Research Paper

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MUS – 110CL – OL01

October 12, 2024

The Influence of Classical Music on Gender Roles in 19th Century Europe

Introduction

The interaction between people and gender roles in classical music was significant in the

19th century. Music was both a cultural good and a shaper of gender roles within society,

especially within the context of the rigid societies of the period. This paper will consider how

women used and how classical music reflected gender relations in Europe in the nineteenth

century, the debates about their compositions, and the organizations’ roles in strengthening or

changing gender prejudices. This research will study the relationship between music and gender

and show how the former was a locus of the culture wars over the construction of self and one’s

place in society.

This paper aims to assess how classical music responded to and embodied the roles of

men and women as defined during first-wave feminism. Female composers, for instance, were

poorly appreciated because their compositions were dismissed, insulted or judged under the lens

of women’s creativity and musicality. The responses to their music say a lot about the cultural

expectations of the time and the use of music as a form of protest or reinforcement of gender

roles (Yatsyuk).

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 This research is both significant and timely in the overall efforts to explain the cultural

factors that define gender. In this regard, this paper aims to show how, within the discourse of

music, gender roles were portrayed or negotiated: how cultures are produced and how identity is

continually produced and reproduced through cultural production. Institutions underpinning

classical music training and performance were art organizations, which at the same time were

cultural sites where normative norms about gender were developed or challenged (Werner &

Almqvist). Hence, the present research has implications for understanding how music may

embody and affect culture, especially gender as a cultural category (Peak).

Historical Context of 19th Century Gender Roles in Europe

Overview of Gender Roles in 19th Century Europe

The 19th century was a century of the specified gender roles and responsibilities of males

and females in every society, providing meaning to their lives. The primary gender roles where

men were portrayed were providers and public personalities engaging in politics, business and

thinking. Conversely, men who went out to work and the source of income were always

portrayed as chivalrous, dominant and formal. At the same time, the women stayed home, raising

children, always depicted as sexually pure, warm-hearted and submissive. These gender roles

provided youths with a clear program of what was expected of them in the future, which was an

oppressive encroachment on women's rights. However, the change in such expectations started

with the first-wave feminism movement. Thus, feminists of this period campaigned for women's

right to learn, possess, and vote, as well as the abolition of feminine sequestration that excluded

females from social life (Yatsyuk). While establishing feminism, women not only aimed at law

changes and social revolutions but also changed the arts in different forms, including classical

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music, where women started to express their boldness and come out as composers and

performers even as society placed a bar on their conduct.

The Role of Classical Music in Society

As a classical product during the 19th century in Europe, music was a force with which

society identified and shaped itself. Music was highly valued in public and private domains and

anticipated the people's moral, intellectual and emotional values. However, classical music was

also seen in a somewhat gendered way in this period. Some of these music and instruments were

considered masculine, such as large symphonies and assertive music. On the other hand, music

for several instruments or pieces that defined feelings or subtlety was described as feminine

(Peak). These relations were not only mirrors of general gender stereotyping, but they actively

contributed to enforcing those stereotypes.

When women wanted to compose or perform, they had to wrestle with such attitudes

because some of the communities involved regarded their participation in the genre as provoking

since music writing and creative thinking were considered ‘male pursuits’. They offered their

students and the public a curricular model of music as ‘masculine’ precisely because it was

complicated and rational and a model of music as ‘feminine’ that was positioned as either non-

existent or of lesser value (Werner and Almqvist, 2008). This set cultural framework predicated

not only the practice of music creation but also reception, as the audience listened to music with

certain gender expectations, which strengthened the binary construction of Gender in music.

Women Composers in the 19th Century

Prominent Women Composers

During the nineteenth century, there were few women who penned compositions.

However, some produced noteworthy pieces of work given the nature of the culture they had to

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endure. These women musicians like Clara Wieck Schumann, Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn

Hensel, and Louise Farrenc are signed as exceptional in different concerts not simply due to their

ability but because loved ones the actual capabilities they demonstrated despite month barriers

during their times. For instance, Clara Schumann was a concert pianist who, together with her

piece, attracted attention though it was widely accepted that women could not possess the

brainpower to compose. The young Fanny Mendelssohn was a gifted composer and a pianist, but

even though she composed much music, she published only some of her works during her life

because women were required to perform but not to compose (Yatsyuk). Louise Farrenc was one

of the very few women at this time who held such positions as a composer and a professor at the

Paris Conservatoire; she even had to struggle for equal paychecks as men teachers. Despite those

achievements, the accomplishments of these women remained understated because their efforts

remained unnoticed primarily because of the cultural gender prejudice that was prevalent at the

time.

Reception of Their Work

Women composers’ creation was met with disbelief or ignored by male leadership of the

musical life. Contemporary and critic’s responses to their compositions were often influenced by

prejudices involving gender about creativity and quality. Pornography traditionally depicted

women’s music as lacking the strength or depth portrayed in male music but instead being

graceful or charming – even if it was sinister (Werner and Almqvist). For example, when

discussing Clara Schumann's piano compositions, critics always emphasize her as a wife and a

mother, and by doing so, they tried to disclaim her worth as a composer. The analysis of

Women's music was thus greatly influenced by the societal expectations of women, as women's

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compositions were not only evaluated based on their quality, skill or creativity but also on how

qualified or how much they deviated from the stereotypical women's role (Yatsyuk).

Connection to First-Wave Feminism

When the first wave of feminism happened in the early nineteenth century, women's

composing was initiated as society placed some restraints on women. This struggle, aimed at

winning equal legal status and more rights in civil society, had its worthy counterpart in music:

Female creators continued to challenge the walls through which they were excluded from

creative activities. These compositions not only had aesthetic values as the musicians'

compositions but also progressive remarks to the ideas concerning femininity of that epoch.

Thus, while stipulating their right to write and to perform, women such as Fanny Mendelssohn

and Clara Schumann contributed to the ongoing fight for women's rights, including the rights of

women creators, in art and other fields (Yatsyuk).

Sofia Yatsyuk further notes how women composers employed their songs to address the

feminism of the day. For example, their compositions expressed topics such as self-governance

and academic liberty, which are prime interest to first-wave feminism. Also, practicing writing

and playing music was a form of protest against the social expectations that tried to ‘pen ‘women

to their homes only. Firstly, these composers enriched the list of musical works, showing new

tendencies in European 19th-century music. Second, these women contributed to the changing

position of women in the arts and society in general and the European 19th century (Yatsyuk).

Classical Music Institutions and Gender Stereotypes

Gender Roles in Music Education

Music education in the context of the rising classical tradition of the 19th century had a

significant implication of reiterating gender roles. Some conservatories and music academies

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reproduced in terms of expectations that men were more intelligent and artistic and women were

designed for domestic or decorative uses. Especially in these institutions, there boldly rose a

tendency to favor men since the large-scale compositions and symbolic works, which were

supposed to involve higher and more creative thought processes, were described as involving the

rigors of masculinity (Werner and Almqvist).

For women, however, music education was firmly directed towards fields that embodied

the limited role women were expected to play in society – playing the piano and singing in

parlors, emphasizing the point that women, their music and music education should be for

personal or domestic use only. Women were also locked out of most institutions of formal music

education, and those few that admitted women or provided quality education to them were

decidedly rare. It was not until women were granted admission that they were steered to

programs that fit their societal roles: to become teachers and sing in small groups rather than

write compositions and conduct significant scores (Werner and Almqvist).

Institutional Support or Resistance to Gender Equality

Like most other traditional institutions in music, many classical music institutions

entrenched conservatism in gender, particularly the utility of women as fertility symbols.

However, the century's progress saw gradual resistance to these odds by some sensitive

institutions and educators. Even where women were admitted, some institutions consciously

continued to exercise gender stereotyping in that women were not allowed to write large-scale

works, perform often, etc. This goes in parallel to the general idea that men and women should

listen to different genres of music. Yet there were cases where women wanted equal rights – the

same remuneration for the same work, for example, Louise Farrenc, who taught at the Paris

Conservatoire.

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 Werner and Almqvist explain how some music education institutions in the 19th century

started to change tact progressively, especially with the advent of the feminist movement.

Nevertheless, the changes were gradual, and many institutions remained conservative and

refused gender equality until the middle of the twentieth century. The conditioning of gender

stereotypes by music education practices not only worked towards channeling the female sex in

restricted directions but also determined the established social perception of their abilities in the

particular field (Werner and Almqvist).

The Broader Influence of Classical Music on Gender Roles

Classical Music as a Cultural Force

As for the 19th century, they have remained part of Classical music not only as a channel

for displaying the norms of society but also as the active agent in establishing them. Music was

thus a tool utilized to regulate acceptance towards specific gender roles, while at other times, it

was used to change perception regarding such roles. Male music and other musical pieces were

considered the ultimate form of Bafor knowledge and creativity. At the same time, female

compositions were viewed as stunning Paginators, no matter how good they may be. It continued

to be repeated in performances and criticism, where males were credited for daring and creative

music or anatomic. At the same time, females’ contributions were considered mere adorns or had

a scarcity of feelings of romance.

However, the information section also revealed a dark side of the societal norms as it

arose that classical music also featured gendered expectations that some female composers and

performers tried to break. Such great ladies as Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn dared to

create profound and highly charged music to show they were not deprived of intellectual

inspiration. Thereby, they ensured that people started to deviate from the stereotyped gender

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practices of the given era and, therefore, were able to demand their rights in terms of other

aspects of their lives, such as intellectual as well as creativity through music (Yatsyuk).

Music as a Reflection of Societal Change

Due to the emergence of feminism in the middle of the nineteenth century soc, society,

for the first time, observed the change of gender roles in music. The combination of personal

autonomy and independence appeared in compositions written by women to an even greater

extent, and the representatives of musical critical activity and ordinary listeners realized that

women had Creep into the sphere of classical music. Such shifts were indicated in the text of

musical pieces and in interactions on and around these pieces. The debates and evaluations of

women’s works invariably exposed the conflict between the proper gender roles and the

emerging expectations of women’s rights (Peak).

In her article ‘The Gendered Mind’, which focuses on 19th-century Great Britain, Anna

Peak established that classical music was unique to that era as it covered societal transformation.

The role of women in music also improved by the growing yearning to be equal and faced many

challenges. Gender roles of the society of that period were reflected in the compositions, thereby

changing their roles in society; women were further allowed to impose new roles in the music,

too (Peak).

Case Studies

In-depth analysis of specific women composers

The most famous composer of the second half of the nineteenth century was a very young

woman, Clara Schumann, whose creations questioned women’s ability to compose. She was a

pianist and established many elaborate compositions, ranging from piano concertos to chamber

works and songs. Nevertheless, women of the nineteenth century were expected to stay home;

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nevertheless, Clara Schumann kept writing compositions and giving concerts. It is also essential

as it proved that women could participate in the earnest sphere of the classical music tradition. At

the same time, people believed that women could create only light and decorative music. This

paper explores how Clara Schumann's compositions helped redefine gender roles since she

showed men that women could also perform in such fields. Her work deeply touched the

viewers' feelings and represented the struggle with inner demons and internal conflict, which

should be mentioned (Yatsyuk).

The last prominent personality is Fanny Mendelssohn who wrote more than 400

compositions: songs, piano accompaniment and cantatas. This was so even though Fanny was

naturally gifted and those of her brother Felix Mendelssohn concealed a remarkably skilled

musician her works. Because of the gender roles that limited women’s range of choices and

prohibited them from composing, some of Fanny’s works were published under Felix’s title.

However, she still wrote music and sang privately, and in doing so, she pushed against the walls

built so high in front of her. Much like Clara Schumann, Fanny's work captures the conflict of

the self against the constraints of society. She wrestled to access similar musical practices to her

male counterparts. These two composers are rather illustrative of how women in classical music

used their skills to challenge a society that sought to cage them.

Comparative analysis

An analysis of the reviews of music composed by male and female composers in the

nineteenth century gave evidence of bias towards gender when it came to assessing the music

works. Men as such, such as Felix Mendelssohn or Robert Schumann were applauded for their

creativity, passion, and skill in their pieces. Their compositions were deliberated as relevant

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scores to the music literature; they were given opportunities to perform their music to broad

audiences through concerts and music publications.

While Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, to name but two, were expected to

operate as musicians in the private sphere, their music was also judged according to gendered

values. Critics and viewers sometimes compared their pieces of music to the repertory as

charming, delicate, sentimental—everything typically considered feminine. Moreover, even

though female playwrights could produce the same amount of technical skill and emotion as

male playwrights, these aspects were Watered down to cement gender roles (Werner and

Almqvist). Such a comparison points out the significant challenges that women composers had to

overcome throughout their careers; they were regarded and paid less attention because of their

gender, while talented and inventive female composers were deprived of a worthy recognition

they deserved.

Conclusion

Summary of Key Points

Thus, classical music in 19th-century Europe's function strives to reflect gender roles as

normative. The composers above, such as Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, established

cultures of identity in their music by breaking the culture of domesticity. Conductors, critics, and

classical music patrons of the time preserved the male/female binary by restricting women's

ability to create music and play instruments. Still, the examples above show that women

composers produced their masterpieces and discussed such important topics as gender, creativity,

and intelligence using their music. These case histories show how these women overcame

societal pressures of the time so that they were able to change the course of classical music and

impact the conversation around female rights.

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Final Reflection on the Impact of Music on Gender

Of all the social relations in 19th-century classical music, the relation between man and

woman seems to have had the most substantial lasting effect on today’s gender relations. Thus,

not only was the music of women composers of that epoch preserved in scores, the list of which

continues to grow but future generations of women composers and musicians were prepared. It

became clear how gender and music are not as separated as they seem to be and how women

fight to have credit for their work in a male-dominated industry. Now, their input is evident not

just for the art they brought but also for subverting gender expectations of their period. Through

the present analysis, classical music performs a cultural function, preserving and shaping

society's influencers; this is more so in the discourses of gender. Thus, by analyzing the

representation of women in classical music, one has a great chance to investigate how art is

produced and, vice versa, how it influences the culture of its time (Peak).

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 Work Cited

Peak, Anna. The music of the spheres: Music and the gendered mind in nineteenth-century

Britain. Temple University, 2010.

Werner, Ann, and Cecilia Ferm Almqvist. "Nation, gender, and classical music on higher music

education institution websites." Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning/Swedish Journal of

Music Research 106.1 (2024): 147-166.

Yatsyuk, Sofia. "Women composers and their critics in the era of first-wave feminism: Gender

and the classical music canon in Britain, 1850-1950." (2024).

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