Theories of how gender may influence music have developed Essay Example

that women are raised with and unknowingly embrace; however, this issue extends beyond just women. Men also face the challenge of defying stereotypical notions of masculine and feminine behavior in various situations. Nevertheless, women encounter greater difficulties as they tend to exhibit traits like low self-esteem, high anxiety, and limited social acceptance due to societal expectations. The culture's perception of women as passive, seen as a sign of mental well-being, has resulted in men dominating the roles of artistic creators and evaluators of musical analysis. It is essential to dismantle these prevailing stereotypes.

Gisela Ecker cautioned about a potential scenario that could have occurred if musicological thinking continued to accept the existing state of affairs: ... female artists will either have to struggle for recognition in the realm of 'Art' or form self-contained realms of art exclusively for women, unless they want to be completely silenced. This underscores the necessity of feminist theory in music. In the ensuing essay, my goal is to analyze two main areas of study, specifically Susan McClary and Marcia Citron's individual research on the establishment of a musical canon and their ideas on sonata form and tonality. I will complement this investigation by incorporating insights from recent feminist discussions on essentialism and societal constructions of gender.

I will conclude by examining how feminist musicology has shaped the field of music theory and analysis. In the realm of music, it remains crucial to explore the different factors contributing to the exclusion of individuals from composing or directing. An element of feminist musicology involves investigating and revealing the works of women composers, especially those from the previous century, in order to establish a form

of "compensatory history".

The purpose is to achieve a fair reassessment of "women's historical and contemporary contribution to music" because it is important to include women in music history. Including women not only helps us understand their past role but also supports future women composers. Deliberately excluding women as a significant force in music perpetuates the current male-dominated canon. When women are recognized and their experiences are validated, it challenges patriarchal values in society. It is crucial for women to feel confident and liberated, just like men do when they explore their own past and find themselves at the center. Feminist musicology has political implications that some women composers may prefer not to be associated with.

Some composers and women in the classical music industry are hesitant to associate themselves with feminist discussions. They worry that such associations will lead to them being identified solely by their gender, rather than being recognized for their musical accomplishments. Women composers particularly desire their work to be evaluated based on its quality and contribution to the established musical tradition, rather than being characterized by symbols of feminism or their gender. Their aim is not to create compositions that emphasize their gender identity, but instead, they strive to maintain a presence within the traditionally male-dominated field of classical music. Gisela Ecker supports this perspective while acknowledging an opposing viewpoint that argues for a thorough consideration of gender in all artistic explorations.

Many of the women artists I have met express an urgent demand that gender be treated as irrelevant or at least marginal. Throughout history, women artists have faced the challenge of seemingly gender-neutral but actually male-dominated 'Art', leading to their work

being labeled as 'women's art' and burdened with stereotypes. These "women artists" have valid concerns about their work being seen as 'different' and marginalized based on their gender, rather than being judged on its artistic, aesthetic, or intrinsic value. However, it is a well-known fact that the musical profession and canon carry strong male associations, to the point where the term 'composer' automatically implies 'written by a male' and all the gender-related implications that come with it. Discussing this issue in favor of feminist thought is a delicate and deeply personal matter. Nevertheless, it is evident that creating lasting change in our society and culture requires addressing how women's status has been diminished over time.

The perpetual invisibility of women in music is not an inevitable aspect of life that should be accepted and endured. It is crucial for women to take action against this notion instead of surrendering their talents. Oftentimes, they are engulfed by patriarchal culture and learn that it is simpler to conform rather than resist. This does not stem from an inherent characteristic of women, but rather from cultural conditioning that encourages them to avoid confrontation. Consequently, women are less likely to assertively advocate for their music. Embracing a feminist perspective is necessary to alter attitudes, not only among a few biased individuals but throughout society as a whole. Traditional concepts of music have deep roots in patriarchal values and were prevalent in the field of musicology and music theory prior to the emergence of the critical approach introduced by new musicology. However, feminism does not claim to have magically solved all problems or make the task easy.

Within the following text, I

will outline the different approaches taken by key theorists in addressing the various issues that have arisen in feminist thought concerning music. In her book, Feminine Endings, Susan McClary offers a thought-provoking examination of sexuality and gender in a range of music styles including classical, contemporary, and popular music. McClary's work delves into the 'sexual politics' associated with these styles and challenges the notion that music should be viewed as universally abstract. She emphasizes the importance of analyzing the portrayal of women in well-established works and recognizing the contributions of women composers. McClary also highlights the gendered aspects of musical signification, particularly focusing on tonality and sonata form which are often associated with concepts of autonomy and 'absolute music'. Like other theorists such as Ecker and Marcia Citron, McClary dismantles the prevailing belief that eighteenth- and nineteenth-century musical forms are inherently gender-neutral or devoid of value judgments.

This passage highlights the significant implications of this position on Western patriarchal society and its construction. This construction mirrors the conventional 'male-female' opposition that feminists and cultural theorists strive to dismantle. Even formal conventions, typically seen as independent, are in fact influenced by social norms; form is an integral part of the content. According to McClary, the gender associations attached to tonality stem from previous associations with similar themes in opera vocal lines. In opera, music complements and connects with verbal or visual representation, while in tone poems, themes take on a specific connotation associated with an image the composer intends to convey. These understood 'codes' or "publicly shared signs" are then extended to instrumental music. In McClary's words: Music has developed its procedures as a way of enhancing

tangible meanings...

The imposition of meanings does not strip away the original meaning. However, a feminist perspective sees the hierarchical nature of autonomous music as representing dominance and submission, power and subservience, strength and weakness. According to McClary's interpretation of Teresa de Lauretis, the sonata form's "narrative agenda" revolves around 'strong' and 'weak' themes. The masculine protagonist must dominate or subdue the feminine Other in order to establish identity and achieve narrative closure. McClary argues that the second subject is inherently feminine due to its position in the sequence. By adopting this universal perspective as a static structure, we disregard the changing nature of the 'female' position throughout history and eliminate differences that feminist theory aims to acknowledge.

McClary does not acknowledge the concept of "complimentary opposition" in eighteenth-century 'sonatas'. In these musical passages, the first and second themes are halves of a whole, complementing each other in the same key. The opposition created is for "immediate local contrast in the same key". However, this does not align with A.B Marx's nineteenth-century belief that these elements have a gendered structural function. McClary's theory depends on this gendered perspective, but it is not applicable to these types of themes because they do not represent a "feminine Other" that is "conquered". Instead, they hold the same functional role as the "masculine theme".

Despite criticisms of McClary's theories, she firmly asserts the gendered nature of forms and structures. In her book Feminine Endings, McClary urges women to consciously reject masculine-oriented traditions and styles. One chapter, "Getting Down Off the Beanstalk," especially challenges these norms. Vandervelde's composition Genesis II celebrates childbirth and reacts to her previous music for "Jack and the Beanstalk."

However, Vandervelde found that "the same old phallic images once again reared their ubiquitous heads." This prompted her to explore alternative ways of organizing sound that align more closely with her own values and experiences. McClary interprets the piece as a clockwork depiction of childbirth and female sexuality, opposed by a traditional string section associated with masculinity.

In this passage, the author discusses McClary's interpretation of a piece of music. The author suggests that McClary reduces the notion of 'female' to its biological aspects and presents it as the essence of woman. The author also notes how male and female students reacted differently to the music, with women recognizing elements of female erotic pleasure while men perceived a sense of void. Despite disavowing essentialism in her writing, McClary still interprets the piece in terms of male and female, albeit with inverted gestures. This reinforces essentialist readings, which both McClary and Vandervelde encourage.

McClary appears to acknowledge this point but defends the approach by arguing that it provides an opportunity for a woman composer to engage with and question the established male discourse. By doing so, she is able to adopt a new perspective from which she can envision alternative narrative structures. Elizabeth Sayrs points out another problematic aspect: the language used by McClary reveals a lot. Her female students associate the clockwork with female erotic pleasure, not just because it is circular and can be linked to a specific form of female sexuality, but because it embodies female erotic pleasure itself. This raises the question: how do women recognize this pleasure? How can they identify it if they have never encountered it before? McClary suggests that we

are constantly exposed to and begin to identify with and desire the male phallic economy in music from our earliest experiences with cartoons. Sayrs argues that McClary's writing essentializes sexual intercourse, portrays it solely as opposing and heterosexual, and uses it as the foundation for all human expression.

The concept of a sex that is liberated from a phallic construct, or the idea of a distinctly feminine sexual pleasure that is fundamentally different from phallic sexuality, fails to acknowledge how traditional power dynamics continue to shape women's sexuality, even within the context of supposedly liberated heterosexuality or lesbianism. The use of a female musical structure like the clockwork pattern in Genesis II seems to support patriarchal composition structures that feminist musicology is actively seeking to dismantle. It is now quite easy to critique Feminine Endings. While we recognize its significant influence when it first appeared, feminist musicology has quickly embraced theory to the point where the book now appears outdated. Interestingly, this actually reflects well on McClary; the debate sparked by Feminine Endings among feminists (who should not be seen as a single homogeneous group), musicologists, and music theorists ensured that valuable progress was made at a rapid pace.

The importance of how McClary's postulations are interpreted is significant. Is she proposing a new, somewhat crude, system of musical interpretation for women to rigorously embrace in order to improve their societal standing? Or are her ideas more experimental and exploratory? The assertiveness of her writing suggests the former; however, it was necessary for McClary to adopt an authoritative tone to ensure her ideas were taken seriously. The risk is that readers, both those familiar and unfamiliar with

feminist thought, may mistakenly perceive McClary's views as definitive of feminism due to the forceful and accessible nature of her work. In her book Gender and the Musical Canon, Marcia Citron appears to have learned from McClary's approach by presenting her ideas in a less confrontational manner. Citron carefully delineates her territory and adopts a more cautious tone in order to avoid the kind of philosophical clashes witnessed in Pieter van den Toorn's response to Feminine Endings.

In contrast to McClary, Citron takes a different approach and does not offer a definitive philosophical stance. However, she does encourage scholarly participation more so than McClary does in her writing. Another area of comparison between McClary and Citron is their critique of sonata form from a gender perspective, specifically in relation to the Piano Sonata op. cile Chaminade (1857-1944). Like McClary, Citron suggests that a female composer who is aware of the gender connotations in sonata form may choose a different approach in presenting her work. Instead of creating a feminist 'role reversal' like Genesis II, Citron carefully analyzes how Chaminade adopts a non-hierarchical approach in composing a sonata movement and how this challenges a key driving force of sonata form.

Both Citron and McClary discuss the 'anxiety of authorship' experienced by women composers and its implications. Citron develops a non-prescriptive methodology for analyzing works by women composers, which can also be applied to other composers. Citron also explores the idea that the musical canon can be shaped and transformed by our collective and individual desires, stressing the importance of recognizing diverse practices. However, she does not offer a specific method for achieving this, leaving room for suggestions rather

than rigid formulas. It is important to note that the formation of a musical 'canon' is a relatively recent phenomenon, as value judgements have been imposed on centuries worth of music.

The marginalization of both female and male composers who do not conform to the traditional values of greatness is a pressing issue. There are strong arguments advocating for the revision of priorities and values in reforming the canon to include marginalized male composers. The current criterion for inclusion, based on a narrow and masculine view of greatness, needs to be revised and redefined. While musicology has been slow in embracing feminist perspectives, the sister discipline of music theory has lagged even further behind, holding onto traditional values and ideology. According to Rosemary Killiam, the absence of analytical work on compositions by women can be attributed to the lack of female role models and mentors in the field.

Despite recognizing women as composers, these theorists are more likely to select compositions from their early role models and mentors to demonstrate twentieth-century techniques. Justin London supports this perspective by explaining that music theorists have expertise in specific types of musical analysis and naturally apply those methods to the music they come across. Therefore, they tend to focus on examining those musical "patients" that align best with their specialized methodologies.

The advancements in feminist musicology following Feminine Endings have been significant. One noteworthy contribution is the adoption of an interdisciplinary approach that was previously feared by music theorists. This approach has been instrumental in promoting a new perspective on music theory, one that is more inclusive of gender considerations and incorporates methodologies that better reflect the musical practices of the

past century. Killiam highlights the numerous positive aspects of feminist music theory, including its ability to incorporate supplementary ideas such as recognizing the contextual influences of culture and history, as well as embracing subjectivity.

They can be supportive of diversity and individual experience. The new musicology has given music theory the opportunity to reconsider their discipline from a new standpoint rather than merely resisting any critique of its principles. Music theory as a whole is starting to realize that by acknowledging that music is closely linked with socio-cultural concerns, it can also accept a wider range of cultural contexts while still maintaining the commitment to interpreting the score. The overall conclusion from these investigations is that it is necessary to fearlessly venture into new areas and be receptive to new ideas and perspectives. This is essential in order to bring about meaningful change.