Forgotten Female Composers

Thursday 8 March / LSO St Luke’s Rediscovering compositions that have been hidden in archives, libraries or private collections for centuries — some unheard since their first performance International Florence B Price esearch shows there are around 6,000 Works from each of the five composers overlooked female composers from will be performed tonight by the BBC Women’s Day Concert Overture No. 2 the past. Many of these women were Concert Orchestra and broadcast live on successful, respected and celebrated in BBC Radio 3. Additionally, recordings of LSO St Luke’s Marianna Martines their time, but have since been forgotten; other previously unheard pieces, which Rtheir music lost to modern audiences. range from chamber music to full-scale 7.30—9.30pm two arias from the symphonic works, have been made by Thursday 8 March 2018 Sant’Elena Oratorio Tonight’s concert, on International the BBC Orchestras and Choirs, as well as Women’s Day, aims to begin the journey some of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation BBC Concert Orchestra Augusta Holmès towards righting this wrong. It marks the Artists. “Through researching for both culmination of an ambitious project by International Women’s Day and Composer conductor: Jane Glover Allegro Feroce BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities of the Week, a regular daily strand which soprano: Ilona Domnich Research Council (AHRC) to bring long- features a comprehensive exploration of Dr Carola Darwin is a lecturer in music Johanna Müller-Hermann overdue recognition to five of these women: composers across five hours a week, we history at the Royal College of Music and presenter: Sarah Walker Leokadiya Kashperova (1872—1940), a uncovered many rarely-heard recorded researched the work of Johanna Müller- Drei Gesänge Russian pedagogue and pianist who taught works. However, we also discovered Hermann for the project. She hopes that Stravinsky; Marianna Martines (1744—1813), that it was not possible to feature some celebrating the achievements of women Leokadiya Kashperova an Austrian who enjoyed fame throughout composers because the performances composers from the past will help inspire Symphony in B Minor, Op. 4 Europe in her lifetime; Florence B Price or recordings to play to our listeners just today’s musicians. “Until very recently, (1887—1953), an esteemed African didn’t exist,” says BBC Radio 3 Editor music history had erased many women American symphonist; Augusta Holmès Edwina Wolstencroft. “This ground- from the record, but projects like this show (1847—1903), a French-Irish writer of large- breaking project means BBC Radio 3 they have always been there. It’s really scale oratorios and operas; and Johanna can now bring the incredible works by important that young musicians, like those Müller-Hermann (1868—1941), an Austrian these female composers to the large I teach, know it’s possible for women to be whose works range from chamber music modern-day audiences they deserve.” composers — and to be great composers,” to orchestral tone-poems and oratorios. she explains. Despite the barriers broken down by “In March 2017, the AHRC commissioned female composers in the past, including The project also aims to educate five researchers [above right] to uncover those celebrated tonight, the under- audiences, as Alan Davey, Controller the works of historical female composers representation of women in many areas of BBC Radio 3, explains: “It’s part of BBC whose musical genius had been confined of classical music continues. “Many of the Radio 3’s fundamental, democratic mission to the pages of history — often simply challenges that faced Florence B Price in to make sure everyone has access to things because of their gender,” explains Chief the 1930s and 40s still face us,” says one that are really high quality, to the very best. Executive of the AHRC Professor Andrew of the researchers, Dr Shirley Thompson, And not just to provide people with what Thompson. “Many of the compositions University of Westminster, herself an they love, but also to offer them things have been hidden in archives, libraries or orchestral composer. “In the classical they might like or want to discover — private collections for centuries, unheard canon, there are very few orchestral things they don’t yet know they love. since their first performance. Through their pieces by women composers, especially It’s incredibly exciting to think that, in research, the remarkable history and music women of colour, and that’s the same many cases, this is the first time these This evening's concert will be broadcast of these women can now be discovered by today.” works will have been heard in 100 years. live by BBC Radio and available for today’s audiences. We’re delighted to have Or even the first time they will ever have 30 days after broadcast via the Radio 3 partnered with BBC Radio 3 to revive the been performed. It means that we are website. You can also download BBC Radio music of these forgotten composers, and not only expanding the canon of classical programmes onto your mobile or tablet to be able to hear this music at a special music, but also actually helping to redress via the BBC iPlayer Radio app. Please turn concert on International Women’s Day, will its historic imbalance when it comes to off all mobile phones and watch alarms. be extremely momentous in celebrating gender and diversity.” the achievements and influence of women Photography and recording is not permitted in the musical realm.” Defying prejudices of several kinds, Florence B Price brought African-American culture to the world of classical music, says Dr Shirley Thompson, composer CONCERT OVERTURE and Reader in Composition and Performance at the NO. 2 University of Westminster The Concert Overture No. 2 (c.1943) for n June 1933 the renowned Chicago In 1927, racial tensions in Little Rock led “She was probably the first person to Orchestra follows Concert Overture No. 1 Symphony Orchestra performed Price and her husband to move to Chicago, have introduced it into the classical where Florence B Price arranges a series Florence B Price’s Symphony in E minor. but they were to divorce four years later. mainstream. The use of these techniques of spirituals for full orchestra. The “To have a symphonic work performed “The 1930s and 40s were a challenging time is unusual even today — I’m one of the few spirituals employed in this work includes, by a major orchestra is a remarkable for Florence. She had two young children classical composers to use hip hop, soul Go Down Moses, Every Time I Feel the Spirit Iachievement for any composer, but for to raise alone, she had lost a baby son, and and reggae in my work, for example — and Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen. it to be by a woman — and a woman of she barely had a place to live — moving but it would have been unheard of then.” colour — is simply extraordinary,” says Dr from house to house with her children Known for her lush orchestrations, Shirley Thompson. Florence B Price came every few months,” says Shirley. “That she Price’s work also tells another story: that melancholic lyricism and purposeful to Shirley’s attention through her research managed to compose, and on such a large of the Harlem Renaissance Movement. She integration of African American vernacular on composers of African descent. “Since and fruitful scale, is astonishing.” was friends and moved in circles with many music, this work encapsulates Price’s key my student days, I’ve been shocked at the of the artists at the heart of the movement. stylistic features. Throughout the work, lack of cultural diversity in the classical Perhaps the struggle of day-to-day life “There was a strong body of artists, pan- her compositional techniques include the music canon, particularly the lack of served as inspiration to Price, as her work African in their thinking, who wanted to use of call and response; rhythmic unison African cultures and their influences,” frequently references the vernacular. assert their race and culture through their syncopation; blue notes; the pentatonic Shirley explains. “But my research “Her symphonies are filled with cultural art. Florence was a member of the National scale; and the employment of poignant found they have always been there — references to her life in Arkansas such as Organisation of Negro Musicians, whose instrumental solos. we have records of the black trumpeter her observations of people who worked in members were giving powerful perform- and composer John Blanke playing in cotton fields in the Deep South. In Symphony ances in key places,” explains Shirley. Concert Overture No. 2 begins teasingly the court of King Henry VIII in 1511. No. 1 in E Minor she refers back to her roots. with fragments of Let My Spirit Go worked Nineteenth-century prejudices meant She grew up in church, listening to gospel Following her death in 1953, changing through the orchestral texture. After they were written out of musical history.” music and spirituals, and she invoked tastes meant Price’s musical style fell building to a majestic climax of the these subtle influences such as these out of fashion. Some of her work has full melodic line, the harmonies shift Price particularly stood out to Shirley into the piece,” explains Shirley. been lost but the rest is lodged with chromatically to introduce Nobody Knows as both the first African-American woman University of Arkansas Special Libraries, the Troubles I’ve Seen with a haunting to have a symphony performed by a major Her African heritage is also a strong voice which Shirley has liaised with to receive cello solo. A solo violin adopts the tune, orchestra and for her use of west African in Price’s work and she makes use of many copies of original scores.

Load more