< PreviousJOURNAL OF THE IAWM27 CW: What made your record label different? OM: In the beginning, we were really lucky because we released three CDs: British Women Composers Volume 1 [LNT101], Villa-Lobos’ Chamber and Choral Music [LNT102], and British Women Composers Volume 2 [LNT103]. We applied for a grant in the early days of the Arts Council, and we got it. It cov- ered the first three releases. After that, we slowly gathered bits and pieces of funding. Often, if we work in collabo- ration with a university, the university might contribute financially. Now there are other foundations that contribute, such as the RVW Trust, which sup- ports projects on British composers. The Ambache Charitable Trust con- tributes to a lot of projects on women composers. We’ve never been awarded particularly large amounts, but every little bit helps. CW: Of the three categories you mentioned, which do you think is the most important area of focus for LORELT? Is there much overlap between categories? OM: I think women composers because a lot of the Latin American composers are women, and many of the con- temporary composers are women. Women composers overlap into every- thing else—even though we still record lots of Latin American music. Look at Silvina Milstein: she’s a living com- poser, a woman composer, and she’s Latin American. That wasn’t why we chose her; we chose her because we liked her music. She’s a first-class composer and fits in with LORELT’s ethos but is not well known. CW: How did those categories develop? Because I know that you’ve more recently branched out into piano music, choral music, and instrumental music. OM: That was because some of the composers specialize in piano—some of the Latin American composers, for example [Carlos] Guastavino, who’s a very well-known composer, but little known here [in the UK]…and Latin American performers, like Alma Petchersky, who’s done a couple of CDs [LNT106, LNT120]. We’re planning to do a CD of Fanny Mendelssohn, and she [Petchersky] actually went to the State Museum in Berlin and found scores that have never been recorded before. The recording is going to be coming out, hopefully this year. We need to get enough money to release CDs. Now, we can start with small quantities. We’re very lucky because our distributors have a spe- cial machine in their own production factory, so if somebody orders 100 CDs, they can make just 100, which is very useful. It’s all about the advance of technology. They’ve also just bought a huge machine that makes LPs. If you look at most of the stores in this country that sell CDs, the biggest ones are those that also sell LPs. There are almost more sales of LPs than CDs! We pursue projects that we believe in, not because we’re trying to ride on the back of Florence Price—we planned that CD long before the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum, and we recorded it in the middle of a national lockdown. Things we believe in are becoming things that other people believe in, too, or that people want to support, so, for the first time, we’re breaking even. Let’s hope it lasts! CW: Chachi, you’re a high-profile conductor and a composer, and this is how you were probably best known 30 years ago. How easily did you take to the LORELT recording and production role? OM: It’s a divided role. We’ve recorded a lot for the BBC and quite a few other countries; as a result, we know how to record. Once you have the recording, it’s just a matter of project management. Originally, we had an administrator, but we really couldn’t afford one, so now I oversee production. I’m the middle person. The performer sends me the program notes; I send them to the designer. The recording engineer sends the master; we send it to the production company. We have a very good publicist, Nicky Thomas Media Consultancy. We send her the infor- mation about our releases, and she publicizes it. The publicity we’ve had for the Florence Price recording has been amazing. And it looks like we’re also getting a lot of publicity for our latest release, Black Renaissance Woman [LNT145; Figure 2]. We were pressing a small number of CDs very quickly, because we had to get it out—can you imagine recording in December and releasing it at the end of February? That’s an impressive turnaround for a record label—it usually takes a year and a half. So, at the moment, we’ve only pressed a few to send to the pub- licist, but now we’re pressing more. CW: We were speaking about how LORELT championed certain types of neglected music years in advance of others. But you were ahead of the curve in other respects as well: you were the first independent classical label to offer .mp3 downloads. How did you come to recognize so early a trend that has become hugely important in the music industry? OM: As soon as I saw that you could get music in .mp3 format, I went for it. The trend started in America, and I said: Why don’t we offer downloads on our site? That was before we joined Zebralution [a leading digital distrib- utor for independent record labels]. (Zebralution uses .wav files, rather than .mp3.) Zebralution heard about us, and they are now our digital world- wide distributors—they sell our music all over the world….[T]hey send us spreadsheets identifying who bought Figure 2. Album cover of Black Renaissance Woman, SamanthaEge, piano28VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 which titles and which digital files, including the big-name companies such as Amazon and Spotify. CW: During LORELT’s 30 years, what types of artists have you worked with? OM: We’ve worked with pianists, the BBC singers, and orchestras, such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Originally, the purpose was to pro- mote Lontano and the composers, but as we began to grow, we started finding people who I really wanted to be in the recordings, and we began to add new people….If you plan well in advance, and you raise the money, you can do it. We’re very grateful for our supporters [as mentioned above]…. Recording is expensive. Letting us use the wonderful recording studio at the University of Surrey, with two beautiful pianos, is real support. The Florence Price CD [LNT144 3 ] and the latest release [LNT145] were recorded at the University of Surrey and were distributed all over the world. CW: Are there any other discs within LORELT’s catalogue that you would consider to be particularly notable, or which stand out for you in some way? OM: I personally feel in touch with the first three [LNT101–3], the Maconchy CDs [LNT127, LNT133], and the Ginastera CD of piano music [LNT106], which is so beautifully done. At the same time as we did our Ginastera CD, somebody else also did it. The critics compared them, and they regarded our recording very highly because the pia- nist [Alma Petchersky] knew how to interpret the music. All of LORELT’s recordings are important to me. Of course, the Florence Price CD is very important, and the next one [LNT145], which includes Margaret Bonds [amongst other composers]. I think Bonds is phenomenal. Her Spiritual Suite opens the new CD; the last movement is absolutely extraordinary—the bass sounds like African drums, and [pianist] Samantha [Ege] does it so well. 3See Christopher Wiley and Samantha Ege, “Women in Music on the Record: The Liza Lehmann, Ethel Smyth, and Florence Price Sessions at the University of Surrey,” Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music 27/1 (2021): 25–29. CW: Which of LORELT’s discs have sold particularly well, and why do you think that was? OM: The Villa-Lobos CDs [LNT102] and works on LNT112 and LNT115 sell very well, and the Boulez CD [LNT108, which includes Le Marteau sans maître, the first commercial recording not conducted by the composer]. It also depends on the country: in America, the Latin American music has always sold well [such as] the music recorded by [pianist] Clélia Iruzun, which is mostly Brazilian. CW: You’ve mentioned sales in America, and I know you have an American distributor and also an Antipodean one. Where else in the world are your recordings sold? OM: Everywhere. We’ve got a British distributor, Trapeze Music, who also sells directly to Europe….People buy the music from our website, and digital downloads are worldwide. CW: In addition to selling through physical formats and digital downloads, has LORELT’s catalogue received much radio airplay? OM: Yes, a lot. Tom Quick in Toronto, Canada [who broadcasts the radio show “Women in Music” on The Grand 101.1 FM] plays many of our recordings. Radio France recently wrote…that they would like to broadcast some Florence Price, and we sent them a CD. We sent .wav files to Sweden. In the UK, you hear our music played over and over again. In Latin America, there’s a big movement in Uruguay and Argentina to promote the work of women com- posers. They don’t have the facilities that we have, and they don’t have the money to buy the CDs, so I often send them the .wav files, and they play them on the radio. Also in Israel, [conductor and radio music editor] Talia Ilan has a program on opera, and she’s been broadcasting a lot of women com- posers; she even played the CD of my music [LNT130]. The BBC also plays bits and pieces of my music as well. We’re getting a great deal of radio play. CW: Other than those you’ve already mentioned, has LORELT had any other notable supporters? OM: Sadly, the Arts Council doesn’t support CD recordings any more. The Amphion Foundation in America, for example, supports our concerts. We benefit from a lot of foundations, but very few American foundations sup- port just CDs, but they often support concerts. Since the music has already been rehearsed, you can record it after the concert, which is a lot cheaper, since the rehearsal is paid for already. CW: I know that the images used on LORELT’s album covers are chosen very carefully. Could you tell us a little more about that? Are there any particularly notable album covers? OM: LNT114, a recording of three string quartets, including one by [Ethel] Smyth featuring her on the front cover. (See Figure 3.) Often the composers offer images to us; for example, for the [forthcoming] Rhian Samuel recording, we have several possible photographs of her. CW: In addition to selling CDs, LORELT has started to offer printed music for purchase as well. How did that come about? OM: Yes, the website is beginning to release publications such as Ethel Smyth’s Serenade in D and, in the near future, her Overture to Anthony and Cleopatra. We were awarded a grant from the Ambache Charitable Trust and engaged two people to edit the Serenade Figure 3. Album cover of Smyth, Beach and Spain-DunkJOURNAL OF THE IAWM29 with myself as the final editor. The two editors copied it, and I made changes because I have performed the Serenade so many times that I knew where the mistakes were. I also edited it shape- wise; for instance, moving a crescendo a little later in the music because I had tried it several times in performance, and it didn’t quite work where it was. I also wrote a six-page preface, including some information on Smyth. The edi- tion is now in its second version, so it is 99.9% mistake-proof. It is inexpensive to purchase; the main cost is postage, and we are the only one offering the music for sale. This is the beginning of a new area of activity for LORELT: selling printed music of works that need to be heard but aren’t widely available. CW: You mentioned earlier that you’ve released a CD of your own compositions on the LORELT label. Do you have any other plans to release your own music in the future? OM: Yes, ASONANCIAS [LNT130]. It is an early chamber work. I’m now begin- ning to collect my early and late works, and I hope to release another CD. CW: Are there any other future projects that are being planned for LORELT? OM: We’re planning a recording that we hope to release this year of music for voice and instruments by Rhian Samuel, with [baritone] Jeremy Huw Williams. It has been delayed because it takes 83 minutes, and the maximum a recording company can produce is 75 minutes. Williams will record addi- tional material, and we plan to release two CDs. A string quartet from America will be in residence in Oxford in May, and they will be recording string quartet and piano quintet music of Black South African composers. And then there’s the Fanny Mendelssohn recording that I already mentioned. So, there’s a lot in the pipeline at the moment. CW: It’s really great to know that LORELT is still flourishing, even after 30 years. Chachi, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me today, and I wish you all the best for LORELT’s continued success in the future. OM: Thank you. Christopher Wiley is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Surrey. He is the author of many book chapters and journal articles published in The Musical Quarterly, Music & Letters, Journal of Musicological Research, and Arts & Humanities in Higher Education. He has co-edited volumes including Researching and Writing on Contemporary Art and Artists (2020), Transnational Perspectives on Artists’ Lives (2020), and Women’s Suffrage in Word, Image, Music, Stage and Screen (2021). (www.surrey.ac.uk/people/christopher-wiley) Cuban-American composer and conductor Odaline de la Martínez was the first woman in history to conduct a BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, London. She has received numerous awards including a Marshall Scholarship from the British Government and a Guggenheim Fellowship; she was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and received the Villa-Lobos Medal from the Brazilian government. In 2017, Martínez received a Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019, a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Surrey, as well as a Gold Badge from the Ivors Academy of Composers and Song Writers, and a Lukas Lifetime Achievement Award for her achievement as a woman and a member of the Latin American Community. Martínez’s opera trilogy Imoinda—A Story of Love and Slavery received its world premiere at the Seventh London Festival of American Music in 2019 to critical acclaim. In 2020 she was appointed co-director of Juilliard’s Trailblazers Festival of Women Composers and was named Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey. LORELT: CD Catalogue (as of March 2022) For further information about these releases, see www.lorelt.co.uk/cd-catalogue LNT101. Errolyn Wallen, Lindsay Cooper, Elizabeth Maconchy, Nicola LeFanu. British Women Composers Volume 1 (1992). Jane Manning (soprano), Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT102. Heitor Villa-Lobos. Chamber and Choral Music (1992). BBC Singers, Lontano, LNT103. Odaline de la Martínez, Judith Weir, Melinda Maxwell, Hilary Tann, Eleanor Alberga. British Women Composers Volume 2 (1992). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT104. Martin Butler. Tin-Pan Ballet (1993). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT105. John Metcalf, Arvo Pärt, Robert ap Huw, Jeffrey Lewis, Grace Williams, Philip Glass. Sea of Glass: Môr o Wydr (1994). Elinor Bennett (harp). LNT106. Alberto Ginastera. The Piano Music of Alberto Ginastera (1994). Alma Petchersky (piano). LNT107. Edwin York Bowen, Roberto Gerhard, Elizabeth Maconchy, George Benjamin, William Alwyn. Flight: British Flute Music (1995). Ingrid Culliford (flute), Dominic Saunders (piano). LNT108. Pierre Boulez. Boulez sans Boulez (1995). Marc Ponthus (piano), Linda Hirst (mezzo-soprano), Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT109. Augusta Holmès, Nadia Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade, Pauline Viardot-García. Fleurs jetées: Songs by French Women Composers (1996). Rebecca de Pont Davies (mezzo-con- tralto), Clare Toomer (piano). LNT110. Minna Keal. A Life in Reverse: The Music of Minna Keal (1996). Stephen Bryant (violin), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Cleobury (con- ductor). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). Archaeus String Quartet. LNT111. John Metcalf. Paradise Haunts...: Music by John Metcalf (1997). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (con- ductor), Angell Piano Trio, Caroline Balding (violin), Timothy Lissimore (piano), Frances Angell (piano), Richard McMahon (piano). 30VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 LNT112. Heitor Villa-Lobos, Carlos Guastavino, Modesta Bor, Andrés Sas, Ernesto Lecuona, Lucas Estrada, Antonio María Valencia, Alberto Ginastera. Songs from Latin America (1998). Marina Tafur (soprano), Nigel Foster (piano). LNT113. M. Rosas Cobian, Agustín Fernández, Rajmil Fischman, Gabriela Ortíz, Mario Verandi. Alma latina (1999). (Electroacoustic music). LNT114.Smyth, Beach and Spain-Dunk [String Quartets] (2000). Ethel Smyth, Amy Marcy Beach, Susan Spain-Dunk. Archaeus String Quartet. LNT115. Francisco Mignone, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Barrozo Netto, Edino Krieger, Ronaldo Miranda, Marlos Nobre. Brazilian Mosaic (2002). Clélia Iruzun (piano), Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT116. Dorothy Ker, Jenny McLeod, Gillian Whitehead, Annea Lockwood. New Zealand Women Composers (2003). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT117. Stephen Gardner, Ed Bennett, Kevin O’Connell, Simon Mawhinney, Elaine Agnew, Michael Alcorn. Music from Northern Ireland (2004). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT118. Jeremy Dale Roberts. The Music of Jeremy Dale Roberts (2005). Hiroake Takenouchi (piano), Dimitri Murrath (viola), Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT119. Ernesto Lecuona, Ernestina Lecuona. Lecuona: Ernesto and Ernestina (2005). Clélia Iruzun (piano). LNT120. Carlos Guastavino. Piano Music of Carlos Guastavino (2005). Alma Petchersky (piano). LNT121. Luís Tinoco. Chamber Works (2005). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Eileen Hulse (soprano). LNT122. Philip Hammond, Alan Mills, Eibhlis Farrell, Deirdre McKay, David Byers. Piano Music from Northern Ireland (2006). David Quigley (piano). LNT123. Marietta Veulens. de algunas zonas del alma: piano cubano (2006). Marietta Veulens (piano). LNT124. Francisco Mignone. Piano Music (2007). Clélia Iruzun (piano). LNT125. Peter Child. Tableaux: Chamber and Choral Music of Peter Child (2007). Lontano, BBC Singers (Women’s Voices), Odaline de la Martínez (con- ductor), Maggie Cole (harpsichord). LNT126. Dorothy Ker. diffracted terrains: Chamber Music of Dorothy Ker (2007). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (con- ductor), Andrew Sparling (clarinet), Robin Michael (cello). LNT127. Elizabeth Maconchy. Music for Voices (2007). BBC Singers, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Richard Pearce (piano). LNT128.Joji Yuasa, Toru Takemitsu, Akira Miyoshi, Ichiro Nodaïra, Toshio Hosokawa, Keiko Harada, Sachiyo Tsurumi, Dai Fujikura. COSMOS HAPTIC: Contemporary Piano Music from Japan (2008). Hiroaki Takenouchi (piano). LNT129. Silvina Milstein. Fire Dressed in Black: chamber works (2008). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Alison Wells (mezzo-soprano), Caroline Balding (violin). LNT130. Odaline de la Martínez. ASONANCIAS: Chamber Music (2009). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Marina Tafur (soprano), Olivia Robinson (soprano), Sophie Langdon (violin), Caroline Balding (violin), Mark Knoop (piano). LNT131. Peter Child. Pantomime: Chamber Music of Peter Child (2010). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Olivia Robinson (soprano), Rebecca Lodge (mezzo-soprano), Caroline Balding (viola), Dominic Saunders (piano). LNT132. Mihailo Trandafilovski. Chamber Music (2010). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Peter Sheppard Skærved (violin), Mihailo Trandafilovski (violin), Caroline Balding (viola), Kreutzer Quartet. LNT133. Elizabeth Maconchy. Orchestral Music (2011). BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Clélia Iruzun (piano). LNT134. Philip Hammond. Piano Music by Philip Hammond (2011). David Quigley (piano), Cathal Breslin (piano), Michael McHale (piano). LNT135. James Clarke, Dorothy Ker, Howard Skempton, Tim Parkinson, Ross Lorraine, Paul Rhys, Christopher Fox, Bryn Harrison. A Place in the Sky (2012). Andrew Sparling (clarinet). LNT136. Marlos Nobre. Piano Music (2012). Clélia Iruzun (piano). LNT137. Nicola Moro, Kim Ashton, Paul Evernden, Matías Hancke de la Fuente, Leonardo Margutti. London: New Voices (2012). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor). LNT138. Rob Keeley. Dances with Bears (2013). Mary Dullea (piano), Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Caroline Balding (violin), Dominic Saunders (piano), Rowland Sutherland (flute), Andrew Sparling (clarinet). LNT139. Ernesto Nazareth. Portrait of Rio (2015). Clélia Iruzun (piano). LNT140. Grace Williams. My Last Duchess: The Songs of Grace Williams (2017). Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone), Paula Fan (piano, harpsichord), Rachel Kay Green (harp). LNT141. Silvina Milstein. of gold and shadows volume 1: chamber works (2019). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Dominic Saunders (piano), Helen Tunstall (harp). LNT142. Silvina Milstein. of gold and shadows volume 2: chamber works (2019). Lontano, Odaline de la Martínez (conductor), Angelica Cathariou (mez- zo-soprano), Tarli-Varbanov Piano Duo. LNT143. Elizabeth Maconchy, Nicola LeFanu, Hilary Tann, Eleanor Alberga, Barbara Jazwinski, Cecilia McDowall. Women’s Voices (2020). Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone), Paula Fan (piano), Yunah Lee (soprano), Lauren Rustad Roth (violin), Timothy Kantor (violin), Molly Gebrian (viola), Theodore Buchholz (cello). LNT144. Florence Price. Fantasie Nègre: The Piano Music of Florence Price (2021). Samantha Ege (piano). LNT145. Margaret Bonds, Helen Eugenia Hagan, Nora Douglas Holt, Betty Jackson King, Florence Price. Black Renaissance Woman (2022). Samantha Ege (piano), John Paul Ekin (piano). JOURNAL OF THE IAWM31 REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW achievements and accolades. The book has seven chapters plus back matter and does not stint on explicatory graphics or the interpretation of biographical and professional facts. These features, in fact, are the vol- ume’s chief attractions: more than just a body of facts, the book’s interpre- tations of the facts afford a satisfying understanding of Chen’s oeuvre and its contexts. The authors are well positioned to write such a book. Although they are both U.S. music scholars, Leta Miller, professor emerita at University of California Santa Cruz, has participated in the Pacific Rim consciousness of the West Coast, while J. Michele Edwards, professor emerita of Macalester College, has done considerable research on the music of modern women com- posers, including East Asian women. The central chapters of the book describe Chen’s compositional methods (Chapter 3) and provide analyses of selected compositions in three generic groups reflecting performing forces: solo and chamber music, large instrumental ensembles, and solo and choral vocal music (Chapters 4–6, respectively). The framing chapters, an introduction and biography (Chapters 1 and 2) and concluding chapter, “Issues” (Chapter 7), address Chen’s musical background and training, her motivations for and phi- losophy of composing, and how her varied life and professional experiences have informed her music and, in turn, been informed by her gender, social class, and nationality. The framing chapters can be easily understood by most readers; the central chapters will be more meaningful to people with some understanding of Western music, its notation, and its vocabulary. The Chinese dimensions of Chen’s musical aesthetics and practices are explained in detail, which is helpful for both professionals and amateurs of Western music. Throughout the book the authors give Chinese terms in Pinyin roman- ization, and a glossary provides not only definitions but also the terms in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. Explanations of Chinese musical features are invari- ably quite clear. Both co-authors are knowledgeable about Chinese music, and they had several of their sources translated from Mandarin for them by Yunxiang Gao. This surely pro- vides a richer knowledge base than relying exclusively on English-language sources. The large number of inter- views the authors conducted with Chen Yi herself, among others, clearly added to the richness of detail in their account. The authors take a particular stand regarding Chen’s music, arguing that it is not a hybrid in any trivial sense, e.g., grafting some sort of decora- tive chinoiserie onto Western classical music, but rather that Chen’s style is a distinctive amalgam of the many musics she has practiced, experienced, and been trained in throughout her multifarious musical life. How they reach this conclusion is clear in the biographical introduction to Chen’s music: her early training in Western classical music, which she played on violin and piano in the home of her physician parents, her conservatory education in Beijing, her exposure to folk and revolutionary music during the Cultural Revolution, and her lead- ership of ensembles for both model Peking opera and traditional Peking opera all influenced and enriched Chen’s mature style. Not only did her teachers provide training as a musician and composer, but they also influ- enced her attitude about how music fits into her thinking and life. Exchange programs between the Beijing Central Conservatory, where Chen pursued undergraduate and master’s studies (she was the first Chinese woman to receive a Master of Music in composition at that institu- tion), and Columbia University, where she earned her doctorate, were crucial for her compositional development. She has studied with Alexander Goehr, Mario Davidovsky, Patricia Carpenter, and Chou Wen-chung, whose advocacy of “the spirit of the wenren—ancient philosopher artists” who studied Leta E. Miller and J. Michele Edwards: Chen Yi Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 252 pp.; appendices, bibliography, index, photographs, musical examples, cloth, paper, ebook. ISBN: 978-0-252-04354-3, 978-0-252-08544-4, 978-0- 252-05242-2 (2020) ELIZABETH L. KEATHLEY Chen Yi is a deeply-researched, engaging, and highly-readable book, which is part of the University of Illinois Press’s important Women Composers series. Chen (b. 1953) is a well-established composer with a voluminous oeuvre and an endowed professorship plus many commissions, residencies, awards, and honors, yet there are fewer schol- arly articles and dissertations on Chen’s life and compositions than one might expect (most are in Mandarin). This volume, therefore, fills a critical lacuna in the English-language litera- ture on music history. The book is considerably longer than others in the series, but its length is justified by the extent of Chen’s Chen Yi32VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 broadly and recognized relationships among the arts—Chen took to heart. 1 Chen credits these broad (and deep) studies not only in music and music history, but also in world history, art, and philosophy, for her insights into relationships among musical ideas and practices from diverse times, places, and situations; Chou credited Chen’s exceptionally hard work and open mind. Regardless of her intellectual and musical achievements, Chen Yi projects a disarming humility and a desire to do good in the world. She has routinely reached out to the Chinese diasporic community in whatever U.S. city she has lived in. Also, she has served musical groups she participated in— from the “Music From China” quintet (comprised of traditional instruments, but also playing recently composed music) to the Women’s Philharmonic— by taking on additional tasks for the benefit of the group and their audiences. For example, she has written newsletters or done other kinds of uncompensated outreach. Although she remarks on the difficulty of living under the Cultural Revolution for both herself and her intellec- tual, Western-tending parents, Chen apparently bears no resentment, but rather acknowledges that the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath drew her attention to the value of Chinese folk music, which has since become an important feature of her compo- sitional language. Salient along these lines is the authors’ assessment that, “for Chen, cultural blending fulfills both artistic and ethical goals: she sees her role as a composer to reach out to audiences from divergent cultures through the nonverbal medium of sound and to forge international con- nections by highlighting the beauties in disparate traditions.” 2 There seems to be an ethics, a gen- erosity, and a grace to so much that Chen does, thinks, and says in this book. Rather than make overt political statements‚ Chen celebrates the good and acknowledges the marginalized 1Chen Yi, 31. 2Chen Yi, 47. in her compositions. For example, the Variations on “Awariguli” for piano solo (1979. Rev. 2011), based on a folksong of the (persecuted) Uighur minority, and Eleanor’s Gift (1998), honoring Eleanor Roosevelt’s crucial support of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, speak volumes about Chen’s ethics without pronouncing a word. Miller and Edwards give a general account of Chen’s compositional mate- rials and procedures before presenting analyses of selected compositions. They note that Chen’s default medium is the symphony orchestra, and her orchestral compositions are, indeed, numerous and varied. They rarely include Chinese instruments, but often use Chinese articulations, tim- bres, scales, and concepts. Generally, Chen begins a composition with an idea or premise, creates the overall structure, then fleshes out the details, a procedure not uncommon among Western composers. Chen discusses the engagement of both her intellect and her emotions as she composes. Thus, although Chen has been working with different materials, and perhaps toward different goals, her composi- tional methodologies and attitudes have clear resonances with those of canonical Western composers. Each of the compositions Miller and Edwards selected for analysis receives a detailed explanation of its con- text, relationship to texts, concepts, and other components. The musical examples are clearly explained, and for several examples a form chart is included. Not only will readers garner a detailed understanding of Chen’s compositions, but these tools would also help any teacher of musicology, composition, or music theory to explain the musical processes in the composi- tions and to generalize from them. It is especially satisfying to couple the study of the examples and charts with actual listening to the compositions. Edwards has created a Chen Yi playlist on Spotify that facilitates this. The contextualizing discussions are equally important for understanding the significance of this music. Just to cite one delightful detail in the second movement of the Chinese Myths Cantata, the goddess Nü Wa recog- nizes herself reflected in the water as the woodblock plays a solo. The authors explain that the woodblock solo, a device from the Beijing opera, signifies that a character is thinking. And just what Nü Wa is thinking about the authors Miller and Edwards theo- rize with reference to Luce Irigaray’s Speculum of the Other Woman (Cornell University Press, 1974): she is con- templating her own, distinctly female subjectivity. Realizing she is alone, Nü Wa subsequently creates humans from mud to keep her company. I do not always find cross-cultural appli- cations of Western feminist theory useful, but in this case, it makes for a compelling explanation. Finally, the works list, divided into types of performing forces, is compre- hensive to 2019 and contains useful information for anyone considering programing one of the composi- tions (duration, forces, compositional contexts, etc.); the bibliography con- tains many interesting titles; and the index is comprehensive and accurate, which always improves a book’s usefulness. To say that Chen Yi is the definitive guide to the life and works of Chen Yi is to say something true but not nearly enough. Not only is it a fascinating and insightful account of the journey of one extraordinary woman composer and her music, but it is also a primer on the history of twentieth-century China, a resource on Chinese music, and a volume to which readers will return again and again for both its utility as a reference book and the pleasure of a good read. Elizabeth L. Keathley is Professor of Historical Musicology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Her research concerns musical modernism/modernity and its intersections with gender, class, and ethnicity. Her distinctions include university-wide teaching excellence award and an NEH fellowship for her book on the women in Schoenberg’s orbit. Oxford University Press published her edition (with Marilyn McCoy) of the complete correspondence between Arnold Schoenberg and Alma Mahler in 2019.JOURNAL OF THE IAWM33 MUSIC REVIEW Hindustani text syllables on constantly pulsing eighth and quarter notes. Energy from the pulsing of eighth notes, shared among the upper three parts, is compounded by a modulation up a step from F to G halfway through the piece, adding a sense of harmonic movement. Rhythmic repetitions are needed for any Western choral group to enunciate the intriguing Hindustani onomatopoeic music syllables and to build momentum. The range throughout remains modest for all but the tenors. While rhythmic patterns are passed around among the upper voices, the bass centers on slow pulses and long notes throughout, grounding the piece. A short, simple melody, including idiomatic grace notes, is passed from the sopranos to all the parts, driving the piece to a cli- mactic end, which would be further enhanced if the last three repeated chords were to expand outward. Round me falls the night by Annabel Rooney (text by William Romanis) maintains a gentle flow throughout, presenting a calming, uncomplicated texture, with plenty of room for rests and pauses between phrases, and an evocative solo soprano finale. However, unless sung by a choir of virtually perfect-pitch singers, the harmonic ventures and distant modulations may sound less intuitive or musically rewarding than desired, potentially resulting in a troubled choral performance. Some harmonic transitions may work well instrumen- tally, but within choral music they might sound slippery and insecure, possibly interfering with Rooney’s desired calmness. Snow is Silent by Jenny Mahler (text by John Pickles) creatively provides an exquisite adventure into contrasting sounds and gestures, effectively com- paring noisy rain with silent snow. Mahler juxtaposes basic SATB homo- phonic and declamatory statements with rhythmic spoken and whispered sections, beautifully enhanced by well- scored conga drums. Choral pinnacles with wondrously full and high-ranged voicings are followed by quietly sung and spoken sections. Everything is derived from the natural flow of the harmonic activity, yet listeners are continuously captivated. My Beloved Spake, a love song by Becky McGlade with a biblical text, attempts to gently beguile and entrance. All choral phrases are soft with a natural ebb and flow, incorporating a plethora of suspensions and moving inner parts at cadences. However, many of the resultant harmonies and voice leadings seem tangled and troubled, rather than alluring and enticing. More charm and mystery, rather than a dutiful problematizing of choral har- monies and inner voices, could possibly further enhance this (still mysteri- ously unknown) Song of Songs writer’s sensuous text. In Love Letter, Sarah Dacey could hardly have found a more fitting or timely text than that of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Nor could she have developed a more fascinating musical way to set this gen- der-inclusive text to intrigue and bring along her listeners. How? Partly by the 5/4 meter, which carries an inherent musical balance-cum-surprise, partly by the open fifths—homophonic to Sarah Quartel, ed.: Breath of Song Ten concert works by women composers for SATB unaccompanied. New York: Oxford University Press, 96 pp., preface, vocal score, program notes, paperback. ISBN 978-019353-202-1 (2021) CAROL ANN WEAVER Breath of Song, a collection of ten a cappella choral pieces by contempo- rary women composers from the UK, Canada, and USA, was compiled and edited by Canadian composer Sarah Quarrel, in response to a growing demand for women’s choral music. These well-crafted pieces, written in a variety of SATB choral styles, include both sacred and secular English texts from biblical to contemporary writers. As with any collection, the musical impact and effectiveness varies from piece to piece, revealing sparkling gems throughout. The collection is paired with excellent recordings by The Oxford Choir, directed by Bob Chilcott. The pieces are reviewed here in the order in which they appear on SoundCloud, not as they appear in the publication. Reena Esmail’s TaReKiTa is a lovely, tasteful piece with attractive textures, made more pungent by use of repeated Breath of Song These well-crafted pieces, written in a variety of SATB choral styles, include both sacred and secular English texts from biblical to contemporary writers. As with any collection, the musical impact and effectiveness varies from piece to piece, revealing sparkling gems throughout. —CAROL ANN WEAVER34VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 canonic to solo—that allow for breath, flexibility, and room to move, and partly by uncomplicated, singable, short melodies. Dacey’s harmonies make intuitive sense, as do certain musical repetitions, ending with a most effective focus on a single voice. Laura Hawley’s The Arrow and the Song features beautifully listenable, con- sonant, choral-friendly harmonies, effective solo versus tutti sections, homophonic versus polyphonic tex- tures, the use of non-worded vocables to denote the sounds of shooting an arrow, and a lovely progression from fewer to many words sung, plus written directions for singers to imi- tate wind and bird sounds. What else is needed? Possibly more intriguing, compelling, “catchy” vocable rhythms to ensnare us with their charm, while guiding us through this some- what mysterious poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. God be with us by Cecilia McDowall offers unadulterated beauty and a profound sense of choral reverence throughout. Two strophic verses incorporating tasteful variations are followed by an inspiring chorus, which serves as a final blessing, all deeply enhancing the invocational text by Alexander Carmichael. The use of C major, including Scotch snaps and Mixolydian touches, provides ample tonal space for this work to unfold. This piece alone could be worth the price of the entire anthology. Within Wake, Love, Wake! Joan Szymko truly allows us to feel poet Rabindranath Tagore’s dark night, pained love, heavy silence, and still wind. Homophonic, rhythmically par- allel statements allow the choir to act as a single, pleading voice throughout. Harmonic transitions work well, such as where the music goes from Db to Bb. A more buoyant, expansive “wake” section invites “a breath of song.” Yet, at the end, we are still waiting for the song to emerge. Sarah Quartel’s The Birds’ Lullaby establishes a disarmingly simple but intriguing “doo-doo-doo” pattern in the lower voices, setting up the sopranos, who carry imaginative bird-inspired words by E. Pauline Johnson. Finally, when all voices sing the text, a delightful contrast is created by the tenors who jump in with the sopranos’ original tune, luring the choir into dreamland. Quartel stays a long time in the same tonal area and reuses many of the same ceiling notes in the soprano, but when she expands to a new tonal region, new breath is gained. Not only the birds but also the branches sing. In O ye who taste that Love is sweet, Eleanor Daley’s sonorous, generous music matches Christina Rossetti’s alluring words, creating a deeply resonant anthem. The work is strophic, with the opening melody—almost Sacred Harp inflected—sung by women in unison, then harmonized by the choir in Daley’s signature style of suspensions, parallel and contrary motion, and teasingly delightful consonances. But if that weren’t enough, the chorus takes us to yet a new level of soaring treble faux- bourdon over a bass/tenor pedal before settling into a full cadence. The second verse and chorus are basically repeated, with new text and tantalizing musical variations. The final refrain, again based on the original melody, becomes a fitting end to a piece that is secure in its footing. This collection superbly helps fill a gap in contemporary women’s choral music. We are looking forward to sequel publications representing an even wider range of ethnic, racial, gender-fluid, linguistic, choral, and stylistic diversities. Carol Ann Weaver is an American-born Canadian composer who composes extensively for choir and other media. She is a recent Chair of Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC), a newly-minted Vice Chair of Canadian Association for Sound Ecology, and Professor Emerita at University of Waterloo/Conrad Grebel University College, Canada. www.carolannweaver.com Women Throughout History Luca Aversano, Orietta Caianiello, and Milena Gammaitoni, eds: Musiciste e compositrici. Storia e storie (Musicians and Composers. History and Stories) Rome: Società Editrice di Musicologia (2021) The 18 essays in this volume investigate the contributions of women musicians and composers in various historical periods and geographical areas. They range from ancient Rome to the present day, from Italy to Catherine II’s Russia and Victorian England. Vivid portraits of composers, conductors, dancers, and performers are presented. The essays include women’s music education as well as their struggles for social rights. For additional information, see http://www.liberdomus.it/cgi-bin/liberdomus/details.cgi; http://www.sedm.it/sedm/en/.JOURNAL OF THE IAWM35 Day & Night: Modern Flute & Piano Duos by Women Composers COMPACT DISC AND DIGITAL RECORDINGS REVIEWS and surprising harmonic modulations. Originally written for flute, it was tran- scribed by the composer for violin and is often performed in that medium. A short descending whole-tone pas- sage at the end of the piece alludes to Prélude to the Afternoon of a Faun, as an homage to Claude Debussy, who was revered by Boulanger and her sister, Nadia. Germaine Tailleferre, the only female member of the French group Les Six, is represented here by two works for flute and piano composed thirty years apart. Pastorale, written in 1942, is in a lilting 6/8 barcarolle-like pattern. An unusual internal flute cadenza interrupts the peaceful flow of the lyr- ical main theme, with the piano then returning nonchalantly to the opening material. Forlane, composed in 1972, when Tailleferre was 80 years old, has a sicilienne-like rhythm evocative of Maurice Ravel’s eponymous move- ment from Le Tombeau de Couperin. The phrase structure, however, is less regular than that of Ravel, and there is an interesting atonal and dissonant transition that is more daring than the original model. In both of these works, the duo’s per- formances exhibit exquisite balance and sensitivity to harmonic and melodic nuances. Mélanie Bonis, one of the few women to attend the Paris Conservatory, used the name Mel to obscure her gender in the hope of being taken seriously. Many of her more than 300 compo- sitions were published and regularly performed during her lifetime. She garnered praise from Camille Saint- Saëns, Célestin Joubert, and Gabriel Pierné. Her Sonata for Flute and Piano, composed in 1902, is one of the few Romantic era large-scale works written originally for flute. The piece is dedi- cated to the noted flutist Louis Fleury (also the dedicatee of Debussy’s Syrinx, and Darius Milhaud’s Sonatine among others), with whom Bonis had a close relationship. While Fleury was known to have performed this work on numerous occasions, it ultimately fell into oblivion. Its resurrection in the 1980s is attributed to Michel Debost, former professor of flute at Oberlin and the Paris Conservatory. The first movement, “Andantino con moto,” in the uncommon key of C-sharp minor, has lush harmonies reminiscent of Gabriel Fauré. It is not surprising, considering that Bonis was a student of César Franck. The writing sounds improvisatory at times, and has climbing appoggiaturas, not unlike Richard Wagner’s Prelude to Tristan und Isolde, with a nice interplay of fig- ures between the two instruments. The second movement is a playful scherzo with light figures evocative of Mendelssohn, and an impressionistic trio section. The unresolved ending takes the listener by surprise. Again, the performance has great balance and impressively clear articulations. The slow movement, the emotional weight of the sonata, has Baroque-like con- trapuntal lines, with a more animated middle section. The finale, more homo- phonic in texture, yet more daring in its harmonic ventures, has modal and whole-tone sonorities and inter- esting flute and piano interplay. Works by Bonis have been showing up on recital programs recently. I have been extremely impressed by the songs and piano works I have heard, and this magnificent sonata does not disappoint. Lita Grier won first prize in the New York Philharmonic Young Composers Contest at age 16 for her very first work, written in her first year at Juilliard. As she prepared to write a major work for flute several years later, she enrolled in the studio of the legendary Julius Baker, but did not inform him that she was working on a flute sonata. Day & Night: Modern Flute & Piano Duos by Women Composers Compositions by Lili Boulanger, Germaine Tailleferre, Mélanie Bonis, Lita Grier, and Nancy Galbraith. Erin K. Murphy, flute; Kirstin Ihde, piano. Albany Records, TROY1829, (2020) NANETTE KAPLAN SOLOMON On this beautifully performed and masterfully engineered disc of 20th- and 21st-century works, flutist Erin Murphy and pianist Kirstin Ihde achieve their stated mission: to expand the list of recordings for flute and piano duo by women composers and expose new audiences to their works. The program runs the gamut from familiar early twentieth-century French composers Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983); to its centerpiece, a lush sonata by Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937); and finally, sonatas by two living American com- posers: Lita Grier (b. 1937) and Nancy Galbraith (b. 1951). The works jux- tapose reflective and introspective moods with jazzy syncopations and dazzling virtuosity, the genesis of the CD’s title. Lili Boulanger’s 1911 Nocturne opens the disc. She composed the work in two days as a theory assignment at the age of 18! With her warm flute sound, Murphy captures the char- acter of the piece in its supple lines The works juxtapose reflective and introspective moods with jazzy syncopations and dazzling virtuosity, the genesis of the CD’s title. —NANETTE KAPLAN SOLOMON36VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 Instead, she filed it away. After grad- uate work at UCLA with Lukas Foss and Roy Harris, she took a hiatus from composition and worked in public rela- tions and broadcasting, most notably in classical radio with her husband Dean Grier. As the tides of musical taste changed in the post-serialist, post-modern 1990s, Grier resurrected her flute sonata, eventually contacting Baker, who had incidentally heard it performed by a student at a festival audition, and who became a staunch champion of the work. The piece was performed at the Ravinia Festival in 1992 and recorded in 1999 by Cedille Records. Grier’s sonata is a wonderful find. It is a totally engaging work from the energetic and syncopated jazz-influenced first movement, with allusions to George Gershwin, to the haunting, sensuous middle move- ment, to the upbeat, driving finale, rife with ever-changing meters. The music of Nancy Galbraith, pro- fessor of composition at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has been praised for its “rich harmonic texture, rhythmic vitality, emotional and spiritual depth, and wide range of expression” (liner notes, 10). Her work is noted for her exquisite sense of instrumental color, particularly in her many wind ensemble works that have been widely performed. Her sonata for flute and piano Atacama had its premiere at Juilliard in June 2001 with flutist Alberto Almarza and pianist Luz Manriquez. The piece was named after Chile’s Atacama desert, known to be the driest hot desert in the world. It evokes “intriguing visions of varicolored desert moods,” as the composer states (liner notes 10). The first movement, “Capricho” (whim in Spanish), is a fast romp with frequent syncopations, con- stantly changing meters, and energetic piano writing that utilizes horizontal and vertical fourths and fifths, a hall- mark of Galbraith’s style. Having heard my flute colleague perform it years ago, I can attest to the deftness with which Murphy and Ihde negotiate the challenging ensemble interplay. The second movement, “Notturno,” provides a marked contrast, with haunting, chant-like hollow harmo- nies of fourths and fifths, evocative of Debussy’s piano prelude La Cathedrale engloutie. In this movement, the flutist is called upon to use extended tech- niques such as whistle tones, singing while playing (very effectively done here), pitch bends, and wind noise, all of which contribute to the eerie atmosphere of a desert (sound)scape. The last movement, “Volante” (wheel in Spanish), is a tour-de-force of per- petual motion with jazzy rhythms and an abundance of repeated notes and flutter tonguing, which add to the final momentum. It is a brilliant conclusion to an effective concert piece, and more generally to a stellar CD. Nanette Kaplan Solomon is a pianist and advocate for women composers. She is Professor Emerita from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She performs frequently as a soloist and chamber musician, and she has served on the boards of the IAWM, College Music Society, and Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association. Her four compact discs: Piano Music of Nikolai Lopatnikoff (Laurel), Character Sketches: Solo Piano Works by Seven American Women (Leonarda), Sunbursts: Solo Piano Works by Seven American Women (Leonarda), and Badinage: Piano Music of Mana-Zucca (Albany) have received critical acclaim. Kirsten Volness: River Rising Lilit Hartunian and Kate Outterbridge, violin; Sam Kelder, viola; Jonathan Butler, cello; Kirsten Volness, piano. Kirsten Volness (independent production), CD, digital audio (2021), www. kirstenvolness.bandcamp.com/album/river-rising KRYSTAL J. FOLKESTAD, nee GRANT Kirsten Volness has gathered one acoustic and five electroacoustic com- positions in her album titled River Rising, self-released in 2021. The works show- case strings, piano, and electronics, creating emotive soundscapes with well-crafted motives and forms. The way in which the performers interact and blend with the electronics is laudable. Gaia (2004), the only track with no live acoustic instruments, illustrates Volness’ approach to electronic fixed media. Her organic soundscape breathes, hisses, chirps, and flittingly contrasts with synthesized sounds, which are reminiscent of cinematic soaring spaceships and chatting robots. The piece opens with the organic sounds coalescing into a pulse followed by the synthesized sounds entering, first, as sparse reso- nant clusters, then, as simple staccato inflections. After increased resonance and softer attacks, the organic sounds mellow. The track concludes with some of the organic sounds emerging with their original clarity, as the syn- thesized sounds become part of the rhythm of life. Tree of Life (2008) for string quartet is the recording’s longest track. The per- formers’ precision creates a unified River Rising IAWM Listserv To subscribe to the IAWM Listserv online, visit http://lists.unt.edu/mailman/ listinfo/iawmlist. You can also unsubscribe from iawmlist, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options on this site. If you have a problem, send an email to iawmlist-request@lists.unt.edu with “help” in the body or subject of the email. To post a message to all the list mem- bers, send email to iawmlist@lists.unt.edu. 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