Breaking the gender and identity boundaries of the symphonic form during the 20th century and beyond
About
The symphony is a renowned form of orchestral classical music, and notably all symphonies within the canon are those by men. It is an art form affiliated with masculinity, and critically interpreted as something male composers use to express and shape their identity. Recently, there has been attention paid to symphonies composed by women, two being performed at the BBC Proms, 2021. However, there is a severe lack of representation of symphonic works composed by women in the concert hall, history books, education and society more widely. Critics including Marcia Citron and Judith Butler recognise that male voices and creativity have traditionally been legitimised, whilst women's have been devalued. This lack of representation has significant consequences for female artists, and gender equality.
This research will assess the symphonic works by three important twentieth century composers, Ruth Gipps (1921-1999), Ina Boyle (1889-1967), and Florence Price (1887-1953). They have, until recently, been largely overlooked. Growing interest has shown their significant contribution to the symphony, and their impact on feminism in music. Through a thorough analysis of archival material relating to their compositions and backgrounds, the research aims to raise their profiles, highlighting their ability to shape identity through symphonic form. Contemporaneous reviews and press coverage attempted to mould and delegitimise these women’s identities by comparing their music, in particular the symphonies, to their male symphonic counterparts.
How can understanding these composers’ challenges help women today? This research will demonstrate how their symphonic works reflect class, gender, heritage, and personal identities. It will argue for the importance for woman composers, highlight ways moving forward for contemporary musicians, and significantly widen our understanding of the symphony. Moreover, it will add greater contributions to fair gender identity representation, how patriarchy is mobilised in notions of taste, and how this links to understandings of gender today.
