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ABC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
From child prodigy to concert pianist: the extraordinary life of Clara Wieck Schumann
Most women in 19th-century Europe were encouraged to learn the piano as a way to attract husbands, but it was never intended that they would pursue a career in music. Despite these constraints, Clara Wieck Schumann became a concert pianist and composer. "She was really a pioneer with so many things," says Australian pianist Andrea Lam, one of the judges in the new ABC iview series The Piano. Many are still inspired by Schumann's life story and music today. Born in Leipzig, Germany in 1819, Schumann made her debut when she was nine years old. She later married fellow pianist and composer Robert Schumann, becoming his musical partner and staunchest advocate. After her husband's death, Schumann supported her family by touring as a concert pianist, teaching students and mentoring younger composers. Some became lifelong friends. Clara Schumann's father, Friedrich Wieck, was a self-taught musician who sold pianos and ran a music-lending library. Her mother was a well-known singer and pianist as well as Schumann's first teacher. When the couple separated, Schumann remained under her father's custody. Wieck devised his own methods to teach the piano, and Schumann was his model student, who he used to shore up his reputation. Her daily routine was planned to the minute. Wieck would give his daughter a one-hour lesson on the piano as well as violin, singing, theory, harmony, composition, and counterpoint. On top of this, Schumann was expected to do an extra two-hours practise on her own. In later life, Schumann wrote: "[My father] was exceedingly strict, that he reprimanded me when I deserved it and in so doing, prevented me from becoming arrogant from the praise the world showered on me." Her future husband Robert Schumann was impressed with Schumann's talent after seeing her perform as a nine-year-old. He took lessons from her father, living in their house for a year. By her mid-teens, Schumann had toured all over Europe to perform piano recitals under her father's management. "Recitals, where people bought tickets to hear a pianist or [other instrumentalists] perform in a public auditorium, were a new concept in the 19th century," says Andrew Ford,host of The Music Show. Schumann was admired for her musical interpretations, which she played from memory, unlike most of her fellow performers. One Austrian poet even wrote a poem called "Clara Wieck and Beethoven" after hearing her play the Appassionata Piano Sonata. Schumann's relationship with her father broke down when he refused to give her permission to marry Robert Schumann, resulting in months-long legal battles. The young couple won their case in court and married a day before Schumann's 21st birthday in 1840. Schumann premiered her first piano concerto at the age of 16 under the baton of renowned composer Felix Mendelssohn. After their marriage, Robert and Clara collaborated musically for many years. But Robert's physical and mental health deteriorated soon after. Touring to Russia in 1844 exhausted him. As Robert continued to decline, Clara began to take the role of the family's breadwinner through performing and teaching. Robert committed himself to a mental asylum in 1854 and died two years later, leaving Clara a single mother of seven children. Schumann reforged her earlier career as a concert pianist, giving public performances at home and overseas. Ford says: "The idea that you can buy a ticket to sit in a large auditorium listening to a great pianist play Bach or Beethoven owes a lot to Clara Schumann." Schumann was the first performer for many of her husband's compositions. In later life, she premiered many piano pieces by Johannes Brahms, who became a close friend of the family. There are over 1,300 preserved concert programs which detail the music she performed in recitals between 1831–1889. Although Schumann did much to champion other composer's music, even making them staples of classical music concerts, her own compositions were rarely performed after her death. But Schumann is far from being forgotten. In Germany, there are streets named after her in Berlin, Leipzig and other cities. Before the introduction of the Euro in 2002, Schumann was featured in one of Germany's notes for the 100 Deutsche Mark. "She's not lost, but I think she needed to be rediscovered," says British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. To mark Schumann's 200 birthday in 2019, Kanneh-Mason recorded an album of her music, including the piano concerto Schumann premiered as a young woman. That same year, her birth town in Leipzig organised a festival to honour her life and music. The town had a memorial plaque to mark the place where she was born, and her marital home is now a museum and music school dedicated to both Clara and Robert Schumann. Kanneh-Mason was inspired by Schumann's life story when she chose to record her music. "Not only did she manage to sustain a long and demanding concert career, she also raised a large family and dealt with inconceivable tragedies," Kanneh-Mason says. Schumann also has a young torch-bearer in ABC iview's The Piano. Just like Schumann, "I practise everyday," says 12-year-old Stefania, one of the younger performers in the series. "I think of the piano as an extension of my soul and body," Stefania says. After wowing judges Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam with her flawless performance of Bach's English Suite No. 2, Stefania was invited to perform for the Finale concert. Stefania performs music by Clara Schumann in The Piano's finale, mentored by Lam, who herself was a prodigy, debuting with the Sydney Symphony aged just 13. "It's really important to be able to identify with your idols and with people that you respect," Lam says. Stream The Piano free on ABC iview or watch Sundays at 7:30pm on ABC TV. Vote for your favourite piano music in the Classic 100: Piano and hear what made the top 100 across June 7 and 8 on ABC Classic and the ABC listen app.
Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Jane Eyre review — Brontë's heroine and her demons will hook you in
Cathy Marston is a dab hand at fashioning dramatic narrative ballets from disparate sources. In the past, the British choreographer, who is director of Ballet Zurich, has found inspiration from literature, including adaptations of Ibsen and Dickens, and biography, in dances based on the lives of Clara Schumann, Jacqueline du Pré and Queen Victoria. Marston's full-length take on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre premiered at Northern Ballet in 2016, subsequently entering the repertoires of prominent ballet companies in America and Germany. Presented at Sadler's Wells this week as part of a UK tour ending later this month in Norwich, Northern's revival reminds us of what a good — and sometimes very good — piece of mainstream art it is. Set to Philip Feeney's blend of original
