Well, I don’t know if she’s truly the best, since by definition I’m unfamiliar with the other composers I’ve never heard of. But Marion Bauer is pretty amazing, and it’s a damn shame she’s nearly forgotten. This post is my little contribution to publicizing a piece of newly recovered music history.
I encountered Marion Bauer via one of my students, who discovered Bauer through her research. She went on to rewrite the Wikipedia entry on her, which had previously been a mere stub. (If Wikipedia’s articles were always this good, no one would ever disparage it.) In short, Bauer made a life for herself through composing and teaching music at a time when women were absolute outsiders.
My student also featured Bauer’s work at her senior recital. She had to seek out the sheet music through interlibrary loan, since it’s out of print. Recordings of Bauer’s music remain scarce, so these YouTube clips of her “Fantasia quasi una Sonata” (Opus 18) are a step toward restoring Bauer to history. Plus, I thought my student and her accompanist presented a stirring performance. Put on your headphones and enjoy!
I. Moderato romantico
II. Ben ritmico e vivace
III. Lento espressivo-allegro con moto
Patron cat of Kittywampus (1985-2001)
Hi Sungold,
I’ve been studying music at the university for eight years (two more left to finish the DMA in saxophone) and have never heard of Bauer. This is great music! I’m not surprised that her music hasn’t made it into the canon that we study at school–female composers before about 1960 or 1970 have been overlooked pretty consistently. It’s a shame that she didn’t write any chamber music for saxophone, although it looks like she used it in at least one of her orchestral pieces, the _American Youth Concerto_.
I found a recording of her Viola Sonata, Op. 22, on Naxos. You probably have access to it online through your university’s library if you’re not familiar with Naxos already. It’s a really great piece, and I’m tempted to transcribe it for alto sax (if I can figure out a satisfactory way to deal with the double stops and low Cs). We saxophonists are always on the look out for a new piece to steal. Thanks for posting!
Ryan
Ryan, it’s wonderful you’re getting a DMA in saxophone! My older son just started it, and many of my good friends play sax – one of them as a (poorly) paid sideline to her day job. I have a strong prejudice in favor of saxophonists!
I’m also glad that Bauer lit a fire for you. I downloaded a couple of her piano pieces but haven’t had a chance to try them out yet. They don’t look tough, but I’m traveling (which also explains my sporadic presence at this blog). My former student will likely work on some of these early 20th c. women composers as part of the Ph.D. work she is about to begin.
I’ll be sure to check out Opus 22. Thanks for the tip! I do have access through my library so I should be able to find it.