5/3/19

Feminism in the 1920s Women in Music

First wave
Small footprint in
Abolition (~1865) historical collections
Suffrage (~1873)
Middle/upper class white
FROM XIX-’19 Anna Renzi, Faustina Bordoni,
Francesca Cuzzoni
100 th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage Concert Series
New Woman
.

Internal: Intelligent, sensitive, ambitious “For you it [music] can and must
External: Bad mother, lacking in ideal only be an ornament, never the root
of your being and doing.”
Victorian womanhood, hypersexualized 1 . L au ra W e r n o L ad ie s Q u ar te t. D ig ital
Im ag e. V io lin M u sic b y W o m e n .
A c c e sse d Fe b r u ar y 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 .
w w w.v io lin m u sic b y w o m e n .c o m
Cover of WSPU's The Suffragette, April 25, 1913 (after Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, 1830)

Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (1864-1953) Dear Rebecca Clarke…

(1886-1979) And To Ernest Bloch…
(1880-1959)
Coolidge: Patron (n) : Clarke primarily composed for voice
Descendent of two wealthy families A person who gives financial or other Coolidge was very supportive of
37 vocal pieces to 11 instrumental
Seven siblings support to a person, organization, or pieces by 1919 Bloch in his early American career
Piano at age 11 cause.
1915 - parents died
1916 - Bloch moved to United States
-Bloch teaching at Columbia
Coolidge had asked Clarke to write
$200,000 to Yale – Sprague Memorial Hall viola sonata for 1919 competition

1916 - $50,000 annually to Chicago Symphony Orchestra $1000 Prize

1917-1920 - Berkshire Quartet Publicity and name recognition
”Well, I thought, alright, I’d rather like to. And I had one or two Adding to Viola Repertoire
1918-1924: Berkshire Chamber Festival 1 . R e b e c c a C la rk e. D ig ita l im a g e. B B C little snippets of things that I jotted down that I thought might 1 . E r n e st B lo ch . D ig ital im ag e. Je w ish
R a d io.. A c c e sse d Fe b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 .
b b c.c o.u k fit in.” M u sic R e se arch C e n tre. A c c e sse d
Fe b r u ar y 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 . je w ish -m u sic.h u ji.ac.il

The Question of The Competition

Motivation
Judges:
■ Bloch – career advancing intention Anonymous Entry By
Frederick Stock (conductor)
June It’s a Tie!
Louis Bailly (violist)
■ Clarke – experience
Finalist performances
Harold Bauer (pianist)
Rubin Goldmark (composer)
Georges Longy (oboist)
Coolidge draws deciding
vote THE SPECULATIONS
in September
Richard Aldrich (critic)

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Bloch’s Suite for Viola and Orchestra

Please vote for the strongest composition:

Lento Allegro Moderato

https://goo.gl/forms/aspvdDKoTVUaryP12
Repetition and Decrescendo
“Primitive” Nature
Development of Broad motives
Meditative Viola Line
motives Meditative Ending

Clarke’s Sonata for Viola Critic Perception Critic Perception

1st theme:

“I do not dare to contemplate but I am sure that

1st Theme – “strong,” “…Ernest Bloch has given us the greatest work for
suspicions of a ‘frame-up’ between you and the
“masculine,” “the one viola in musical literature…”
constructed more energetically...
2n d theme: – Oscar Sonneck, judges would have been endless, and that we might
More completely” Head of Music Division at the Library of Congress
have had a great deal of other trouble besides…”
– Frederick Stock,
Conductor and Friend of Cooldige

“I feel sorry for Miss Clarke. Her Sonata has much

2n d Theme – “subsidiary,” 2n d theme evolves and becomes stronger and more forceful. charm…she has a very fine talent
“lyrical, gentle,” “feminine” – Frederick Stock,
Conductor and Friend of Cooldige

The Aftermath The Aftermath So What?

As a Composer… As an Educator… “Had rather fun…going with Dora
1921- Viola [her sister] to buy some pearls! I am
Sonata adding a few to the middle of my
Bloch goes on to 1920-25 Director of the Published
write orchestral Cleveland Institute necklace with the money I have just Coolidge as a Bloch as a Clarke as a New

version of Suite 1925-30 Director of San Clarke’s Career

got as royalties from my songs. My Patron Composer Woman

Francisco Conservatory Slowed pearls are to be all out of my

Many other well- 1940-52 Taught at University compositions!”
known compositions of California Berkley -Clarke’s Diary

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21st century New Woman

Ideal of an independent free thinking woman still exists

THE RESULTS THANK YOU

Undertones of 21st Century
Intersectionality
Defeminization Thinkers