Women Composers of Classical Music

July 1, 2011
Author McVicker offers 369 short biographies of women composers from the Renaissance era through the beginning of the twentieth century. Throughout the style periods she covers, it was not at all common to hear music by women composers played by important performers or by large orchestras. In fact, many female composers tended to write works for solo instruments or small ensembles because of the challenge of getting large-scale works performed. The book is arranged chronologically, and each chapter is subarranged geographically. Coverage begins with the most important early female composer, Hildegard of Bingen (b. ca. 1079), and concludes with women born in the late nineteenth century. The resources used for each entry are clearly indicated, and the entries are written in an engaging style, offering not just the facts but involving us in the women's stories. McVicker has a particular interest in operas written by women, most of which are unknown, and provides a useful time line of more than 300 operatic works. Another biographical work on women composers, Women Composers: The Lost Tradition Found (Feminist, 2d ed., 1994), provides in-depth information on only 25 composers. From Convent to Concert Hall: A Guide to Women Composers (ABC-CLIO, 2003) surveys 150 women. Women Composers of Classical Music is a useful guide to artists who rarely make it into conversations about the shaping of Western music, and is recommended for large music collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)