Beyond Grieg
A Legacy of Women in Norwegian Music History by Rachel Storlie
Norwegian composers at a Bergen music festival, 1898, showing Agathe Backer-Grøndahl among her male peers. In alphabetical order: Christian Cappelen, Catharinus Elling, Edvard Grieg, Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Johan Halvorsen, Iver Poul Fredrik Holter, Ole Olsen, Gerhard Rosenkrone Schjelderup, Christian Sinding, Johan Svendsen. Photographer: Karl Anton Peter Dyrendahl Nybli. Oslo Museum, digitaltmuseum.no.
“I do not understand how both you and my parents could object to the fact that I want to become what one calls a female artist. . . It seems to me that a beautiful, independent future for a woman can be found in the simple act of striving, if possible, to be able to present an enjoyable experience to people, especially if that future included a way to travel and to see a little of the world! But time will decide. I just feel that there is something in me that will never give me peace, and which constantly drives me onward . . . for I love art so much that the desire to master it is indescribable.”1 —18 year old Agathe Backer, 18662 Vol. 16, No. 2 2018
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omen musicians have been thriving around the world for centuries, contributing to the rich and vibrant cultural landscape that reflects both the domestic and public spheres. Academic study of women composers is a burgeoning facet of contemporary musicology, theory, and performance, reflected by trends in equality movements and fueled by society’s continued interest in, and hunger for, new repertoire. Yet many female composers are still unknown, underperformed, or neglected by today’s trained musicians and educators, shedding light on a glaring missed opportunity on the part of our institutions. Marcia J. Citron summarizes: “The most obvious reason is that very little of their music 17