composer’s success was dependent on when and where she lived, her access to education, and financial support. Prior to the 19th century, this meant being affiliated with courts or convents.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was a nun and preacher, a composer and poet, a visionary and healer, and, as the tenth child born to a noble family, was given to the church as a tithe. Her compositional style, monophonic plainchant, was innovative for its time with its wide range (two octaves or more) and lengthy melismatic passages. She wrote both the lyrics and music and developed her own notation system.
Listening Lesson: Play a recording of an authentic version of Hildegard’s music produced by Sequentia or Anonymous 4 and compare it with examples from the CD Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen by Richard Souther, a modern-day treatment incorporating meter, harmony, and electronic instruments. This can facilitate an instructive discussion about the differences between the two styles and can be adapted to any grade level.
Another female composer from the convent was Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704), an Ursuline nun in Novara, Italy. She published more than 200 sacred vocal compositions, most of which have survived. Her beautiful and accessible choral music is available through ClarNan publications.
Listening Lesson: Compare a plainchant Kyrie by Hildegard with a Kyrie for mixed chorus and orchestra by Leonarda. One source for both, as well as for many other female composers, is the CD set Women Composers: The Lost Tradition Found by Leonarda Productions.
The advantages associated with the patronage of the courts are clearly illustrated in the story of Francesca Caccini (1587–1645), daughter of Guilio Caccini, one of the founders of opera. The Caccini family were members of the Florentine court and thus were afforded the finest educational and performance opportunities. Francesca was reported to be the highest paid singer at court in 1623. However, she would not let her own daughter pursue a singing career because of the possible threat to convent placement or a good marriage. Public performance by women of that time was associated with questionable morals.
In addition to her singing, Francesca was known for her compositions, including her opera La Liberazione di Ruggiero, written in 1625, which reputedly was the first opera to be performed outside of Italy. Her composition is a superb example of early opera with its emphasis on text and basso continuo accompaniment.
Prussian Princess Anna Amalia (1723–1787) was a sister of Frederick the Great. She was 17 when their militaristic, music-hating father died. After her brother ascended to the throne, the palace resounded with music. Both J. J. Quantz and C. P. E. Bach worked at Frederick’s court; J. S. Bach visited twice. In addition to her own compositions, Anna collected and preserved over 600 volumes of music by composers such as Bach, Palestrina, Handel, and Telemann. A priceless heritage, this library was divided after World War II. It was later restored with the reunification of Germany. Examples of Anna’s compositions include her accessible March for the Regiment Graf Lottum for strings and her Sonata in F Major for flute and continuo (both are available through Kalmus Publishers).
Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759–1824), the “Blind Enchantress,” was idolized by the Viennese public. Her father was in the employ of the Austrian empress who was so awed by the young Maria’s musical gifts that she assumed financial responsibility for Maria’s education. A brilliant pianist who had more than 60 concertos committed to memory, Maria embarked on a three-year concert tour in 1783. One of her first stops was the home of Leopold Mozart in Salzburg, and although it is not documented in historical records, it is presumed that Wolfgang Amadeus and Maria did meet. Both Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn wrote concertos for Maria.
Another stop on her tour was Paris, where Valentin Haüy, an advocate and educator for the blind, interviewed her about her educational experiences. Maria became Haüy’s model and inspiration; they met almost daily to collaborate on a system for educating the blind. In 1785, with personal funds, Haüy opened his school for the blind. One of his later students was Louis Braille.
Using a wooden board and various shapes of pegs to represent note values, Maria composed a number of works, including piano pieces and at least five operas. She later opened a school for both blind and sighted girls and taught there until her death. Although many of her compositions have been lost, her legacy lives on through her indirect influence on the Braille system still in use today.
Listening Lesson: After blindfolding students, put eight magnets in their hands and have them stand in front of a magnetic white board. As you play an eight-note melodic line, students place magnets on the board to match the melodic contour. Explain that this is the way Maria wrote her music, except that she used a wooden board and pegs. Have students remove blindfolds, play the melody again, and have them follow the placement of their magnets to see if they match the contour of the melody.
Family and social standing were important factors for female composers in the 19th century. Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847) was three and a half years older than her brother, Felix, and their musical training was nearly identical. However, their father insisted that while music could be Felix’s profession, it could be only an ornament in Fanny’s life. She must follow her true calling (and societal expectation) and be a housewife, which in this privileged family meant being the mistress of a Berlin household. Fanny did, in fact, marry a painter, William Hensel, who unlike her father and brother, encouraged her to compose and publish music.
Fanny had only one public performance, a benefit in 1836. Although she wrote as many as 400 compositions, only 42 were published during her lifetime.
Despite the constraints of privilege and the times, she was an accomplished musician in the private sphere. Her female relatives were cultured and educated women who were patrons of such composers as Beethoven. Fanny followed that tradition by hosting musicales in her home. She planned the programs, selected the musicians, performed at the piano as both soloist and accompanist, and conducted rehearsals and concerts.
In contrast to the private music-making of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, pianist and composer Clara Schumann (1819–1896) led a public performing life. Closely connected with other Romantic composers, particularly Johannes Brahms, she was married to a musician and composer, Robert Schumann, and in the 19th century was more famous than her husband. After their marriage, Robert continued to compose and Clara continued to concertize—even throughout the pregnancies of their eight children. Well ahead of their time, the Schumanns faced the challenges of working parents; letters show that at one point they decided that Clara would tour while Robert stayed home with the children.
After Robert died in 1856, Clara kept his memory alive by including his music on her numerous public concerts. Their story literally is the stuff of which movies are made. Song of Love features a young Katharine Hepburn as Clara, and Spring Symphony stars Nastassia Kinski as Clara. These movies provide meaningful insight into 19th-century society.
Listening Lesson: Play excerpts from Twin Spirits (2009), a recorded live performance featuring Sting and his wife, actress Trudie Styler, reading letters of Robert and Clara to one another. The DVD is interspersed with performances of the Schumanns’ music and includes reflections on their lives.
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867–1944) was a remarkable American woman, composer, and pianist. Largely self-taught through her meticulous copying of Bach fugues and Beethoven symphonies, Amy was the first composer to be trained exclusively in America. Her Gaelic Symphony is one of the earliest works to refute skeptics who said that women could write only in smaller genres such as parlor music and art songs. Because of her keen ear for music, Amy was able to assist ornithologists by transcribing bird calls into musical notation. She incorporated bird songs in her piano composition A Hermit Thrush at Morning.
Listening Lesson: Play a recording of the piano solo A Hermit Thrush at Morning, and discuss how the composer portrays bird calls in the composition. Have students discuss which instruments could make other animal sounds and why.
The study of female composers can easily serve as a springboard for multicultural discovery and discussion as well. Musica de la Puebla de los Angeles: Music by Women Composers of Baroque Mexico, Cuba, and Europe is a remarkable CD by the Ars Femina ensemble that contains music dating back to the 1600s.
Present-day examples of multicultural women composers also abound. Afro-Cuban composer Tania León (b. 1943), emigrated from Cuba to the United States where she became the first music director of the Dance Theater of Harlem. The influence of her heritage can be heard in Batá for orchestra, which is unified by a musical motive based on a tune her father whistled.
The unforgettable story of Chen Yi (b. 1953) and the Chinese Cultural Revolution is one of triumph over adversity as her musically educated family was split apart in 1966, and this gifted young violinist was sent to do hard labor in the fields. During this difficult time, she was inspired by Chinese folk music, and its influence can be heard in her composition, Chinese Folk Dance Suite for violin and orchestra.
Listening Lesson: A variety of lessons that focus on the music of female composers around the world could be tailored to any grade level, including cross-curricular lessons that highlight the historical and societal influences of the culture.
While the success stories of León and Yi are significant, they are only two examples of the ongoing influence of female composers. While attempting to offer a complete list of prominent female composers isn’t possible here, it remains vital for music educators to expose students to the historical significance of female composers and to their continued influence. The list on this page is provided to further illustrate that compositions by female composers are readily available today.
Contemporary female composers continue to write significant compositions in all genres and several publishers, including Arsis Press, Hildegard Publishing, and ClarNan Editions, specialize in sheet music by women composers. With this increasing pool of resources and heightened awareness of the role of women in music, the creative integration of music by women composers into the curriculum has never been easier. The song or story you share in class today might just be the inspiration for one of tomorrow’s successful female composers.
Read More About It
Female composers have been the inspiration for many books for young readers, including the following list of historically accurate works:
• Allman, Barbara. Her Piano Sang: A Story about Clara Schumann. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1997. ISBN # 1-57505-012-9.
• Gourse, Leslie. Sophisticated Ladies: The Great Women of Jazz. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2007. ISBN # 978-0-525-47198-1.
• Kamen, Gloria. Hidden Music: The Life of Fanny Mendelssohn. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1996. ISBN # 0-689-31714-X.
• Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the Musicians. Good Times, Bad Times, and What the Neighbors Thought. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993. ISBN # 0-15-248010-2.
• Reich, Susanna. Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso. New York: Clarion Books, 1999. ISBN # 0-395-89119-1.
• Ryan, Pam Muñoz. When Marian Sang. New York: Scholastic Press, 2002.
ISBN # 0-439-26967-9.
• Schichtman, Sandra H., and Indenbaum, Dorothy. Gifted Sister: the Story of Fanny Mendelssohn. Greensboro: Morgan Reynolds Publishing, 2007. ISBN # 978-1-59935-038-7.
Contemporary Composers
This following list of outstanding composers further illustrates that female composers continue to influence the composition world today. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but is intended help you incorporate more literature by female composers into your repertoire.
Band, Orchestra, and Choral
Emma Lou Diemer
Nancy Galbraith
Jennifer Higdon
Libby Larsen
Tania León
Cindy McTee
Katherine Salfelder
Alex Shapiro
Chen Yi
Judith Zaimont
Band and Orchestra
Joan Tower
Band
Julie Giroux
Anne McGinty
Choral
Emily Crocker
Eleanor Daley
Dede Duson
Laura Farnell
Jill Gallina
Mary Lynn Lightfoot
Sherri Porterfield
Ruth Schram
Pamela Youngblood is a professor of music at Texas Woman’s University.