On the occasion of March 8, Women’s Day, at Palazzetto Bru Zane in the historic center of Venice, at 5.30 pm there will be the conference “Quando le donne si misero a comporre” (When women took to composing), speaker Monique Ciola, and at 7.30 pm the concert “Il campo del possibile” (The field of possibilities) with pianist Marie Vermeulin.
The belief that women have never composed classical music and do not have the skills to do so is still deeply rooted today. This false narrative is confirmed by the almost total absence of women composers, both past and present, in concert seasons. Through recognized sources and studies, it is intended to restore a name and a place of prominence to the women who have contributed to writing the history of music. Particular attention is given to the women composers featured in the March 8 concert – Marie Jaëll, Mel Bonis, Charlotte Sohy – for a look at women’s piano music, a field that was forcibly privileged for women composers between the 18th and 20th centuries.
Although their works have diverse features and reveal varied aesthetic choices, women composers share a common experience of the musical world that allows us to hear them as a coherent group. Various constraints played an important role here: the noble genres were almost inaccessible to them, and they were generally restricted to domestic or educational fields. The piano – the instrument par excellence of the salon and young girls’ education – thus serves both as a symbol of their submission and an opportunity for emancipation: they could pursue careers as virtuoso soloists, achieve social advancement or simply express themselves fully.
Website: www.bru-zane.com
Location: Palazzetto Bru Zane, Venice
Schedule: March 8, 2022
