Musical Women in England, 1870-1914: ''Encroaching on All Man's Privileges''

Musical Women in England, 1870-1914 delineates the roles women played in the flourishing music world of late-Victorian and early twentieth-century England and shows how contemporary challenges to restrictive gender roles inspired them to move into new areas of musical expression, both in composition and performance. Their ambiguous social reception notwithstanding, the extraordinary ability and striking self-confidence of these women inspired fiction-writers to feature musician heroines and motivated unprecedented numbers of girls and women to pursue advanced musical study. Musical Women In England, 1870-1914: Encroaching On All Man's Privileges Delineates The Roles Women Played In The Flourishing Music World Of Late-victorian And Early Twentieth-century England And Shows How Women Challenged Restrictive Gender Roles And Moved Into Areas Of Musical Expression Previously Closed To Them. The Most Famous Women Musicians Were The Internationally Renowned Stars Of Opera; Greatly Admired Despite Their Violations Of The Prescribed Victorian Linking Of Female Music-making With Domesticity, The Divas Were Often Compared To The Sirens Of Antiquity, Their Irresistible Voices A Source Of Moral Danger To Their Male Admirers. Their Ambiguous Social Reception Notwithstanding, The Extraordinary Ability And Striking Self-confidence Of These Singers - And Of Pioneering Female Soloists On The Violin, Long An Instrument Permitted Only To Men - Inspired Fiction Writers To Feature Musician Heroines And Motivated Unprecedented Numbers Of Girls And Women To Pursue Advanced Musical Study. Women Expressed Both Their Musicianship And Their Claim To Equality By Performing In All-female Ensembles And Contributing Their Talents To The Movement For Female Suffrage.--jacket. Introduction: Music And The Female Sphere -- Music And Woman's Mission In Late-victorian Philanthropy -- Talents Discovered And Rewarded: Female Recipients Of Music Philanthropy -- The New Woman And Her Violin -- Immortal Tones: Woman As Public Singer -- Music As A Profession For Women. Paula Gillett. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [287]-304) And Index. Annotation Musical Women in England, 1870-1914 delineates the roles women played in the flourishing music world of late-Victorian and early twentieth-century England, and shows how contemporary challenges to restrictive gender roles inspired women to move into new areas of musical expression, both in composition and performance. The most famous women musicians were the internationally renowned stars of opera; greatly admired despite their violations of the prescribed Victorian linkage of female music-making with domesticity, the divas were often compared to the sirens of antiquity, their irresistible voices a source of moral danger to their male admirers. Their ambiguous social reception notwithstanding, the extraordinary ability and striking self-confidence of these women - and of pioneering female soloists on the violin, long an instrument permitted only to men - inspired fiction writers to feature musician heroines and motivated unprecedented numbers of girls and women to pursue advanced musical study. Finding professional orchestras almost fully closed to them, many female graduates of English conservatories performed in small ensembles and in all-female and amateur orchestras, and sought to earn their living in the overcrowed world of music teaching "Musical Women in England, 1870-1914: "Encroaching on All Man's Privileges" delineates the roles women played in the flourishing music world of late-Victorian and early twentieth-century England and shows how women challenged restrictive gender roles and moved into areas of musical expression previously closed to them. The most famous women musicians were the internationally renowned stars of opera; greatly admired despite their violations of the prescribed Victorian linking of female music-making with domesticity, the divas were often compared to the sirens of antiquity, their irresistible voices a source of moral danger to their male admirers. Their ambiguous social reception notwithstanding, the extraordinary ability and striking self-confidence of these singers - and of pioneering female soloists on the violin, long an instrument permitted only to men - inspired fiction writers to feature musician heroines and motivated unprecedented numbers of girls and women to pursue advanced musical study. Women expressed both their musicianship and their claim to equality by performing in all-female ensembles and contributing their talents to the movement for female suffrage."--BOOK JACKET. This study gives the subject of British "New Women"--Those pioneering feminist figures from the turn of the last century--a fresh and important dimension, by examining the careers of women who overcame masculine resistance and entered the music world. Paula Gillett should be commended for the boldness of the links that she creates across disciplinary boundaries, as well as for the thoroughness of her research and documentation. The range of material is extraordinary. Perhaps the most valuable of this book's contributions to scholarship is its attention throughout to novels and short The roles women played in the flourishing music world of late Victorian and early 20th century England show how contemporary challenges to restrictive gender roles inspired women to move into new areas of musical expression, both in composition and performance.