Music by Women Composers in Performance
EStrella Piano Duo Presents
Made possible by a generous grant from the Musicians Club of Women, this album celebrates the music of Women composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries
Program Notes
The members of the EStrella Piano Duo, Svetlana Belsky and Elena Doubovitskaya have, between them, premiered, performed, recorded and promoted works by over a dozen living composers. Half of them are women. This fact is merely incidental – only the quality of the music matters. But in a historical perspective this is revolutionary.
Surely Bach’s daughters played and composed as much as his sons, yet their work remains unknown. In Mozart’s day every self-respecting home had a piano, and every eligible young woman played and, perhaps, composed – but once again, only a few voices from the period survive. The true revolution came during the Romantic Era, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was hard-fought.
As late as 1892 Antonin Dvořák wrote: “[Ladies] have not the creative power.” But of course, they do, and did, and always have.
This recording project features rarely heard and little recorded works for piano duet by women composers whose names might be familiar, but whose music is not: from Fanny Mendelssohn who published under her brother’s name, to Mélanie Bonis who used the androgynous name Mel, to Amy Beach who achieved fame and recognition as a composer of large-scale orchestral works, to Marie Jaëll whose works were premiered by Franz Liszt himself, to Cécile Chaminade who was the first woman Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, At some point in their lives, all these women were expected to be primarily wives and mothers, and keep their music-making to a small salon setting. This CD features precisely the often-overlooked small gems in this genre. This project is the culmination of EStrella Duo’s recent efforts to program and perform these unjustly neglected works and bring them to the widest possible audiences.
1-3. Fanny Mendelssohn
(14 November 1805 – 14 May 1847)
Three Pieces for piano (1844)
Praised for a pianistic and creative talent as great as that of her celebrated brother Felix, Fanny nevertheless published little during her short lifetime. These recently published miniatures showcase her remarkable pianism and her facility with the duet genre
4-9. Mélanie Hélène Bonis, known as Mel Bonis
(21 January 1858 – 18 March 1937)
Six Valses – Caprices, Op. 87
A prolific French composer, whose life reads like a romantic novel, Bonis had to overcame the opposition of her family, and to publish under the androgynous name "Mel". Her works are elegant and lush in a typical late-Romantic style, and are well deserving of a revival
16-19. Marie Jaëll (née Trautmann)
(17 August 1846 – 4 February 1925)
From Twelve Waltzes and Finale, Op.8 (1874)
A celebrated pianist and pedagogue, Jaëll was the first to perform all of Beethoven's Sonatas in Paris. She was admired by Franz Liszt, who premiered the virtuosic and brilliant pieces recorded here.
10-15. Cécile Chaminade
(8 August 1857 – 13 April 1944)
Six Pieces Romantique, Op. 55 (1890)
The most successful during her own lifetime, Chaminade was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer. In the words of a critic, "This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman
26. Clara Schumann
(13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896)
March in E flat major (1879)
One of the most important pianists of the Romantic period, who championed the works of so many of the great composers of the period, was also a talented composer. The March in E flat Major is her final work.
20-25. Amy Beach
(September 5, 1867 – December 27, 1944)
Summer Dreams, Op. 47 (1901)
The first American woman to compose large-scale works, Amy Beach was also renowned for her lovely miniatures, such as this set of 6 character pieces.
Reviews
“...a memorable disc“
“The musicality and spirit I heard here makes for a wonderful recital. Belsky and Doubovitskaya have played together for a dozen years, and their ensemble could not be better. This is a memorable disc that I'll keep on on my active listening stack for some time. “ "
John Harrington, FAmerican Record Guide
“...admirable precision, style, and tonal beauty“
“The EStrella Piano Duo performs the featured repertoire with admirable precision, style, and tonal beauty. The works also offer numerous opportunities for playful, humorous expression, and the EStrella Duo takes full advantage. The recorded sound is quite fine as well. A charming recital, one that offers considerable pleasure. “
Ken Meltzer, Fanfare Magazine
“...a small jewel “
“Every one of the 26 tracks is a small jewel and the playing by Belsky and Doubovitskaya raises the disc to a very high level indeed.”
Infodad.com
“...tonal beauty glowing textures, and exquisite timing “
“Svetlana Belsky and Elena Doubovitskaya compliment each other perfectly in terms of tonal beauty glowing textures, and exquisite timing, qualities that help put across to perfection the present program of choice selections from women composers of the Romantic Era.”
Phil Muse, Atlanta Audio Club