Sounds and Sweet Airs : The Forgotten Women of Classical Music

**"The cultural historian Anna Beer’s rewarding new book about the forgotten women of classical music includes insightful portraits of eight composers, a couple of whom are truly forgotten, like the 17th-century Italian Francesca Caccini. But penetrating essays on better-known figures, like Clara Schumann, are even more interesting for the way Ms. Beer conveys the sexism and lifelong frustrations some immensely gifted creative artists encountered.” ―Anthony Tommasini, __The New York Times__****As Heard on NPR's Weekend Edition** **“Absorbing ... [Beer] writes with rich detail and sympathetic insight about [these women's] ambitious, adventurous battles to overcome barriers to creativity."__— Publishers Weekly__****"Savvy, sympathetic ... essential and insightful study of a woman’s unsung place in the closed world of classical music."__—The Wall Street Journal__****SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS** reveals the hidden stories of eight remarkable composers, taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz.Exploring not just the lives and works of eight exceptional artists, historian Anna Beer also asks tough questions about the silencing of their legacy, which continues to this day. Why do we still not hear masterpieces such as Hensel’s piano work "The Year," Caccini’s arias and Boulanger’s setting of Psalm 130?A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, **SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS** presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage.**The featured composers are** Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger and Elizabeth Maconchy. "The cultural historian Anna Beer’s rewarding new book about the forgotten women of classical music includes insightful portraits of eight composers, a couple of whom are truly forgotten, like the 17th-century Italian Francesca Caccini. But penetrating essays on better-known figures, like Clara Schumann, are even more interesting for the way Ms. Beer conveys the sexism and lifelong frustrations some immensely gifted creative artists encountered.” ―Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times As Heard on NPR's Weekend Edition “Absorbing ... [Beer] writes with rich detail and sympathetic insight about [these women's] ambitious, adventurous battles to overcome barriers to creativity." — Publishers Weekly "Savvy, sympathetic ... essential and insightful study of a woman’s unsung place in the closed world of classical music." —The Wall Street Journal SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS reveals the hidden stories of eight remarkable composers, taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz. Exploring not just the lives and works of eight exceptional artists, historian Anna Beer also asks tough questions about the silencing of their legacy, which continues to this day. Why do we still not hear masterpieces such as Hensel’s piano work "The Year," Caccini’s arias and Boulanger’s setting of Psalm 130? A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage. The featured composers are Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger and Elizabeth Maconchy. SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS reveals the hidden stories of eight remarkable composers, taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz.Exploring not just the lives and works of eight exceptional artists, historian Anna Beer also asks tough questions about the silencing of their legacy, which continues to this day. Why do we still not hear masterpieces such as Hensel’s piano work "The Year," Caccini’s arias and Boulanger’s setting of Psalm 130?A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage.The featured composers are Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger and Elizabeth Maconchy."The cultural historian Anna Beer’s rewarding new book about the forgotten women of classical music includes insightful portraits of eight composers, a couple of whom are truly forgotten, like the 17th-century Italian Francesca Caccini. But penetrating essays on better-known figures, like Clara Schumann, are even more interesting for the way Ms. Beer conveys the sexism and lifelong frustrations some immensely gifted creative artists encountered.” ―Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, As Heard on NPR's Weekend Edition Throughout history female composers have been subjected to ludicrous criticisms and had their sex lives scrutinized and the veracity of their authorship questioned. Fanny Mendelssohn, who established one of the most important musical salons of the nineteenth century, spent much of her life seeing her few published compositions credited to her brother. Seven years after writing that she would never become a composer, Clara Schumann, with four children under five and a husband struggling with mental illness, wrote the poised and lyrical Piano Trio in G Minor. From Andalucia to Berlin, this is a celebration of the great forgotten women who evaded, confronted, and ignored the ideologies and practices that sought to exclude them from the art they loved. They composed in times of war and revolution, plague and exile, working in convents and castles, salons and princes' courts, townhouses and conservatoires, their lives entwined with European history. Long overdue, Sounds and Swee Airs paints a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement which deserves to be part of our cultural heritage. The featured composers are Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, and Elizabeth Maconchy Throughout history female composers have been subjected to ludicrous criticisms, had their sex lives scrutinized and the veracity of their authorship questioned. Fanny Mendelssohn, who established one of the most important musical salons of the nineteenth century, spent much of her life seeing her few published compositions credited to her brother. Seven years after writing that she would never become a composer, Clara Schumann, with four children under five and a husband struggling with mental illness, wrote the poised and lyrical Piano Trio in G Minor. From AndalucIa to Berlin, this is a celebration of the great forgotten women who evaded, confronted and ignored the ideologies and practices that sought to exclude them from the art they loved. They composed in times of war and revolution, plague and exile, working in convents and castles, salons and princes' courts, townhouses and conservatoires, their lives entwined with European history. Long-overdue, Composer paints a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement which deserves to be part of our cultural heritage. The featured composers Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (nEe Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, Elizabeth Maconchy

Francesca Caccini. Barbara Strozzi. Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Marianna Martines. Fanny Hensel. Clara Schumann. Lili Boulanger. Elizabeth Maconchy.Great composers all, but their musical legacy is still rarely acknowledged.Since the birth of classical music, those women who dared to compose have been patronised, had their sex lives scrutinised and the veracity of their authorship questioned. They worked within a musical culture where beliefs about what women could and could not do determined their every move. Yet, time and again there emerged individuals who would evade, confront and ignore the rules that sought to exclude them from the world of composition.Taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz, and beyond, Anna Beer reveals the hidden histories of eight remarkable women, explores the special communities that enabled them to compose their music, and asks tough questions about why we still don’t hear their masterpieces performed.A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, Sounds and Sweet Airs presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage.

Francesca Caccini. Barbara Strozzi. Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Marianna Martines. Fanny Hensel. Clara Schumann. Lili Boulanger. Elizabeth Maconchy.Great composers all, but their musical legacy is still rarely acknowledged.Since the birth of classical music, those women who dared to compose have been patronised, had their sex lives scrutinised and the veracity of their authorship questioned. They worked within a musical culture where beliefs about what women could and could not do determined their every move. Yet, time and again there emerged individuals who would evade, confront and ignore the rules that sought to exclude them from the world of composition.Taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz, and beyond, Anna Beer reveals the hidden histories of eight remarkable women, explores the special communities that enabled them to compose their music, and asks tough questions about why we still don't hear their masterpieces performed.A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, Sounds and Sweet Airs presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage The hidden history of the women who dared to write music in a man's world. 'Lucid, engaging and exuberant... [ Sounds and Sweet Airs ] is terrifically enjoyable and accessible, and leaves one hankering for a second volume.' The Sunday Times Francesca Caccini. Barbara Strozzi. Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Marianna Martines. Fanny Hensel. Clara Schumann. Lili Boulanger. Elizabeth Maconchy. Since the birth of classical music, women who dared compose have faced a bitter struggle to be heard. In spite of this, female composers continued to create, inspire and challenge. Yet even today so much of their work languishes unheard. Anna Beer reveals the highs and lows experienced by eight composers across the centuries, from Renaissance Florence to twentieth-century London, restoring to their rightful place exceptional women whom history has forgotten. Since the birth of classical music, women who dared compose have faced a bitter struggle to be heard. In spite of this, female composers continued to create, inspire and challenge. Yet even today so much of their work languishes unheard. Anna Beer reveals the highs and lows experienced by eight composers across the centuries, from Renaissance Florence to twentieth-century London, restoring to their rightful place exceptional women whom history has forgotten [Publisher description] Sounds And Sweet Airs Reveals The Hidden Stories Of Eight Remarkable Female Composers, Taking The Reader On A Journey From Seventeenth-century Medici Florence To London In The Blitz. Portretten van acht vergeten vrouwelijke componisten. NL-ZmNBD