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thursday.
Also now unofficially known as "female composers day".
I've gathered a few of my favourite pieces by female composers below the cut. Small commentary to each, speaking as completely unknowledgeable in classical music. Just a random listener.
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979), British-American composer.
I just really love this passacaglia! It's so intense and suspenseful and the dialogue between the viola and the piano is kind of intimate and definitely intense. I also really enjoyed this particular performance and must say that I generally prefer the viola to the violin in terms of timbre and sound. (Unpopular opinion, probably).
Amy Beach (1867-1944), American composer.
I think this is one of my favourite pieces for the piano that I've heard. I just really love the changes in atmosphere and the calm, serene, yet also very powerful imagery it creates in my mind. It has a thoughtful air to it, but also something stronger and more "active" somehow than just thought, like the shift between word and action.
Clara Schumann (1819-1896), German composer.
I'm not well-versed in chamber music, but I really enjoy this piece. I think Clara has a really explosive style and parts of it reminds me of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, but at the same time it feels very light on the ear which I like a lot.
Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (1805-1847), German composer.
The Year is another favourite piano composition of mine and I love all the months, though some in particular. September has always been one of my favourites, along with January. I think I like the Mendelssohn grandeur that Fanny has, though she makes it her very own that isn't at all like her brother's. Her style is distinct. I wish she got recognised more widely today.
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944), French composer.
I adore this piece, I won't lie. I think it's single-handedly one of the most delightful pieces of piano music I've ever heard and that counts everything Chopin did, which I also love. It's quirky and flimsical and changes its tempo all the time, you can't pin it down. I love that.
Mélanie Chasselon (1845-1923), French composer.
This nocturne is soooooo beautiful and reminds me of John Field at his best. It's peak romantic period and holds all the elements that I love from both Field's and Chopin's nocturnes. I can listen to it over and over and over. It brings out the calmest and most relaxed state in my mind.