What Happened to Women Composers in Dutch Music History?
HELEN METZELAAR STICHTING VROUW EN MUZIEK, AMSTERDAM What happened to women composers in Dutch music history? (Composers whose names are in bold characterized by a high degree of sociability; type are represented in the discography playing music is often an activity done at the end of the article). together and for others. The purpose of this article is twofold: to One of the perspectives within this more introduce a number of Dutch women com sociological approach concentrates on posers and to briefly discuss some aspects of examining how music is related to gender, Dutch music history in relation to gender. that is to a society's belief system or con The focus will be on classical music, both struction, varying in time and place, of what because there is little record of women in is considered male and female. Such a other genres, such as folksongs and liturgical division is a basic social organizing principle music, and because some genres, such as throughout history in all cultures, and also military band music, by definition tradition affects music at many levels. Some musical ally excluded women's participation. genres have historically been considered to be feminine, like children's songs, while Musicology has long focused on examin others, like drinking songs, are considered ing works by individual composers, concen to be more suited for men. Gender may also trating on the so-called canon, classical be examined at an institutional level: what masters such as Bach, Beethoven and roles did women and men play in various Mozart. Currently, a broader, more sociologi musical institutions, such as orchestras and III Ii cal approach iswfilfiiilggtound.
[Show full text]