Table Of Contentfeminist
Aesthetics
in Music
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Contributions to the Study of Music and Dance
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Feminist
Aesthetics
in Music
Sally Macarthur
Contributions to the Study of Music and Dance, Number 61
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Macarthur, Sally.
Feminist aesthetics in music / Sally Macarthur.
p. cm.—(Contributions to the study of music and dance, ISSN 0193-9041 ; no. 61)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ), discography (p. ), and index.
ISBN 0-313-31320-2 (alk. paper)
1. Feminism and music. 2. Music—Philosophy and aesthetics. I. Title. II. Series.
ML82.M22 2002
780'.82—dc2I 2001023329
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2002 by Sally Macarthur
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without
the express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001023329
ISBN: 0-313-31320-2
ISSN: 0193-9041
First published in 2002
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Copyright Acknowledgments
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission for use of the following material:
Excerpts from Ansturm by Richard Dehmel, translated by Margit Franklin-Spaeth and Jim Franklin, in
Peter Platr "Love and Passion in Alma Mahler- Werfel's Ansturm!' Predictions and Inaccuracies: Colli
sions of Musical Histories and Futures Approaching the Millennium. Papers from the Sydney Music
Research Symposium, University of Western Sydney, February 20,1999, Sydney Chapter of the Mu-
sicological Society of Australia.
Translation by Richard Hobbs of Rimbaud's poem O Saisons, O Chateaux!, which appears on the
sleeve notes of the CD entitled Red Leaves by Cala Records Ltd., 1996.
Adaptation of Sally Macarthur's "Performance Rites: AMEB, or Not to Be?" in Sally Macarthur and
Cate Poynton, eds., Musics and Feminisms. Sydney. Australian Music Centre, 1999.
Figure 2.7, "Percentage of Australian Music Included in the AMEB Syllabuses for A. Mus. A. and L.
Mus.A. in 1985,1990, and 1995" by Sarah-Grace Williams.
Excerpts from Genefer Luff's unpublished interview with Moya Henderson, March 21,1989.
Musical extracts from Moya Henderson's Sacred Site (1983) and Stubble (1975).
Musical extracts from VierLiederNo. 3, Ansturm by Alma Mahler-Werfel. © Copyright 1915 by Uni
versal Edition A. G. Wien. Reproduced by permission of Boosey & Hawkes on behalf of Alfred A.
Kalmus Ltd. (London).
Musical extracts from Trio for Violin, Violoncello and Pianoforte by Rebecca Clarke. © Copyright
1928 by Hawkes & Son (London) Ltd. Reprinted by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publish
ers Ltd.
Musical extracts from Cycle of Love by Anne Boyd. © Faber Music Limited. Reproduced by permis
sion of Boosey & Hawkes Pty Ltd. on behalf of Faber Music Limited.
Musical extracts from Tast-en by Elena Kats-Chernin. © Boosey & Hawkes New York. Reprinted by
permission of Boosey & Hawkes Pty Ltd.
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This book is dedicated with love and gratitude
to my mother, Meryll Marion Macarthur,
to my father, Robert James Macarthur,
and to Rosemary Schaffler
The words the happy say
Are paltry melody
But those the silent feel
Are beautiful.
—Emily Dickinson (J.1750)
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Contents
Illustrations xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: For Women's Eyes Only? 1
1 Feminist Aesthetics in Music 11
2 Music in Context and Practice 31
3 The Power of Sound, the Power of Sex: Alma Schindler-Mahler's
Ansturm 63
4 Sexing the Subject of Musical Analysis: Rebecca Clarke and
Elisabeth Lutyens 81
5 Meditations on Feminist Aesthetics: Anne Boyd's Cycle of Love 107
6 Framing the Case for a Feminist Reading of Elena Kats-Chernin's
Postmodern Tast-en 129
7 Sexual Signatures: Feminist Aesthetics in the Music of
Moya Henderson after the Death of the Author 149
8 This Music Which Is Between Two 173
Bibliography 185
Discography 197
Index 199
Description:Is there such a thing as women's music? Do women write and listen to music differently than men do? While recognizing that the differences among women are as distinct as the differences between genders, this bold new study examines gender's influence on music. The author's unique analytical strategy
