This out of print 1995 Thorofon CD holds four orchestral
works by women composers, written in the first half of the 20th century
but mostly bearing a 19th-century Romantic sound. Johanna
Muller-Hermann's Heroic Overture and the symphonic fantasy Brand are both Straussian; Maria Bach's Silhouetten is a series of mostly-impressionistic pieces, one of which uses the famous theme Gliere later used as his Sailor's Dance from "The Red Poppy"! Mary Dickenson-Auner's Irish Symphony
is the most recent of the works, composed in 1941. It adds some
neoclassical touches, but is still largely a late-romantic work.
Manfred Mussauer leads the Mahrische Philharmonic.
From the American Record Guide review:
Frauentöne is Women's Sounds, and this is Volume 1. It is good to see an entire release devoted to music by women, especially these three, who were pioneers in the largely male-dominated musical society early in this century. Johanna Muller-Hermann (1868-1941) and Maria Bach (1896-1978) were Austrian, and Mary Dickenson-Auner (1880-1965) was Irish. Muller-Hermann studied with Guido Adler, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Bohuslav Forster, and taught at the New Viennese Conservatory 1918-32. Her music was championed by such conductors as Wilhelm Furtwangler and Clemens Kraus. The Heroic Overture and Epilogue to a Tragedy (the play Brand by Henrik Ibsen) look to Reger, Wagner, and Strauss for inspiration and employ the large orchestral forces characteristic of these composers. Maria Bach was one of the first women to study at the Vienna Music Academy; Joseph Marx was her teacher. Her ballet Silhouettes (15:12) dates from 1937. Following an impressionist 'Prelude of the Bells', the music is, in turn, inspired by Greek, Armenian-Turkish, Russian, and Jewish melorhythms. Mary Dickenson-Auner studied violin, organ, and composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London and had an active career as a concert violinist, cut short by marriage. She moved to Vienna in 1920 and lived there for the rest of her life. Her 1941 Irish Symphony (24:11) is in five movements and skillfully integrates her own themes with traditional Irish folktunes. III, 'Caoine' (Lament of the Dead) is especially poignant, with its stirring string themes, harp, woodwind, and solemn brass motifs. V is a set of seven variations on a lively Irish dance tune. In style and substance the music reminded me of Harty, Parry, and Stanford. --Diederik De Jong
Disc, booklet, and case are in near-mint condition.
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