Review: An important look at brilliant women in musical history
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2012
Young women in 2012 do not seem to have any idea - or care - of the struggle which ensued when Maud Powell, Edna White and their contemporaries blazed a trail through musical history. The fact that women were still struggling for equality and recognition up to the 1970s and beyond is no longer acknowledged and indeed often dismissed with disdain. Women who today are enjoying the benefits of their fore-sisters fight should read this account of two magnificent women and be thankful for their sacrifices.Even though in theory all professions are now open to women, there is still inequality in pay, women are vilified, often by other women, for life choices, e.g. to give birth or not and when. The Glass Ceiling is well and truly poised to shatter over the heads of those who attain high office in politics, business or the arts.Susan Fleet, a brilliant classical trumpeter and teacher, author of crime novels DIVA and Absolution, has researched and produced a well-written and interesting account of the lives of Maud and Edna who were only permitted to be soloists, never members of an orchestra, because those positions were reserved for men.It was thought that women were not capable of playing the violin, trumpet or cornet and should stay in the kitchen where they belonged. Some people truly believed the former, most used it as an excuse for the latter. Susan Fleet has shown the historical background of the era and included short profiles of two other incredible females - Annie Oakley, Amelia Earhart and Babe Didrikson Zaharias - also women of extraordinary skills and tenacity in a man's world.Of course, women of this ilk were never going to be subdued and thank goodness they weren't, because the world would be a poorer place without their talent, courage and stamina.I thoroughly enjoyed this important study, which in my opinion should be available within school and university systems and available in libraries throughout the world. I shall look forward to Susan Fleet's next book recounting the lives of women musicians in jazz.Highly recommended!