Women composers

[AeolianHarp]

When Cherubini was appointed director of the Paris Conservatoire in 1822, there were 41 women and 32 men enrolled in the piano department.

As pianists only, and they would never been "allowed"to play their own compositions in public. Even Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn were denied that.

[Peter]

As pianists only, and they would never been "allowed"to play their own compositions in public. Even Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn were denied that.

Clara Schumann wrote her piano concerto when she was fourteen and performed it at age sixteen at the Leipzig Gewandhaus with Mendelssohn conducting.

It's true that women weren't admitted to composition classes in the conservatoire until I think the 1870s but then the conservatoires were a relatively recent introduction and if you think of it only Berlioz comes to mind as a great composer who ever came out of one in the first half of the 19th century - both Verdi and Liszt failed to get into one.

One of the most notable women symphonic composers of the 19th century was Louise Ferranc whose third symphony Op.36 was performed at the Société des concerts du Conservatoire in 1849. This work certainly deserves to be better known and there are recordings available as well as her Nonet Op.38. It was after the successful performance of this work with Joachim that she succeeded in putting right the injustice of her pay being below that of her male colleagues.

[Peter]

Five forgotten female composers works to be recorded and broadcast by BBC radio 3
http://www.classical-music.com/artic...given-new-life

Also, a work by Fanny Mendelssohn once thought to be by her brother -
http://www.classical-music.com/news/...work-performed