From Convent to Concert Hall: A Guide to Women Composers

(Hardback)

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Description

In the world of musical composition, men have long overshadowed women. But as the prominence of women composers increases, so does interest in their lives and works. This substantive biographical reference book geared toward the student or non-specialist features information on nearly 200 composers of the Western music tradition from the 9th century to the 21st. Composers were chosen based on the excellence of their music, their importance in the period's daily musical life and the availability of information on their lives, music and recordings. Taken together they represent a broad range of styles, countries and eras. The text is arranged by style of music and chronology. Each profiled composer is related to the famous male composers, arts, sciences and politics of her period. Profiles include biographical information and focus on the composer's work and association with other musicians. Also included for each composer are a discography of her recorded works (including a list of those available in modern editions) and a bibliography of additional print and electronic resources. Timelines place the women in historical context and appendixes organize them by country, century and type of music. A syllabus of study is also included.

Reviews

"Since recent years have seen an increase in the amount of scholarship devoted to this subject, there is a need for reference material to support the resulting courses of study. This carefully orchestrated work can play more than one part: it is both reference book, packed with a number of useful features; and textbook, even including a "Suggested Syllabus for a Fifteen-Week Semester with Three Class Hours per Week..,."With its thoughtful organization, cleary written and carefully researched text, and numerous special features, this will be a welcome addition to any academic or large public library music reference collection."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
[S]tands out among other recent texts on women in music.-Feminist Collections
From Convent to Concert Hall deserves to be in the reference collections of both academic and public libraries that cater to musicians and women's studies programs. The authors have paid remarkable attention to detail regarding facts and dates. The excellent scholarship and overall design of this volume make it very useful for librarians as well as instructors. The book is recommended for all general music collections and as a text book for use in specialized music courses.-Reference & User Services Quarterly
Since recent years have seen an increase in the amount of scholarship devoted to this subject, there is a need for reference material to support the resulting courses of study. This carefully orchestrated work can play more than one part: it is both reference book, packed with a number of useful features; and textbook, even including a "Suggested Syllabus for a Fifteen-Week Semester with Three Class Hours per Week..,."With its thoughtful organization, cleary written and carefully researched text, and numerous special features, this will be a welcome addition to any academic or large public library music reference collection.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
This noble book brings together a great deal of material in an eminently usable form. Part of the volume's superiority lies in its consistent organization; another part is its concise, coherent melding of historical, contextual, and biographical information. Chapters are chronological, beginning with medieval times and going through the 20th century. Each chapter presents informative biographies of representative composers, precedeed by a general introduction to the period and followed by a time line that plots important musical figures and events against developments in history and politics, science and education, and arts and literature; then come bibliographies, discographies, and selective lists of works....Essential. All collections; all levels.-Choice
This unique historical survey profiles for the lay reader more than 150 women composers from the ninth century to the present in their historical and cultural milieus....we should be grateful to the writers for gathering all this information in a single volume, providing an excellent point of departure. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Library Journal
"Stands out among other recent texts on women in music."-Feminist Collections
"[S]tands out among other recent texts on women in music."-Feminist Collections
"From Convent to Concert Hall deserves to be in the reference collections of both academic and public libraries that cater to musicians and women's studies programs. The authors have paid remarkable attention to detail regarding facts and dates. The excellent scholarship and overall design of this volume make it very useful for librarians as well as instructors. The book is recommended for all general music collections and as a text book for use in specialized music courses."-Reference & User Services Quarterly
"This unique historical survey profiles for the lay reader more than 150 women composers from the ninth century to the present in their historical and cultural milieus....we should be grateful to the writers for gathering all this information in a single volume, providing an excellent point of departure. Recommended for public and academic libraries."-Library Journal
"This noble book brings together a great deal of material in an eminently usable form. Part of the volume's superiority lies in its consistent organization; another part is its concise, coherent melding of historical, contextual, and biographical information. Chapters are chronological, beginning with medieval times and going through the 20th century. Each chapter presents informative biographies of representative composers, precedeed by a general introduction to the period and followed by a time line that plots important musical figures and events against developments in history and politics, science and education, and arts and literature; then come bibliographies, discographies, and selective lists of works....Essential. All collections; all levels."-Choice

Author Bio

SYLVIA GLICKMAN, a New York musician, is the president of the Hildegard Institute, devoted to research and performance of the music of women composers. MARTHA FURMAN SCHLEIFER is a member of the music history faculty at Temple University and is Senior Editor of Hildegard Publishing Company.