So I was thinking the other day, of all the classical music I listen to, I really can't remember listening to anything that wasn't written by a man. Composers who aren't male must exist; obviously many of the great composers lived in times when it would of been frowned upon to say the least, but we are in the 20th century now folks! What with music courses at universities everywhere I'm sure there are plenty of females who have been musicaly educated in the past few decades.... can anyone name me some famous ones? Or more importantly some good ones?
Thinking of back in the day again, I can name Anna Magdelena Bach and Clara Schumann, but have never actually heard any of their works, or indeed even heard anyone talk of them at all due to them being overshadowed by JS Bach and Robert Schumann respectively......

It's an interesting question which has been asked a number of times on the forum. Check out these threads:

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...emale+composers

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...emale+composers

When I did grade 5 a few years ago, one of my pieces was by Cecilia (or Celia?) McDowall.

Some of us have even made it into the 21st (sorry!).

Yes, women composers definitely existed and continue to exist. Sitting on my bookshelf is a copy of "The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers", which has pictures of Hildegard of Bingen and Ethyl Smyth on the cover. For a variety of reasons, women composers have been overshadowed by their male counterparts, some of which are discussed in the threads linked to in a previous post.

Some of us have even made it into the 21st (sorry!).

LOL

Some others:

Barbara Strozzi, 1616- after 1663
Elizabeth-Claude Jacqet de la Guerre, 1666-1729
Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn, 1805-47*
Amy Beach, 1867-1944
Grace Williams, 1906-77
Elisabeth Lutyens, 1906-83
Elizabeth Maconchy 1907-87

still alive:

Thea Musgrave
Diana Burrell
Judith Weir
Tansy Davies

Lots more that I can't remember right now.

* You may well have heard her songs and piano music, published under her brother's name, because her family thought composing was something to which a lady could not admit. Felix Mendelssohn played some Songs without Words to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. HMQ admired one in particular, and Felix told her that Fanny had written it.

It's Cecilia McDowall, Nicki - I know because I used to teach with her!

I only know the Sicilienne by Marie-Therese von Paradis (anyone familiar with anything else by her?) but it has to be one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces ever written...

*swoon*

What a small world

Well, this was about ten years ago!

She was extremely posh and extremely clever and extremely nice!!

Haha I guess that's what staying up until 6.40 in the morning does to my brain....

Anyway thanks for the answers people, got a few names to look into now

Aren't we forgetting the obvious composer? Pam Wedgwood!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a Contemporary piece played at the proms this year, first time it was ever played, composed by a female composer who's still alive...anyone know the composer?

Was it Thea Musgrave's "Turbulent Landscapes" at Prom 6 (20 July?)

Georges Sand?

Chopin's Lover?

IrisH - LoonY

Hey I-L! Read the original posting Clara was already cited by the person who started this thread!

DILYS ELWYN-EDWARDS

Yeah hence the major edit, whoops! my bad

IrisH - LoonY

There were several new works by women composers at the 2005 Proms, including

Unsuk Chin (snagS & Snarls) - world premiere of new version (Prom 36)
Sofia Gubaidulina (The Light of the End) - UK premiere (Prom 49)
Tatjana Komarova (Tanze mit verbundenen Augen) - UK premiere (Chamber Prom 5)

as well as the Thea Musgrave (which was a London premiere) mentioned by mrbouffant.

By what parameters or comparisons was she extremely "posh" and "extremely clever" ?

Sounds a bit over top to me. I wouldn't "gush" about people in this way if I were you unless they're a Barenboim, Lang Lang, David Foster et al.

I've never heard her

i think we all know what posh means - the sort of person who can afford a cruise to india going port outwards and starboard home so one gets the shade - cost lots extra.

being posh ain' about being famous nor barenboim. he ain't posh just snooty.

who's david foster? does he run the lager empire? in which case yeh, i know of im.

I'm sorry, Roger, if you took my (intended to be) somewhat tongue-in-cheek and humorous comment to be 'gushing'. I certainly didn't mean it to come over like that.

I didn't know Cecilia well but I taught alongside her for a couple of years and she was clearly an extremely able musician as well as being very nice to me. It was also clear that she wasn't an extra in the cast of EastEnders.

She publishes quite a lot - I've certainly seen her name in several catalogues of music and I have some of her work.

Er - no, I haven't heard of David Foster either...

Anyway, my intention was certainly not to 'gush', merely to make a humorous aside. I'm sorry you couldn't see it as such.

Cecilia McDowall is very well known amongst flute teachers for her excellent compositions for student flautists. The two Harlequin collections, containing some of her original compositions and arrangements of other pieces have been a real 'find' for me this year.

How about Judith Weir as a contemporary composer - it says in the Radio Times that her opera Armida is going to be broadcast on Christmas Day. And Chaminade was also a woman composer from the 19th century (I seem to remember.)

A few more:

Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983; one of "Les Six")
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918, but made a big impact in her few years)
Claude Arrieu (1903-1990)
Prialx Rainier (1903-86; S African born; studied with Nadia Boulange

There are more!

Fanny Mendelssohn (whose work was originally published under her brother's name)
Judith Bingham
Nicola LeFanu
Errolynn (or however you spell it!) Wallen - wrote a percussion concerto for Young Musician final in about 1994 - good piece!
Oh, and for the violinists - Sheila M Nelson (Tetratunes etc)!

By the way, George Sand, Chopin's lover, was, I think, a novelist and not a composer (of music).

It's such a shame that women composers have until recently been written out of the music history books. We men have much to answer for... (sorry! )

PS Hildegard of Bingen is fab!!

Yes, and if you go to Majorca, you have to visit a place called Valdemossa where they stayed. While there, she wrote a book 'A winter in Majorca'. They rented some rooms in a monastery and it's all been preserved just as it was.

Female composers?

Shame on you, all you members of the East London Late Starters Orchestra!!

Diana Burrell lived just around the corner from me in Mile End and worked damned hard organising our Saturday orchestra.

Just do a Google search!

Steve

Clara schumann. Robert schumann's wife, she's a composer and a pianists.