Jennifer King, piano - SOUVENANCE

 

In late March I received an e-mail asking me to review pianist Jennifer King’s recording, Souvenance.  I highly recommend listening to this recording, not just once, but many, many times.

Congratulations to Jennifer on a beautiful presentation of Romances, Nocturnes and a Meditation composed by eight women composers.

https://www.jenniferkingpiano.com/

https://lnk.to/souvenance

You can buy or stream the recording on almost any platform.  Enjoy!

Here’s my review:

Nineteenth century French Impressionist painters created works of art depicting night.  Their use of darkly hued colors affects our senses.  Not to be outdone, French Impressionist composers took up the word “Nocturne” and began creating short works, that similar to the paintings, created the sense of night employing the colors a pianist infuses in their playing. 

Jennifer King’s newly released CD; Souvenance is a delectable presentation of Nocturnes, Romances and a Meditation composed by eight women.  Much like the Impressionist painters, King paints each composer’s interpretation of night with sensitive colors and attention to details of phrasing and dynamics.

Clara Schumann’s “Notturno” and Fanny Mendelssohn’s “Nocturne” explore the darker side of night which reflects their personal life.  Clara’s, without doubt, expresses the composer’s life as the stable caretaker of seven children and the primary wage earner in her marriage to Robert Schumann. Night may have been her time to process her worries, fears and compose new works.  Clara’s nocturnal troubles are portrayed with a haunting opening melody played by King with tender attention to the melody and eighth note bass line rocking that gives rise to a desire for hopefulness.  Mendelssohn’s struggle with the inequality brought upon women composers of her day is presented with a melancholy melody supported by minor chords and a rustling sixteenth note pattern that moves between the dreamy bass lines and into the upper reaches of the keyboard that sparkle with the excitement of the night and perhaps her joy of expression through composing.

French composers Mel Bonis and Cecile Chaminade ‘s Nocturnes, Romances and Meditation are a bounty of memorable, lilting melodies and even some humor.  Ms. King‘s lyrical playing gives calming, unrushed voicing to the rustling bass lines while the melody floats above.  Her sensitivity to balanced dynamics from pianissimo to forte is subtle never over emphasizing changes yet they gently flow. 

Not only did British born composer Ethel Smyth push for a woman’s right to vote in England, she also pushed the boundaries of form in her Nocturne. Moscow born Sophie Eckhardt-Gramatté’s “Caprice II Nocturne – Gut Ruhe” stretches the feeling of nocturne beyond the romantic form.  

King captures Smyth’s wonderment of night.  Dark moments lead into a sparkling atmosphere with delicate phrasing and voicing for the canon to be identified and heard.  With Echardt-Gramatté, Jennifer King performs the unrest with authority and understanding of how the composer expressed her experiences of night.  Both Nocturnes are wishes for a good rest.

Delightfully, a jazz nocturne is included on this recording.  Dana Suesse’s “Jazz Nocturne” begins with a melody played by the right hand then opens into lush chords that support the melody.  Tuneful and jazzy, King’s playing is fun, energetic rhythmically and creates the sensation of sitting in a jazz night club of years gone by.  

A Joni Mitchell inspired tribute, taking her as a mentor to keep fighting through life’s trials and tribulations.  Holding Joni Mitchell in esteem, this “Blue” and the other seven  composers, whose lives were described in their music, have been brought to life in this heartfelt tribute Souvenance.

 

Kathleen Shimeta
Co-Founder & Chair
The Gena Branscombe Project

#BringingBackBranscombe

 

 

It Only Took Three Years

 It only took me three years to complete this particular Gena project.  Three years, yet, I kept at it even though I did take extended breaks at times to work on other Gena projects that needed attention.  Three years……

 Yes, for three years I transcribed Gena Branscombe’s letters to her publisher, The Arthur P. Schmidt Co. of Boston.  Held at the Library of Congress, the Schmidt business books, letters to/from all composers they published, photos and more are in the stacks available for research.  Five years ago I photographed every letter Gena Branscombe wrote to Mr. Schmidt, Miss Emery, Miss Allen, Mr. Austin and others at the company.  

From December 1910 to December 1951 Gena wrote hundreds of letters to these people.  Forty-one years of handwritten letters almost impossible to decipher at times because of her terrible penmanship and she always wrote in haste….even she admitted that. 

 

In two different letters she expressed the thrill of receiving Mr. Schmidt’s gift of a Richard Wagner letter and later a Clara Schumann letter.  Her excitement jumps off the pages.  She wrote of her deep admiration for Richard Wagner and his place in music history.  

Her narrative of being invited to join, as one of the first women composers, the National League of American Pen Women….an honor that she describes as being “thrilled as a child at Christmas.” 

 Her frustrations of not having time to write a piano sonata or a piano concerto or a major symphony nearly broke my heart.  Her children’s illnesses, the deaths of family members, her daughters’ school triumphs and their careers appear with an emotional honesty that is at times shocking considering the era. 

 Gena moved headlong into balancing her career, marriage and family life.  I read as she described days of nervous illness, needing rest, financial woes, worry that her husband would enlist during WWI leaving her with two daughters to care for on her own. 

 Countless letters requested copies of her music be sent to singers, coaches and conductors many of whom were famous in their day.  Gena wrote of her meetings with these musicians – networking in hopes that performances of her music would happen!

 In a 1941 letter Gena requested a copy of one of her songs be sent to her two small friends, Pierre and Peggy Biscaye.  I had the pleasure of meeting Pierre and Peggy a few years ago when they gifted me that autographed song and one of Miss Branscombe’s batons.  

 Self-promotion was one of her great strengths.  This was her day-to-day life – her entire life.  An admirable women -  a woman composer in an age where women were thought to be second class music citizens!

What did I learn most of all about Miss Branscombe ? – perseverance, determination, generosity, self-promotion, graciousness, strength of character for no matter the ups and downs and frustration.  All these attributes she maintained as a professional  inspiring optimistic influence on herself then sharing these with her family, friends, colleagues and anyone who walked into her path of life. 

 In the final paragraph of Gena’s March 9, 1918 letter to Mr. Arthur Schmidt, she expresses  her thoughts and admiration for his dedication to American composers …..

 “There has been something on my mind for some time – and I hope you won’t think me a very – meddlesome – sort of person – to be thinking about it even.  But it’s this – you published American compositions long before other people.  You’ve published more big things – with no hope of financial return – you’ve published more American women’s things than anyone else - and all this in the days when it wasn’t fashionable and patriotic – and all that to boost American music!  I feel that that thing should be recognized and known and advertised in a strong way.  You’ll probably just think I’m – very fresh – but I know I’m right.  I think it would be most interesting to know – to have a complete record – of all the American compositions of your catalogue published long before the tide began to turn in favor of giving the American composer a chance.  Forgive me if I rush in.”

 

Ever thankful for having a publisher who understood the importance of our country’s musical talent, Gena wrote hundreds of letters to Mr. Schmidt and his employees grateful for their support, appreciative of their hard work promoting her music and always sending those all-important royalty checques!

#BringingBackBranscombe

Statues

 

Ludwig van Beethoven, Jean Sibelius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, JS Bach, Frederic Chopin, Anton Bruckner, Robert Schumann, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Johannes Brahms, Luigi Boccherini, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Hector Berlioz, and Richard Wagner.  What do all of these composers have in common?  First, they are all men and second, they have statues of their likeness in public squares across Europe and some in the United States. 

 

Chris Wiley, of London, England, recently posted on Facebook that a statue of composer/suffragette Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) had been unveiled in her home town of Woking, England.  The unveiling, appropriately, was held on International Women’s Day, March 8^th.  

Dame Ethel Smyth’s legacy as a composer and suffragette is exemplary for those of us who have come after her.  She studied at the Leipzig Conservatory.  She  met Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.  She composed instrumental works, choral pieces, a Mass in D and six operas one of which, “Der Wald,” was performed at the Metropolitan Opera.  There are numerous  recordings available that reveal the brilliance of Dame Ethel Smyth’s music. 

 

For two years beginning in 1910, she gave up composing to join the Women’s Social and Political Union which advocated for women’s rights.  She wrote “The March for Women” which became the movement’s anthem.  During one particular contentious march for women’s rights, Smyth and 100 other women were arrested and served two months in prison.  Suffragettes marched and sang her anthem outside the prison.  Smyth leaned out of her prison window and conducted her colleagues using a toothbrush! 

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/gallery/pictures-dame-ethel-smyth-statue-23335133?fbclid=IwAR1VKHkKSjOHaF3Yb2qBqKygsvzMviqt_d1as4572wUvwGlZZvPuf22ZD-s 

In 1935 Gena Branscombe traveled to England to visit her daughter, Gena Tenney, who was studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music.  During her time in London, Gena visited with Dame Smyth and no doubt the two composers shared afternoon tea! 

Reading about Dame Ethel Smyth’s statue, I wondered if any other women composers had been honored with the same.  Research found that Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709-1758), a contemporary of JS Bach, and Clara Schumann (1819-1896), wife of Robert Schumann, have statues in town squares.  Only three women composers? 

Amy Beach (1867-1944), probably America’s most famous woman composer, does not have a statue honoring her.  Amy Beach earned the endearing title of “Aunt Amy” because she was a leader of American women composers and mentor to all of her contemporaries.

 

There are hundreds of women composers, whose renown and contribution to the world of music make them candidates for a statue in their hometowns.  They are role models of discipline. They stood up for the right to be recognized as a composer in a man’s world.  These women wrote music of the highest quality only to be turned away by publishing companies and performing organizations because they were women.  Many were suffragettes, wives, mothers and business women striving to lay a path for women in the future.  They accomplished that without recognition and fanfare. 

 

What an idea – statues of women composers!!

 

Her/Music:Her/Story

An e-mail from Allison Charney arrived in my mailbox asking me how to pronounce Gena Branscombe’s first name.  She went on to explain that with her colleague and friend, Donna Weng Friedman, the two would be hosting four one-hour radio shows featuring women composers entitled -  Her/Music:Her/Story. 

The shows were broadcast on WQXR on four consecutive Friday evenings at 9 PM starting on September 13^th.  

The first show celebrated the 200^th birthday of pianist/composer Clara Schumann (October 13, 1819 – 1896).  Allison and Donna took us on a journey discussing Clara’s life as a piano prodigy, wife to composer Robert Schumann, mother of eight children and composer.  Interspersed with their informative discussion were examples of Clara’s music - piano, instrumental and vocal. 

The second broadcast was the Three B’s: Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), Gena Branscombe (1881-1977) and Amy Beach (1867-1944).  How creative that is!  Again our hosts discussed each composer’s life and music then highlighting that with examples of their music.  Congratulations to Allison and Donna for performing live one of Miss Branscombe’s and Mrs. Beach’s songs. 

French composer Cecile Chaminade (1857-1944) was the subject of the September 27^th broadcast.  A popular and successful composer who won the French Legion of Honor award and was an internationally recognized artist, she died alone in 1944.  There have been nearly 200 Cecile Chaminade clubs in existence some of which continue to honor her today.  We were treated to the composer’s piano and vocal music.

The final broadcast featured Women of our Time – composers Jennifer Higdon, Stefania de Kenessey, Thea Musgrave, Kim D. Sherman, Gabriela Lena Frank and Jessie Montgomery.  To listen to these composers’ music and hear Allison and Donna’s personal stories of connection to these women was fascinating.

Congratulations and thank you to Allison Charney and Donna Weng Friedman for creating informative and wonderful radio broadcasts.  They definitely gave life to the title Her/Music:Her/Story.  The countless hours put into producing these shows more than proves dedication, passion and support of women composers across the ages.  Their knowledge of each composer’s life and music along with the ability to discuss them was an education for the listener.  

From this listener and supporter of women composers, I hope you will continue these broadcasts and may they be heard across the country inspiring musicians and arts organizations to perform, promote and commission works by women composers!

Women Composers……………….

What a pleasure it was in early September of this year to read that young Jessy McCabe, a student at the private Twyford Church of England High School in London, England, stood up to exam boards for the A level music tests.  Among the 63 composers listed on the exam, not one of them was a woman nor were women composers listed on the syllabus for course work. 

In Miss McCabe’s estimation, something had to be done and it was her responsibility to correct the wrong done to women composers.  She began a journey to change the way advanced music courses were taught.  She received an apology from the exam board and an assurance that women composers would be included in her music classes. 

This young lady had taken a course entitled, “Fearless Futures” which raised the subject of gender inequality.  Her eyes were opened to the role of sexism in all facets of our everyday life.  With her determination to see an end to this sort of discrimination, she presented a list of women composers to the exam board, went on social media to promote her idea with the end result being a change in the way music courses are being taught in England. 

Miss McCabe’s comprehension of the lack of understanding of women’s inclusion in all aspects and courses in education is commendable.  Jessy did not stop at just music classes.  She approached the Secretary of Education in England to make sure these discriminatory practices were changed across all areas of course work and exams.  BRAVA, Jessy.

Through the centuries classical music women composers have survived, usually scoffed at or hidden behind the fame of their brother, father or husband. 

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a Catholic nun, whose liturgical music inspires us to this day, was looked down upon by the church clergy for she was only a nun. 

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) who was one of the most prolific composers (man or woman) of her era whose published compositions were nearly all secular vocal settings, was an independent woman.  Her father encouraged her musical career. 

Wolfgang Mozart’s sister, Nannerl (1751-1829) is said to have been as equally talented as her famous brother.  The sister/brother child prodigies were adept at performing on the harpsichord and fortepiano, yet once she became of marriageable age, her performing career stopped at the insistence of her father.  Nannerl was known to compose as Mozart mentioned her works in his letters.  None of her compositions have survived. 

Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847), sister to Felix Mendelssohn, was a composer of songs and instrumental works.  Her music was published with the aid of her famous brother who affixed his name to them. 

Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896) was a piano prodigy and composer whose father was her teacher.  Her performing career began at a young age and continued throughout the years of her marriage to the famous composer, Robert Schumann.  Their lives and careers became intertwined.  With eight children to support, Clara’s income from performing and the publishing of her songs and other works was essential to the support of the family.  Robert’s mental health was unstable and at times Clara either completed works Robert had begun or wrote works using his name for publication.  Robert’s name brought in more royalties than Clara’s. 

Alma Mahler, (1879-1964), wife to composer/conductor Gustav Mahler, composed 17 songs.  Her husband scoffed at her musical works then later regretted his actions when a friend pointed out that Alma’s music had substance.  Gustav edited her works and saw to it that her songs were published.  In addition, he orchestrated a number of her songs.

From the title of my blog and my many entries, you know I discovered the music of Canadian American composer Gena Branscombe.  I have recorded her songs, told her life’s story in a one-woman show and lectured about her.  When I began my research to find other women composers whose music I might record along with Miss Branscombe’s, I found hundreds of women from the era of 1880-1950.  We know the names Mrs. Amy Beach, Harriet Ware, Mabel Daniels, Mary Howe, Liza Lehmann and a few others as they were famous in their day and their music performed.

My eyes opened to the fact that yes, some of these women’s songs were published, but hundreds and hundreds were lost to history.  Where was their music?  Were their family members available to recount their story?  More and more questions to be asked, yet no one to answer them. 

When depressions or economic downturns hit the economy, publishers would first drop the women composers’ works from their catalogue over that of a man’s.  Often times the women composers’ music was destroyed before the publisher notified them.  What a loss to our music history. 

And, why, why did I never hear of these women composers or their impact on music history mentioned all the way through my bachelor’s and master’s degrees?  Why were they left out or why was their no specific course taught about women composers?  Why on my oral exams for my masters degree was I not asked one question about a woman composer? 

Much like Jessy McCabe in England, we must take the responsibility to correct the teaching of music history.  Women composers must be mentioned alongside their male counterparts in music history and theory courses.  A few colleges offer overview classes about women composers from the middle ages to the present day.  It’s a step in the right direction yet more must be done to bring these women to the forefront. 

What is our responsibility in this matter?  Attend your local orchestra concerts, college recitals, high school concerts, local choral concerts and any other music offering.  Make note of the composers being performed on the programs, challenge the performers and conductors as to why women composers were not featured. 

Music appreciation classes in grade school, middle school and high school must include the teaching of music by women. High school chorus, band and orchestra programs must include works by women.  Begin gender equality education at a young age with the end result being informed adults.  Masters and doctoral degree music students, insist that questions about women composers be asked on your written and oral exams.  Challenge your college and university boards to demonstrate their belief in equality in the music world.

We must take action just like Jessy McCabe, for how else are we able to tear down the walls of discrimination towards women in all walks of careers?

One small reminder, the English language is a difficult one with many words sounding the same yet spelled differently.  There is an advantage to our language; nouns are genderless.  The word “composer” has no gender.  Women write and wrote music.   They are composers whose works are not to be judged because they are female but because they wrote music.  One day soon may we come to that place….a composer!  Until that time, our mission should be to promote women's music.

The women mentioned above are composers of notoriety over the past 10 centuries.  There are thousands of lesser known women whose music is sitting in a library not catalogued or in someone’s attic, in a box waiting to be opened. Their music must be discovered, published, performed, recorded and their life stories told as profoundly as that of Beethoven, Mozart or Brahms.  Music education has sorely left women composers out of their history books and classrooms.  Let us all work to correct this.

Dame Ethel Smyth

Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (1858-1944)

Born in London, Dame Ethel Smyth was determined from a young age to become a composer.  Her musical talent granted her admission to the Leipzig Conservatory of Music where she met the leading composers of the day, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Grieg!  Through her composition teacher she was introduced to Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.  Not a bad start for a student in the music world!

Her compositions include songs, piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, a Concerto for Violin, Horn and Orchestra, a Mass in D and two operas, "The Wreckers" and "Der Wald" which was performed at the Metropolitan Opera.  Deafness prevented her from composing any other major works or ever hearing her music performed and accepted by adoring orchestra and audience members.  

Unfortunately for Dame Smyth and all other women composers, their music was always labeled as that of a "woman composer" and not as artistically viable as that of a man's!  To that end, she was also an active suffragette dedicating years of her life to the cause.  She composed "The March of the Women" in 1911 which became the women's suffrage anthem!

In 1935 Gena Branscombe traveled to England to visit her daughter, Gena Tenney, who was studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music.  During her time in London, Gena visited with Dame Smyth and no doubt the two composers shared afternoon tea!