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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
How generations of women pushed boundaries for their right to play the piano
This year's ABC poll of Australia's favourite classical music, the Classic 100, revealed the most entries composed by women ever: 11 works by seven different composers. Every year the poll has a different theme, and it's no surprise that this year's piano theme yielded this result. There is a centuries-long connection of women and the piano since Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the instrument in 1700. From Pride and Prejudice to Bridgerton, our favourite period dramas are sprinkled with scenes of young women playing the piano for themselves, or showing off their talents in company of guests. But women in the 18th and 19th centuries were only encouraged to learn the piano in private while barred from performing in public. When asked about this dichotomy, pianist and ABC Classic's Night Music presenter Sonya Lifschitz explains: "[The barriers] were more of a social and cultural constructs." Lifschitz highlights virtuosos like Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart, Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn who had undeniable talents, but faced limitations because of their gender. Although they are celebrated today, unravelling the social constructs holding them back has taken generations of female pianists and composers. They continue to push boundaries and inspire others to follow their footsteps. Maria Anna Mozart initially received high praise during the family's grand tour of Europe. One newspaper described Mozart as "a girl 11 years of age who can perform on the harpsichord or the fortepiano the most difficult sonatas and concertos by the greatest masters." But Mozart, who remained a dedicated pianist throughout her life, didn't attain the recognition achieved by her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus. By the age of 15, her performing career was over. She continued to teach the piano and compose after her marriage, but none of her music survived. "When her husband died, [Mozart] went back to performing," Lifschitz says. "And I think she was an absolute role model for people like Clara Schumann." When Scottish pianist Susan Tomes collated the biographies of 50 pianists in a work titled Women And The Piano, she found many examples of women who had to hide their potential. It happened to Fanny Mendelssohn, older sister of Felix Mendelssohn. Although she received the same musical education as her brother, her father told Mendelssohn that: Mendelssohn organised and performed in private "Sunday afternoon" concerts held in her own home for many years. She couldn't play in public, but she eventually published her compositions under her own name rather than using her brother's. Tomes's book mentions other examples of brilliant achievers, from early adopters of the instrument to a woman who escaped the guillotine to take up a post as professor of the advanced piano class in Paris. Most of these women led musical lives in the privacy of their homes and social circles. It was Sara Levy, a great aunt of the Mendelssohn siblings, among others, who instilled their love for J.S. Bach's music. Levy studied with one of Bach's sons and regularly featured his music in her private concerts. At 14, Fanny Mendelssohn could play all of Bach's preludes and Fugues from memory. A contemporary of Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, claimed the spotlight as a concert pianist for herself after making her debut at the age of nine and performing public recitals for most of her teenage years. Later, Schumann reforged her career as a concert pianist to support her sick husband and children. "Clara Schumann didn't quite manage to break the barrier of being a composer," Lifschitz reflects. "[Nevertheless], she defied the inertia, prejudices and cultural expectations of her time." A few years younger than Schumann, British pianist Arabella Goddard also achieved professional success, touring as far as Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand in the 1870s. But it was 20th century trailblazers and musicians of colour who opened concert stages and conservatoriums to people from diverse backgrounds. Legendary jazz artist Nina Simone aspired to be America's first black concert pianist. She had to carve her own unique place in the music world because of gender and racial discriminations. Simone studied at the Juilliard School of music in the 1950s, but was subsequently rejected by the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Throughout her life, Simone maintained that the rejection was due to racial prejudice. Despite these barriers, Simone went on to be one of the most iconic jazz artists of her time. Her experience playing in clubs and later involvement in the 1960s civil rights movement cemented her legacy in the music world and in many people's hearts. Reflecting on her own experience moving to Australia from Ukraine, Lifschitz says: Some musicians from diverse backgrounds are still facing routine stereotyping. For Yuja Wang, one of today's leading concert pianists, critical acclaim often comes alongside commentaries about her appearance. Wang's reviews often mix praise about her superb musical skills with her penchant for flamboyant concert dresses. "If a beautiful male pianist wears tight pants, I'm not going to think, 'What's in those pants'?" Wang quipped in an interview with The Guardian in 2017. She added: "If I'm going to get naked with my music, I may as well be comfortable while I'm at it." On the flip side, Lifschitz says: "I think audiences [today] are treating women much more as equal in terms of artistry and musicianship." The history of the Classic 100 certainly bears this out. When we asked audiences to vote for their favourite piano music in 2004, only Euphemia Allan's Chopsticks made the cut to the top 100. In 2025, music by composers of yesteryear such as Clara Schumann, as well as living Australian composers including Sally Whitwell, Elena Kats-Chernin and Nat Bartsch, made the list of Australia's favourite piano music. We've come a long way when it comes to recognising talent irrespective of gender or other attributes, Lifschitz says. But she warns people not to get complacent. Audiences and artists have a role to ensure anyone can pursue their dream to become a pianist, Lifschitz says. Stream The Piano free on ABC iview or watch Sundays at 7:30pm on ABC TV. Find out all the results of the Classic 100: Piano and relive your favourite moments on ABC Classic and the ABC listen app.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Shayne O'Cass: Canterbury, Grafton King's Birthday Monday tips, inside mail
Form analyst Shayne O'Cass presents his best bets, value selection and quaddie picks for metropolitan racing at Canterbury on King's Birthday Monday, plus his tips for Grafton. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! â– â– â– â– â– CANTERBURY BEST BET Saves her absolute best for this track and distance. Blue-blooded Godolphin colt and his trials suggest talent. VALUE Race 7 No. 6: Flying Destiny Boasts some compelling track and fresh figures; light weight too. QUADDIE RACE 5: 2,5,6 Race 6: 3,9,11 Race 7: 6,11 Race 8: 2 $18 = 100 per cent of the dividend JOCKEY TO FOLLOW James McDonald is on 197 winners at Canterbury. RACE 1 Cabriole is the first foal of Thousand Guineas and Light Fingers winner, Flit. This colt is straight off the Lonhro-assembly line and like all of them, he moves like a panther. Nice colt. All eyes are on Central Coast here; the $1.4 million Inglis Australian Easter Yearling by Wootton Bassett out of Sunlight. Turned in two beautiful trials ahead of this much anticipated debut. Cosmonaut has race experience. Expecting him to be strong late here. Bet: Cabriole  to win, Cosmonaut  to place, exacta 2 to beat 3. RACE 2 British Gem can be forgiven for her underwhelming debut at Newcastle on May 3 given it was a heavy (10) track. Has only seen heavy ground in all of her trials and the one race start so suspecting that she will appreciate it a bit firmer. The Pearls has 'Oaks/Cups type' in her blood – literally – as a member of a prized family that boasts The Phantom, The Phantom Chance, The Twinkle, The Dimple and so many more. Be strong late here. Bet: British Gem each-way, quinella. Lady Boss has three wins and five placings from 12 starts. She has mixed and matched it with better horses than these. One start for one easy win here. Blue Willow is the fifth foal of Anamato which makes this filly a half-sister to Anamoe. This will be Anamoe's jockey James McDonald's first ride on Blue Willow in what is her city debut. All three runs were at Newcastle, each one better than the last. Bet: Lady Boss to win, exacta 2 to beat 10. RACE 4 Gatchan is a Norm Gardner-trained mare whose fourth dam is Who Can Say; the mother of Bounding Away. Gatchan has a get back, run on pattern which hasn't always helped and granted, is least presumably effective at Canterbury but she passed a lot of horses here the other day. Gatchan gets almost 10kg off Monarch's Brae but this Chris Waller and James McDonald topweight is working his way to a peak. He's a Canterbury horse having won four from nine here. Bet: Gatchan each-way, quinella 1,8. Gatekeeper is another James McDonald ride. He's one for one on Gatekeeper which was set aside after an impressive win here on debut in mid-January. He's a gelding but still can marvel at his pedigree being by Justify out of Nakeeta Jane. Trialled well, nice horse. Dashing Eagle descendant Hippolyte Rock was ridden by Tommy Berry when he won at Newcastle in March and he's there again today which is a positive lead. Bet: Gatekeeper to win, box First 4: Nos, 2,5,6,9,11. Apex has raced seven times for two wins, three seconds and a third. That third was behind Caulfield Guineas winner Private Life on debut. The Hawkes Racing gelding has finished runner-up in all three visits to Canterbury, two were at this same trip. Metaphorically has been gelded since he last appeared. Lightly raced, has deep form and the trials are excellent. Wave Breaker 's best would be good enough to win. Bet: Apex to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 3, 2nd Leg 2. Flying Destiny has five wins and 10 placings (seven of them seconds) from 21 career starts. On top of that, the Darby Racing galloper has raced at Canterbury three times for two wins and a second. He's always been a good fresh horse and the trials are suggestive of a bold return (as usual). Expecting a much better run, a more typical run in fact, from World Alliance. That was a very wet track there first-up for him at home. Won a trial since. Pink Shalala boasts the 1980 Golden Slipper winner, Dark Eclipse, as her sixth dam. Her numbers are impressive; nine runs, one win, four second and two thirds. Her record at this track and trip is three starts for a win and two seconds. Granted, it is not all lollipops and roses; she has been a bit costly at times for punters but barrier 4, James McDonald, third-up – really, she has to step up this time. Bonus Tempus could run well here at big odds as he is prone to do on occasions. Bet: Punk Shalala to win (best bet). â– â– â– â– â– BEST BET Both runs, either side of the spell, have had merit. Hasn't done much wrong and was good first-up here too. VALUE Dundeel three-year-old that seems eager to get a mile. Does now.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Confused about the price': Sydney mum's $13,000 act divides online
A Sydney woman has caused a divide by sharing how she accidentally spent $13,000 on shoes during a cost-of-living crisis. Elle Salagaras, 29, lives in Sydney and runs the popular TikTok account Eastern Suburbs Mum, which has racked up over 2 million likes. While many influencers, particularly mums, build their audience on being relatable, Ms Salagaras instead shares her affluent life with followers. Instead of going with the warts and all social media overshare approach, the 29-year-old is likelier to share content about her Birkin bag. Naturally, she took to social media to share the moment she spent far more than she bargained for at the luxury store Hermes. Ms Salagaras explained that she decided to purchase a pair of the brand's iconic Chypre Sandals. The starting price for this design is just over $1700, but the cost goes up depending on the material used. The young mum picked up a particularly expensive pair, worth $13,155, made from crocodile and sheep skin. The slides look casual and cosy, not unlike Birkenstocks, but the pair Ms Salagaras purchased cost more than what some people spend on their cars. Ms Salagaras then made a TikTok showing off her new shoes and calling them 'gorg,' but she admitted that she didn't expect to spend that much. After waving the shoes around in front of the camera, she explained that she'd never intended to outlay so much. 'I definitely got very confused about the price, which is my fault. I had heard one number … so embarrassing,' she said. Ms Salagaras said she already had them on her feet when she went to the checkout because she planned to wear them out of the store. When she heard the price, she was thrown, but she just said, 'It's fine,' and bought them anyway. 'We are committing to the shoe. I should have known Hermes,' she said. Ms Salagaras didn't mention how much they cost, but people looked them up and quickly expressed their shock. 'The price. I'm dead,' one wrote. 'The price! Oh my god,' another said. It wasn't just people freaking out over the price, people were also sharing how much they loved the shoes. One praised them as 'so pretty,' and another called them 'stunning,' but others just couldn't get over how much she spent on the sandals. Someone called it 'ridiculous' to spend that much, another called her sharing her expensive shoes 'embarrassing,' and others just claimed the shoes were 'ugly' and certainly not worth the price tag. 'What utter nonsense,' one complained. 'No footwear is worth that amount of money,' someone else argued. 'So many people starving in Australia and she goes and buys these (because) she makes heaps of money from her 52,000 followers. Disgusting,' another complained. Someone else said it was 'tone-deaf' for her to post about spending that much on shoes, and another claimed she was 'showing off,' which they found offensive. Meanwhile, Ms Salagaras wasn't letting the negative feedback get her down. She posted a TikTok of herself dancing with her $13,000 sandals to the tune of Britney Spears.
