Women Composers

VTb t Has Woman Accomplished in Music 7 This question, frequently asked in a pessimistic way, the following pages will attempt to answer. Woman has accomplished comparatively more in the field of music than is generally known, though nature, so far s lias not produced a woman composer whose compo si [...]
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VTb t Has Woman Accomplished in Music 7 This question, frequently asked in a pessimistic way, the following pages will attempt to answer. Woman has accomplished comparatively more in the field of music than is generally known, though nature, so far s lias not produced a woman composer whose compo sitions will compare with the works of the great masters. But let us ask, how many of the numerous composers of the sterner sex have proven themselves real Titans of music Few indeed, these come only in a cycle of years. Why then have women been less numerous in a field where one would think their natural inclinations would lead them The principal reason, I believe, has been the fact that women have only recently entered seriously this field of art, while man has for centuries developed his intellect and emotion in such a direction. We must consider, that scarcely fifty years ago, music, with very few exceptions, was never seriously at tempted as a study by women not from any disinclina tion for or want of capacity to understand the science, but because the subjects of harmony and counterpoint, bad. hitherto been considered outside the province of womens education, and the acquirement of such knowl edge, other than as a pastime, would have been regarded as a mental aberration. It is only within the last 10 15 years that the preju dice which excluded women from studying the violin, cello and other stringed and wind instruments has been overcome. Previous to 1876 no female students of the violin were admitted at the High School, I ondon. For a long time women were not permitted to com pete for prizes or receive diplomas at Kuropean Conser vatories and Colleges. When Elizabeth Sterling pace in.seated her beautiful CXXX Psalm for five voices and orchestra to Oxford for the degree of Mus. Bac., the de gree, although the work was accepted, and its merit acknowledged, could not be given for want of power to fvuftr the stime itpon a woman. Is it then to be wondered at that womens work in music has shown comparatively small results If practice not only improves, but increases capacity, and opportu nity makes while it also develops the musician, what opportunities have woman had of becoming musicians from the time of Palestrina to the middle of the igih century They were taught music as a pastime, and then only in its most primitive form, their musical studies seldom advancing beyond playing the lute and kindred instru ments. They had no incentives to composition, the church even discouraging women, throughout mediaeval times, and by actual prohibition in the i6th. century, to take any active musical part in its service. Not many years have passed, when to be told that a composition was the work of a woman, was equivalent to its condemnation beforehand. The scarcity of womens work in music in the past is therefor not owing to their inability to grasp and apply the science, but it may rather be attributed to prejudice and the rules of fashion and custom, which so long de terred her from entering this field of useful and profit able work and study. That such prejudice against womens work must have temled to depress and discourage, is certain, and is best shown by the fact of many women composers concealing their identity under male noms-de-plume on the title pages of their compositions. Augusta Holmes published works as Herman Zenta, Mme. de Grandval used several Clement Val grand, etc, lime. La Hye signed as Leon St. Amans, IV. Mrs. John Macfarren as kk Jules Brissac, Mrs. Roeckel as Jules de SIvrai, and so forth. Others again published their names on their works with only the Initials of their Christian names prefixed, , like Farrenc, Chaminade in her earlier works . Lebeau, Ethel 31. Smyth Mass in D and man y others, even to the present day. It must therefor be considered a great point gained, that it is no longer looked upon as an eccentricity for women to compose...