HerStory: The Piano Collection ed. by Karen Marshall (review)
2023; Music Library Association; Volume: 80; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/not.2023.a912371
ISSN1534-150X
Tópico(s)Diverse Musicological Studies
ResumoReviewed by: HerStory: The Piano Collection ed. by Karen Marshall Tony Caramia HerStory: The Piano Collection. A progressive compilation honoring 29 female composers, their music, and their stories. Written, compiled and edited by Karen Marshall. London: Faber Music, Ltd, 2022. [1 score ( 119 p.) Introduction, p. 4– 5; What's in the book, p. 6; Practice generator, p. 7; HerStory: 29 compositions (presented intermediate to advanced level), including biography of each composer, author's observations, practice generator, and other music, p. 8– 117; Theory drills, p. 116– 117; Sources: p. 118– 119. ISBN 9780571542376. $27.] HerStory: The Piano Collection. A progressive compilation honoring 29 female composers, their music, and their stories. Written, compiled and edited by Karen Marshall. London: Faber Music, Ltd, 2022. [1 score (119 p.) Introduction, p. 4–5; What's in the book, p. 6; Practice generator, p. 7; HerStory: 29 compositions (presented intermediate to advanced level), including biography of each composer, author's observations, practice generator, and other music, p. 8–117; Theory drills, p. 116–117; Sources: p. 118–119. ISBN 9780571542376. $27.] "Herstory" may be defined as a term for "history" written from a feminist perspective and emphasizing the role of women. The collection HerStory adopts this idea in presenting twenty-seven pieces written for piano, plus a duet and a piece of chamber music. Two of the composers represented are living (Emily Pedersen and Margarida Gonçalves), while the historical range of the others spans several hundred years: from Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677) to Germain Tailleferre (1892–1983). The composers come from all over the world: Austria (Marianna Martines), Brazil (Francisca Gonzaga), Croatia (Dora Pejačević), Denmark (Emily Pedersen), Italy (Strozzi), Norway (Inga [End Page 402] Lærum-Liebich), Portugal (Margarida Gonçalves), Russia (Elena Gnesina), a few from England (Elisabetta de Gambarini, Ethel Smyth, Maria Hester Park), several from France (Marguerite Balutet, Louise Farrenc, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Cécile Chaminade, Augusta Holmès, Tailleferre, Marie Jaëll), four from Germany (Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Josephine Lang, Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel), two from Poland (Maria Szymanowska, Paula Szalit), and a handful from the United States (Nannie Louise Wright, Florence P. Rea, Florence Price, Amy Beach). This assemblage of piano music from such a diverse group of composers is undeniably remarkable: in its scope, its research, its contribution to the piano repertoire, and in highlighting the recognition of some heretofore underappreciated but certainly deserving musicians. The overwhelming devotion to the pedagogical contributions by these women, through their compositions and life's work, is what compels me to admire this collection so strongly. Some examples of the undeniable contributions these women made: Marguerite Balutet (1853–1928) was the founder of the "Beethoven School" in 1893 in Paris, with two objectives: to allow young girls to complete musical studies, but also, and perhaps above all, to establish a training college for future piano teachers. Her inspired piece—Villanelle—succinctly demonstrates her knowledge of the pedagogical steps to keyboard mastery. The biography of Polish child prodigy Paula Szalit (1886–1920) offers a picture of a young performer who astonished listeners with her artistic feeling. Indeed, her Impromptu provides a lovely opportunity to explore tenderness within a flowing and melancholy atmosphere. One unique experiment produced two marvelous results: the editor chose the work of one of the first prominent female composers in history, Hildegard von Bingen (ca. 1098–1179), a name undoubtedly not found in any collection of piano music! One melody (pp. 45–47) by Hildegard was transformed into a delightful 'contemporary' piano piece, through clever textural and rhythmic devices, by a young Portuguese composer, Margarida Gonçalves; while another young composer, from Denmark, Emily Pedersen, molded two melodies into an atonal setting, creating a thought-provoking exercise, with the intriguing title, Now Think (pp. 48–50). In addition to these admirable traits is the author's 'take' on this project: it is not just another academically oriented history textbook, filled with examples of scholastic tradition that dictates what we should know and study. Rather, this is a gift, an offering to the piano teacher and student, lovingly presented, with warmth, charm, humanity, and care. The editor, the British pianist, educator and speaker...
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