Music Meets Drama

As we come to the end of Women’s History Month 2017, for me it has been a month of discovering women composers of the Romantic and Impressionist era.  I made it my goal to go to YouTube each day and find an unknown, to me, woman composer. I started by putting in the name of French composer, Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) in the search area.  I had known her name from my music history classes.  Several times I listened to her Symphony #3 then went on to her Symphony #1 and chamber music .  Over and over I kept asking myself why her symphonies are not performed by all orchestras whether conservatory or professional.  These works are lyrical, full of emotion and major pieces of music that should be performed.  YouTube then brought up composer Dora Pejačević (1885-1923), an Hungarian/Croatian composer.  I listened to her Symphony #4 in F# Minor and her Piano Concerto in G Minor .  Again, the question……….why are her works not perfor...

Women’s History Month officially came to a close yesterday.   As many of you may have seen, I posted on my Facebook page, Life! Love! Song!  A Visit with Gena Branscombe, a short biography and photo of thirty different women composers of Gena’s era (1881-1977).   On International Women’s Day I posted a photo and biographical information on Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana who in 1916 voted for equal voting rights for women in all states.   To honor all thirty-one women during March was a learning experience and an eye-opener for their accomplishments. What struck me as I did my research was that 23 of these women attended college including Juilliard, New England Conservatory, Leipzig Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Conservatory of Music, Peabody, Columbia, New York University and other schools.   These same women studied with the great composition teachers of the time whether here in the United S...

Mabel Daniels (1878-1971) Active in music from an early age, Mabel Daniels was a magna cum laude graduate of Radcliffe College.   While a student she was a soloist in the Glee Club and composed two operettas that were performed by her fellow students.   After graduation, she studied composition with George W. Chadwick in Boston who encouraged her to study with Ludwig Thuille in Munich, Germany . Once in Munich she attempted to enroll in a score-reading class given by Director Stavenhagen.   No woman had ever been admitted to his class.   She entered the classroom to play her audition where thirty male students waited in judgment of her keyboard skills.   "You could have heard a pin drop, the place was so still. . . . Just as I took my seat before the keyboard, I heard one of the men smother a laugh. That settled it! I was bound to do or die, and with a calmness quite unnatural I played the bars set before me without a mistake. Nobody laughed when I ...

In honor of Women's History Month, on specific days I will post a woman composer's photograph and bio.  Each of these composers was of the same era as Gena Branscombe and may have had a connection to her. Today's composer.......Marion Bauer Marion Bauer (1882-1955) The youngest of seven children, Marion Bauer was born in Walla Walla, Washington.   Her musical talent was quickly recognized by her father, an amateur musician.   By age 16 she had graduated from high school and headed to New York City to begin her advanced musical training in composition.   Fluent in French and English, Bauer spent time in Paris studying with Raoul Pugno and became the first American to study with Nadia Boulanger.   Upon returning to New York City, she studied with Eugene Heffley and Walter Henry Rothwell all the while teaching piano and theory lessons privately.   Though never having been granted a college degree, Miss Bauer was hired to teach theory and...

Louise Talma  (1906-1996) New York City, 1991….phone conversation…. “Hello, may I please speak to Louise Talma?”   “Speaking.”   “Miss Talma, my name is Kathleen Shimeta and I am a mezzo-soprano.   You do not know me.   I am calling because I am in the midst of planning a recital of American art songs composed by living composers.   When I perform this recital, I would like the composers to be in the audience.   The program will take place in November, American Music Month, so my recital honors living American composers.   I would like to include some of your songs on the program.”   “Have you purchased any of my songs?” “Not yet.”   “Well, when you have purchased my songs, call me back.”   And, she abruptly hung up the phone.   Thus was my introduction to composer, Louise Talma. Born in Arcachon, France, Miss Talma was raised in New York City.   Her musical training took place at Institute of Musical Arts ...