Your top 10 favorite female composers

[vandermolen]

So from you Lili Boulanger fans, which of her works are your favorites?  And where do you suggest I start dipping my toes into?

PD

I'd recommend either of these CDs PD:

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'd recommend either of these CDs PD:

Thanks Jeffrey!

PD

[Mirror Image]

There aren't that many female composers that 'speak' to me, but I do like the following a lot:

Grażyna Bacewicz
Lili Boulanger
Ester Mägi
Ruth Crawford Seeger

I'm definitely going to have to add Sofia Gubaidulina to this list now! Also, I need to become more familiar with Galina Ustvolskaya. I like her Piano Concerto a lot, but I know this isn't representative of the composer she became later on.

[T. D.]

I'm definitely going to have to add Sofia Gubaidulina to this list now! Also, I need to become more familiar with Galina Ustvolskaya. I like her Piano Concerto a lot, but I know this isn't representative of the composer she became later on.

I'm a little surprised you latched on to Gubaidulina. I acknowledge her work is good, but have never fully gotten into it.

Regarding Ustvolskaya, there are some excellent Youtube videos of live performances with Reinbert de Leeuw (conducting and piano). I'd watch a few before shelling out for recordings.

[Mirror Image]

I'm a little surprised you latched on to Gubaidulina. I acknowledge her work is good, but have never fully gotten into it.

Regarding Ustvolskaya, there are some excellent Youtube videos of live performances with Reinbert de Leeuw (conducting and piano). I'd watch a few before shelling out for recordings.

Thanks. I'll definitely check more of her work out before buying anything.

[Roasted Swan]

So from you Lili Boulanger fans, which of her works are your favorites?  And where do you suggest I start dipping my toes into?

PD

I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about the Chandos recording of Faust et Helene.  It should have been sensational - but its not - its really not!  Bonaventura Bottone is SO SO SO the wrong voice.  Check out this version on YouTube;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLkarwfcCU

Markevitch is EXCELLENT in this repertoire - the recording is adequate technically, the orchestra murky, the soprano often horrible BUT the tenor has the perfect voice for this music so everyhting else is forgiven.  After that check out this Markevitch disc which has appeared on various labels - EMI and Everest from memory;



The Pie Jesu - which she dictated to her sister on her death bed is heart breakingly beautiful with a very fragile child soprano singing.......

[vandermolen]

I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about the Chandos recording of Faust et Helene.  It should have been sensational - but its not - its really not!  Bonaventura Bottone is SO SO SO the wrong voice.  Check out this version on YouTube;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLkarwfcCU

Markevitch is EXCELLENT in this repertoire - the recording is adequate technically, the orchestra murky, the soprano often horrible BUT the tenor has the perfect voice for this music so everyhting else is forgiven.  After that check out this Markevitch disc which has appeared on various labels - EMI and Everest from memory;



The Pie Jesu - which she dictated to her sister on her death bed is heart breakingly beautiful with a very fragile child soprano singing.......

The Markevitch is unfortunately very expensive.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I was able to find a copy of the Chandos one which Jeffrey recommended, so I'll start there....after I work my way through a pile of other CDs acquired earlier!    But thank you RS for the added rec! 

PD

[vandermolen]

I was able to find a copy of the Chandos one which Jeffrey recommended, so I'll start there....after I work my way through a pile of other CDs acquired earlier!    But thank you RS for the added rec! 

PD

Despite RS's reservations I hope that you enjoy the CD PD.

[MusicTurner]

I'm a little surprised you latched on to Gubaidulina. I acknowledge her work is good, but have never fully gotten into it.

Regarding Ustvolskaya, there are some excellent Youtube videos of live performances with Reinbert de Leeuw (conducting and piano). I'd watch a few before shelling out for recordings.

Gubaidulina's piano works tend to be quite catchy, especially the Bis recording IMO. Most of her music requires some time getting acquainted with it. The early Piano Quintet is quite shostakovichian, but not typical. Her 3rd Violin Concerto 'Ich und Du' will see a premiere release later this year.

[Christo]

Ruth Gipps - probably my favourite composer ever
Grażyna Bacewicz
Lili Boulanger
Germaine Tailleferre
Elizabeth Maconchy
Dora Pejačević
Ina Boyle
Ester Mägi
Henriette Bosmans
Elena Kats-Chernin

[San Antone]

Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Elizabeth Maconchy
Alexandre du Bois
Katherine Balch
Rebecca Saunders
Linda Catlin Smith
Marti Epstein
Catherine Lamb
Lera Auerbach
Caroline Shaw
Liza Lim
Helena Tulve
Juliana Hall

[hopefullytrusting]

Man, I'm always blown away by such lists.

My favorite woman composer, and she might just be my favorite in general, is Tine Surel Lange.

I'm always on the lookout for her work.

[Brian]

Alpha:
Grażyna Bacewicz
Victoria Borisova-Ollas
Cécile Chaminade
Anna Clyne
Louise Farrenc
Gabriela Lena Frank
Elena Kats-Chernin
Florence Price

Price's piano solo and chamber music is a significant improvement on the symphonies.

Caroline Shaw would have made this list in the past but I have soured on the achievement of her Partita with the realization that basically everything truly original in it was in fact not original but plagiarized from non-European musical traditions.

This thread will inspire me to revisit Libby Larsen, Missy Mazzoli, and Gabriela Montero, all of whom I have fond memories of but little of whose work I remember in detail.

Those who enjoy Dora Pejacevic must also hear Helena Munktell, a student of d'Indy who wrote fine chamber music and songs.

Now would add Lera Auerbach, Gabriela Ortiz, and Augusta Holmes, replacing Borisova-Ollas, Chaminade, and Price. Katherine Balch was recently commissioned to do music for the Dallas Symphony, so I need to look into her work. Also want to look up Tine Surel Lange and Lili Boulanger, of whom I've just heard the two short orchestral miniatures.

[Christo]

Feel the need to smuggle in some more names on closer listening, am willing to sacrifice some of those mentioned earlier. The first category are:
Ljubica Marić
Florence Price
Anne-Marie Ørbeck
Galina Ustvolskaya
Doreen Carwithen
Peggy Glanville-Hicks
Sofia Gubaidulina
Tera de Marez Oyens
Kaija Saariaho
Hanna Kulenty
Isidora Žebeljan
Roxanna Panufnik
Anna Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir

Severe sacrifices are probably required from:
Henriette Bosmans
Dora Pejačević
Elena Kats-Chernin
errr ..

[arpeggio]

I do not think these composers have been mentioned.  Apologies if they have.

Cindy McTee
Libby Larson
Ellen Taffe Zwilich*
Melinda Wagner*
Florence Price
Roxanna Panufnik
Jennifer Higdon*
Augusta Read Thomas

*Winner Pulitzer Prize

These are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.  I will add if I can think of any others.

[San Antone]

Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Elizabeth Maconchy
Alexandre du Bois
Katherine Balch
Rebecca Saunders
Linda Catlin Smith
Marti Epstein
Catherine Lamb
Lera Auerbach
Caroline Shaw
Liza Lim
Helena Tulve
Juliana Hall

I forgot to include Missy Mazzoli, a composer for whom I hold in high regard since I first heard her Vespers for a New Dark Age.