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Listen to the music of woman composers

This list of links is for everyone who is curious about the music of the women composers from my book. I chose the pieces presented here for listening because I think they are really cool. You may notice that there are also many women musicians to listen to and see here –  I think that fits with my book.

Enjoy listening!

Warm regards, Hemma Bach


Spotify Playlist

On Spotify, most of the women composers from my book can be found - unfortunately not always with the pieces I'd most like to share with you. 🎵😉🎶 The selection is still smaller than on YouTube, but it is steadily improving — let's keep searching.

To the playlist


YouTube links to the music of the female composers from the book 

Ethel Smythe (1858-1944) A Fighter for Women's Rights

Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) A Star who Fought for Women in Orchestras

Because swinging is so much fun, here is 'The Swing' by Liza Lehmann. 

Enheduanna (3. Jt. v. Chr.) Humanity's Earliest Author

Unfortunately, I can't give you a link to the music here – we no longer know what it sounded like. 

Beatriz de Dia (12. Jh.) Countess and Trobairitz

Beatriz de Dia: A chantar m'er de so q'ieu no voldria

Maria Theresia Paradis (1759-1824) A Blind Composer

Overture to the opera "The School Candidate," performed by the Women's Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. 

Margaret Brandman (*1951) "Let's heal the world with music"

Firestorm Symphony, Love Brings Change (Adagio for Strings), Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra  

Edna Mae Burnam (1907-2007) Gymnastics on the Keyboard

Whirling Leaves, performed by Anna Thompson 

Barbara Heller (*1936) The Joy of Sound  

Lalai, performed by Klara Flohr

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) The First Symphony by an American Woman

Symphony in E minor "Gaelic Symphony" Op. 32, Ulster Orchestra, Conductor JoAnn Falletta 

Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953) The First African-American Woman known as a Classical Composer 

Violin Concerto No. 2, performed by Kelly Hall-Tompkins

Elisabetta de Gambarini (1730-1765) Musician and Painter

Etudes for Harpsichord, mixed with Italian and English Songs Op.2, performed by Barbara Harbach 

Alice Tegnér (1864-1943) Songs for Church and Children  

Under the conductor Cecilia Rydinger, the male choir Orphei Drängar from Uppsala sings many songs by Alice Tegner (the first is the melody of Baa, Baa, White Lamb). 

Jelena Fabianowna Gnessina (1874-1967) Founder of a Music School

A selection of pieces from the Piano ABC, played by Sandra Mogensen from the great project pianomusicshewrote.com.

Anna Bon di Venezia (1738-1767?) From Venice to the World

Divertimento in D minor Op. 3, No. 3, performed by Umbach and consorts 

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) Daring Leaps

Ordo Virtutum, from the film about Hildegard von Bingen by Margarethe von Trotta 

Josepha Barbara Auernhammer (1758-1820) Vienna Classicism had Women, too!

Josepha Auernhammer, Violin Sonata in C major - performed by Anna Okada and Gabriel Merrill-Steskal on period instruments

Germaine Coulpied-Sevestre (1897-1985) French Professor of Piano

An Etude by Germaine Coulpied-Sevestre.

Mélanie Hélène Bonis (1858-1937) Impressionism

A septet for piano, two flutes, and string quartet by Mel Bonis, performed by Le Cameriste Ambrosiane. 

Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) Love and Joy

"Canada Mosaics" (Introduction and three folk songs) by Jean Coulthard

Emilie Luise Friederika Mayer (1812-1883) From Vienna Classicism to Early Romanticism

Emilie Mayer, Symphony n° 1, Laurence Equilbey & Insula orchestra

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) The Struggle for Equal Pay

Nonet in E-flat major Op. 38, performed by the Capella Coloniensis (founded in 1954 as the world's first original-instrument orchestra)

Margaret Rizza (*1929) Music as Prayer

Calm me lord, live performed at the Newman University Church, Dublin

Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847-1935) "No Life without Harmony"

Corta-Jaca by Chiquinha Gonzaga, performed by Lysia Condé

Nina Michailowna Batschinskaja (1906-1984) A Search

"The Old Cuckoo Clock" by Nina Bachinskaja - in the meantime, the publisher has added the full name, making it clear that this is a composition by a woman.

Shirley Graham Du Bois (1896-1977) Fighting for a Better World

The opera Tom-Tom in a concert version - I especially like 'Come with me' from 7:18.

Anonyma The Hidden Women

Anonymous Italian Ciaccona del Paradiso e del Inferno performed by L'Arpeggiata under Christina Pluhar with countertenor Philippe Jaroussky.

Kōda Nobu (1870-1946) From Japan to Vienna and Back

Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor

Andrea Holzer-Rhomberg (*1970) Music Always Sounds Different

Mosquito Dance, performed by Les Ministrings 

Iris Sangüesa (*1933) Folk Music and Offbeat Sounds

A snippet from Iris Sangüesa's 'Cuarteto de Maderas', which I find super quirky. 

Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709-1758) Composer, Intendant and Musician

"Un certo freddo orrore" from the opera Argenore, singer Josefine Andersson. Wilhelmine of Bayreuth not only composed the music but also contributed to the libretto.

Clara Josephine Wieck-Schumann (1819-1896) A Virtuosa Pianist and Composer

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7, 1st movement Allegro maestoso, performed by Isata Kanneh-Mason, conductor: Holly Mathieson

Hemma Bach (*2017)

Der Gecko