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Among the women who have influenced music
without actually creating it,
none have had greater chances to use their power than the wives of the
famous composers.
Often they have been endowed with no inconsiderable
musical genius themselves, but have sacrificed their claim to renown
upon the altar of domestic duty. Sometimes, in rare instances, they
have
had the ability to perform the double task of caring for the household
and continuing their own musical labours. Their story is an interesting
one, and from the time of the great John Sebastian Bach, who stands as
a
model of domestic purity, down even to the present day, they have
played
a large part in shaping the musical destinies of the world.
From the twelfth to the seventeenth
century is a long gap, and music
underwent many changes during this period. After the passing of the
minstrel knights, popular music fades out
of sight. That it had an
existence, however, is amply proven. The Jongleurs must have continued
long after their masters were stamped out, for their direct successors
are with us to-day, and our hand-organ is the descendant of their
fearful and wonderful organistrum. The entire school of English
national
music saw its palmiest days during this epoch. Even on the Continent,
the great schools of contrapuntists delighted to show their skill by
employing as their cantus firmus, or chief part, some well-known
popular
song, such as "L'Homme Armé," for example.
In Germany, the mantle of the
Minnesingers fell upon the guilds of
musical amateurs in the growing commercial cities. Less poetic than
their predecessors, these Mastersingers, as they named themselves,
often
took refuge in arbitrary rules and set metrical forms that made a poor
substitute for real inspiration. That there was some genuine poetic
feeling and humour among them is shown by the work of Hans Sachs, the
greatest of their number. He wrote many poems and plays, of which the
"Fassnachtspiele" were the most popular and the most mirth-provoking.
Contrary to the version of his life given in Wagner's opera, he
succeeded in making a second marriage late in life; and contrary to the
general experience in such cases, the marriage was a happy one, for his
young wife was exceedingly proud of her famous husband. But in the
actual creative work of the Mastersingers woman played no part.
Sacred music and the science of composition
flourished as never before.
There is an appropriate saying that old music was horizontal, while now
it is vertical; and the contrast between the interweaving of parts,
proceeding smoothly together, and our single melodies supported by
massive chords, is aptly illustrated by the remark. This very
interweaving led to a style of music that was extremely complex,
affording chances for intellectual and mathematical skill rather than
emotional fervour. It has been customary to say that this style of
composition was unsuited to women, and to pass over the epoch with the
casual remark that no women composers appear within its limits. But
modern research has shown the futility of this statement.
The records of the Netherland schools
are meagre, so it is to Italy that
we must turn for the earliest examples of skilled women composers. The
first great name is that of Maddalena Casulana, who was born at Brescia
about 1540. Her published compositions took the shape of two volumes of
madrigals, issued in 1568 and 1583. Next in point of time comes
Vittoria
Aleotti, a native of Argenta. Her magnum opus was published at
Venice,
in 1593, under the flowery title, "Ghirlanda dei Madrigali a 4 Voci."
Francesca Baglioncella, born at Perugia in the same century, is another
exponent of the art, while Orsina Vizzani, who first saw the light of
day at Bologna in 1593, not only composed many pieces in this form, but
by playing her own and others' works did much to make it popular with
all music-lovers in Italy.
The year 1600 saw the beginning of
opera, due to the work of Peri and
his Florentine compeers in trying to—
"Revive the just designs of Greece."
Among the early operatic composers is
found the charming and
accomplished Francesca Caccini, daughter of that Giulio Caccini who was
Peri's friend and most formidable rival. Born at Florence in 1581, and
educated in the most thorough manner, she was for many years the idol
of
her native city, not only because of her great talent in singing and
composition, but also on account of the exquisite beauty of her Latin
and Tuscan poetry. Among other musical works by her are two examples of
the new form,—"La Liberazione di Ruggiero" and "Rinaldo
Innamorato,"—both of which are preserved to us. A later composer in the
same field was Barbara Strozzi, whose opera, "Diporti d'Euterpe," was
successfully received at Venice in 1659. In Ricordi's modern collection
of old Italian songs are some charming examples of her skill in other
directions.
In the domain of Italian sacred music,
too, the women were not inactive.
Catterina Assandra, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, wrote
a
number of religious works, of which "Veni Sancte Spiritus," for two
voices, achieved more than passing fame. Margarita Cozzolani and
Lucrezia Orsina Vezzana, both Catholic sisters, won renown by their
motets and other sacred works. Cornelia Calegari, born at Bergamo in
1644, won the plaudits of her nation by her wonderful singing and
organ-playing, as well as by her many compositions. Her first book of
motets was published in her fifteenth year, and met with universal
success. The highest forms possessed no
difficulties for her, and among
her works are several masses for six voices, with instrumental
accompaniment. These names are enough to show that woman was able to
hold her own, even in a period when music had apparently banished those
emotional qualities with which she is said to be most in sympathy.
The women of other countries were not
idle in this period of musical
activity. Germany, in spite of her meagre records, can show at least
one
great name. Madelka Bariona, who lived during the sixteenth century,
upheld the musical reputation of her country by publishing seven
five-voiced psalms at Altdorf, in 1586. Bernarda Ferreira de Lacerda
was
of Portuguese nationality. She won great renown by her writings and her
knowledge of languages. Philip II. of Spain wished to entrust her with
the education of his children, but she declined, alleging as her reason
that she wished to devote all her time to study. Many of her manuscript
compositions and musical writings are preserved in the Royal Library at
Madrid.
France can boast of a real genius in
Clementine de Bourges, who was born
at Lyons in the sixteenth century. Such authorities as Mendel and Grove
accord her a rank with the very greatest of her time. She held a high
position among the intellectual leaders of
that day, as much by her
great learning as by her musical skill. She shows complete mastery of
many instruments, and her gifts in composition are amply proven by her
four-part chorus, which can be found in J. Paix's organ collection. Her
career was brought to an untimely end by grief. She was engaged to Jean
de Peyrat, a royal officer, who met his death in a skirmish with the
Huguenots in 1560. Her sorrow at this disaster proved incurable, and
she
died in the next year.
Although the unfortunate Mary, Queen of
Scots, belongs to a more
northern land, the credit of her talents may be fairly accorded to
France, where she received her education. She made no musical attempts
in the more ambitious forms, but wrote many songs, among which "Las! en
mon doux Printemps" and "Monsieur le Provost des Marchands" met with
considerable success in their day.
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