Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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When I reviewed Susan Tomes’ book The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces, I concluded that it,
“… is quite simply an essential purchase for any piano enthusiast, offering as it does a veritable feast of salient information and insight into the instrument and music which we love so much.”
Those who enjoyed that book will undoubtedly be eager to read it’s sequel, and are in for a treat. Tomes’ latest book, Women and the Piano: A History in 50 Lives, is another compelling read…
“A Feminist Classic”
Women and the Piano, published in hardback by Yale University Press in March 2024, is beautifully presented. There are 304 pages, printed on cream paper with a clear, generous typeface. The last 40 of these offer the author’s Endnotes, Further Reading suggestions, and a detailed Index.
The jacket (see above) includes a detail from William Chase’s The Keynote (1915). Prominently displayed beneath the title we read Dame Judith Weir’s quote that the book is:
“Surely destined to become a feminist classic.”
Certainly, Tomes here delivers an impassioned exposition of the impact that gender has had, and continues to have, on the development of professional pianism and the wider piano community, tackling her themes with a mixture of fascinating biographical exposition and pertinent social commentary.
A History in 50 Lives
At its heart, Women and the Piano offers a chronological introduction to fifty women whose lives and careers range from the early-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, and whose piano playing, composing and teaching have contributed immeasurably to the development of the music culture we enjoy today.
When reading history, we must remember that any writer will carefully select material, choosing to include some details while omitting others, shaping a larger narrative that builds a case for their broader conclusions.
And so it is here. Tomes begins her story with two short chapters considering the transition from harpsichord to piano. She explains that, with the rise of the nineteenth-century virtuosi, a divide grew between domestic piano playing and public concertising, and one which had rather dire consequences for women’s equal participation in music-making.
Tomes gives brief lives of players from all spheres, taking in the age of the concert pianist, and up to the twentieth century, including the birth of jazz. These vignettes range from a couple of pages to seven (in the case of Clara Schumann). Some are rather scant in their detail, but cumulatively they add considerably to our understanding.
Indeed, these are heroic accounts of women overcoming considerable obstacles to make their indelible mark in music history. Racing through the book, I found myself fascinated and absorbed by Tomes’ illuminating and engaging stories of pivotal musicians whose lives I previously knew little about.
Arriving at the story of Clara Schumann, however, I stopped in my tracks. The story of Robert and Clara is one of classical music’s best known, but Tomes’ retelling struck me as surprisingly unfamiliar in its characterisation. Indeed, the perplexing speculative comments about Robert here seem unwarranted, even unkind. The reality of Clara Schumann’s magnificent achievement speaks for itself, and with no need to malign her ever-supportive husband.
The problem with so one-sided an account of an already familiar story is that it raises questions about whether the other 49 biographical sketches, less familiar in their subject matter, are written in an even-handed manner. As I continued the book, I found this concern quite difficult to dispel, and noted a common theme that the menfolk are treated with little sympathy.
Nevertheless, it is beyond doubt that Tomes offers us a superb glimpse into the lives of these fifty women, whose contributions to the art of piano playing were profound, and who in many cases deserve far more credit that previous writers have given them. And wait: there is yet more…
Where We Are Now
Reaching the end of her history, Tomes concludes the book with a deeply thoughtful and erudite consideration of “where we are now”.
In her final chapter, she reflects on the corrosive impact of international piano competitions, with their physical demands and machismo vainglory, and the spectacle of masterclasses. She calls out the prevalence of misogyny in the music industry (recently also the subject of a major UK government report), considers the thorny issue of hand size, and questions persisting inequality in the music education space.
As we have come to expect from this author, Tomes presents a thoughtful commentary on these oh-so-topical issues, ripe with reflective insight. To consider these hugely important contemporary themes afresh in the light of the history that precedes them here is certainly illuminating, and adds considerably to the value of the book.
Tomes neither offers trite soundbites nor easy answers here; concluding her book, she notes the rise of artificial intelligence and wryly ruminates,
“Perhaps gender disparities will turn out to be the least of our worries.”
Once again, Susan Tomes has delivered a work of genuine stature. Women and the Piano is an important book, superbly written, and an essential read.
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