Women in Music: A Research and Information Guide.

(Routledge Music Bibliographies) by

Karin Pendle
Review by: Sophie Fuller
Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 55, No. 1 (January-March 2008), pp. 81-84
Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres
(IAML)
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 REVIEWS 81

of German-language items. The Scandinavian entries, along with the duplicate entry at nos 16

language entries begin, chronologically, with and 17.

Anker Oyvind's Katalogiering av musikalier of In the end, though, is it better to have this
1939, and include several items by Carl Morner, book than not to have it? Resoundingly, yes.
who comes a somewhat surprising fifth in While it may have its imperfections, Smiraglia
Smiraglia and Young's "author productivity" and Young's book does a good job of bringing
table (p. 17). Work in French begins with a together many useful references concerning an

piece from 1937 by Roger Devigne. important area of music library work. The in
Three criticisms can be leveled at the book. troductory historical survey and analytical es
First of all, the 880 entries include 129 reviews. say (p. 5-30) is certainly worth having; and
Smiraglia rightlypoints out the importance of through its chronological arrangement the
reviews to work in the field of music biblio book serves as a reminder of the work of those

graphic control, so it is obviously important to library professionals, great and small, who have
have these. But I would have preferred them contributed to the music library landscape.
to accompany the entry for the item being
John Wagstaff
reviewed, or maybe to follow it directly.
Universityofllllinois at Urbana-Champaign
Presenting reviews in alphabetical order by au
thor within the chronological sequence means,
for example, that if a book author's last name
Women in Music: A Research and
begins with M, and the reviewer with C, the re Information Guide. By Karin Pendle.
viewer will be listed before the citation for the
(Routledge Music Bibliographies) New York,
book. Furthermore, sometimes reviews of a
London: Routledge, 2005. [706 p. ISBN
particular item are spread over more than one
041594354X. $115]
year, so if you want, for example, to read all the
reviews of the Code International de Catalogage, It seems rather strange to hold in my hands the

you first of all have to track them down. 706 pages of this painstakingly compiled infor
Secondly, the authors freely admit that they mation guide. Hard copy information of this
have not seen all the items they list. The listing, kind is rapidly becoming something rather
rather, has been compiled by examination of quaint and old-fashioned. How often does any
print and online sources, including Library one reach for a book rather than a computer

Literature, the Music Index, RILM and Library keyboard ifthey want to find out what has been
and Information Science Abstracts. One sus written about a particular subject? We have be

pects that this may have led to under-reporting come dependent on Google or, as academics,
of some foreign publications, as the authors on an array of online resources from JSTOR to
themselves acknowledge. Grove Online for what we hope will be up-to
Finally, in some cases it is difficultto see date, accurate information.

why a particular item has found its way into the After the lengthy book making process, a

book, particularly since the entries are only printed volume such as this is inevitably out of

very rarely annotated (as in the case of entry date as soon as it appears—as far as recording

405, for example). Leonard Petts's The Story of recent scholarship goes. Karin Pendle makes it
"Nipper" and "His Master's Voice" (entry 680) is clear that her annotated bibliography, reflecting
a case in point, as is Owen Jander's (entry 361) 'more than 25 years of feministwritings on mu
Staff-linerIdentification:a Technique for theAge sic', makes no claims to completeness and fo

ofMicrofilm,published in JAMS in 1967, which cuses on work published between 1980 and

deals with the codification of rastra (tools for 2000. There are a few exceptions to these date

ruling staves). The answer is, of course, that boundaries—earlier publications Pendle deems
these items have been entered because of the especially noteworthy, such as Sophie
compilers' over-reliance on the indexers of the Drinker's Music and Women: The Story of
bibliographic tools they have examined. A final Women in Their Relation to Music (1948), and
spot-check by compilers or publisher might 21st-century works of scholarship that are 'hot
have eliminated some of these problem off-the-press' and whose inclusion can seem

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82 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 55/1

somewhat arbitrary,such as Sondra Bell's 2003 Despite its title—Women in Music—this vol
DMA thesis from the University of Cincinatti ume is about more than the roles women have
(Pendle's own institution): Twentieth-Century played and continue to play in various musical
Trombone Music by Women of the United worlds, although it is with women as musicians
States and Canada'. that the main focus lies. Pendle feels that 'the
Pendle (and her three assistants) intend the materials collected and annotated in this book
volume 'as an organizing and enlightening tool ... represent a variety of testimonies to areas of
for modern feminists of all degrees and gen- feminist-influenced thought in music'. So as
ders...who are interested in learning more well as work which explores the many different
about women's roles and accomplishments in ways in which women engage and have en
music'. It is certainly an enlightening volume, gaged with music, there are sections on

bringing together an impressive array of work 'Feminist Theory and Cultural Studies',
in and thought about an area of study that ex- 'Feminist Methods and Viewpoints in Music'
ploded into a somewhat reluctant and unwel- and 'Issues of Sexuality'. These sections can do

coming musicology towards the end of the last little more than dip a cautious toe into a huge

century and has played a not-inconsiderable sea. The choice of items included in the section
role in reshaping the discipline. The materials on 'Feminist Theory and Cultural Studies'—
gathered together here are organized into divided into nine short subsections—feels par
clearly defined sections, ranging from the gen- ticularly subjective, although I can see it would
eral ('Reference Works' and Women in United provide a useful starting point for anyone not fa
States and World History') to the more specifi- miliar with feministideas and issues or with the
cally music- and women-orientated (Women in concerns of cultural scholarship. But it feels
Blues and Jazz' or Two or More Individuals'). strange to find a subsection on 'Feminism and
The section on 'Music Histories of Women' in- Art' which contains nothing by Griselda
eludes score anthologies and there are useful Pollock, author of the groundbreaking Vision
sections on 'Music Education and Training' and and Difference: Femininity, Feminism and the
'Women's Financial Support of Music and Histories of Art (Routledge, 1988)—a book
Musicians', although the omission of Stephen which was a revelation to me when it came out,
'
Banfield's 1986 article "Too Much of Albion"? not least for its arresting, succinct and still per
Mrs. Coolidge and Her British Connections' tinent opening: 'Is adding women to art history
from this section is a shame. There is a sensible the same as producing feminist art history?
division between a general section on Demanding that women be considered not only

'Ethnomusicology' and the more specific and changes what is studied and what becomes rel
substantial section 'Countries and Geo- evant to investigate but it challenges the exist

graphical Areas' which has 69 subsections in- ing disciplines politically',

eluding England and Scotland but strangely The subsection on 'Black Feminist Theory'
neither Ireland nor Wales. The section feels somewhat tokenistic, including two arti
'Historical Periods' leaps from a subsection on cles by Patricia Hill Collins but none of her full
the 'Early Modern Period' (fromthe late 15th to length studies, such as Black Feminist Thought:
the 17th century) to one on the Twentieth Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of
Century'. I find it hard to believe that no schol- Empowerment (1990, revised edition 2000).
arship on feminist issues in music during the Angela Y. Davis is represented here by one ar
18th or 19th centuries that was best described as tide on racism and reproductive politics but not
such appears to have surfaced. The 242 entries by her seminal monographs Women, Race and
on 'Individuals' provide a fascinating survey of Class (1982) or Women, Culture, and Politics
those women musicians considered by a variety (1988). There is little guidance on work explor
of scholars most suitable for study. They in- ing issues around Asian or Latin American fem
clude a staggering 95 entries on Fanny Hensel inist theories and no place for work on white
as well as 42 entries for Hildegard of Bingen, 31 ness, such as Ruth Frankenburg's White
for Clara Schumann and 28 for Ruth Crawford Women, Race Matters (Race, Gender, Ethnicity)
Seeger. (1993).

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 REVIEWS 83

It is in the section on 'Feminist Theory and However, in general the annotations are sen
Viewpoints in Music' that the organizing struc- sible, measured and useful. Those by Pendle's
ture of the volume seems to crumble slightly. assistants, Suzanne Hamlin, Anya Holland and
There seems little consistency as to whether Frank Pendle, are acknowledged as such. Just
work on a particular individual which also deals occasionally, Pendle's annotations seem to re
with issues of feminist theory should be listed veal unnecessarily harsh and unjustified criti
here or in the section on 'Individuals'. For ex- cisms. For example Brian Currid's article ' "We
ample, Sally Macarthur's article, The Power of Are Family": House Music and Queer
Sound, the Power of Sex: Alma Schindler Performativity', to me a lucid and welcome ex
Mahler's Ansturn' (2002), is only listed here ploration of genre and community,is described
and not with other texts about Alma Mahler in as 'annoyingly unfocused and dependent on
the later 'Individuals' section. On the other jargon' while
Elizabeth Wood's article
hand, Liane Curtis's article, 'Rebecca Clarke 'Decomposition' is dismissed as 'a rather em
and Sonata Form: Questions of Gender and barrassingly personal essay'. It is worth noting
Genre' (1997) is only listed under Clarke in the that Wood's article is here only cited in Freia
'Individuals' section and not here, despite its Hoffmann, Jane Bowers and Ruth Heckmann
central focus on feminist understandings of (editors), Frauen- und Männerbilder in die
sonata form. Pendle's careful annotation does Musik. Festschrift für Eva Rieger zum 60.
indicate that Curtis 'reviews available scholar- Geburstag (2000) but it is also, and more widely,
ship relating to gendered concepts of sonata- available in Philip Brett, Susan Leigh Foster
allegro form', concluding that Curtis 'demon- and Sue-Ellen Case (editors), Decomposition:
strates that the metaphorical gendering of Post-Disciplinary Performance (Unnatural Acts)
themes in sonata form is not necessarily a "one (2000).
size fits all" situation'. But, with no cross refer- Both Currid and Wood's essays are to be

encing, the reader searching through the sec- found in the section 'Issues of Sexuality' which
tion on 'Feminist Theory and Viewpoints in provides a somewhat confused collection of ma
Music' for work on feminist readings of sonata terials. It is not clear, for example, why Elaine
form would not find this article. Of course, Barkin's article 'Rules of One's Own' from ed.

problems like this could be helped by the three Elaine Barkin and Lydia Hammessley, Audible
indices (Index of Names, Index of Authors and Traces: Gender, Identity,and Music (1999), an
Subject Index) except that there is no entry in essay which Pendle herself describes as con
the Subject Index for 'sonata form'. eluding 'with some definitions and descriptions
Another example of the problems of organi- of feminist theory as it can apply to work in mu
zation can be seen in entry 400 (in the 'Feminist sic', is listed here rather than in 'Feminist

Theory' section) which is a 1993 Wesleyan Theory'. Conversely, none of the essays from

University PhD dissertation by Myrna Frances ed. Corinne E. Blackmer and Patricia Juliana
Schloss, 'Out of the Twentieth Century: Three Smith, En travesti: Women, Gender Subversion,
Composers, Three Musics, One Femininity'. Opera (1995) are listed here although the col
There is no annotation for this item and so the lection was published in the Columbia
reader has no way of knowing that the three University Press series 'Between Men—

composers are Pauline Oliveros, Meredith Between Women: Lesbian and Gay Studies' and

Monk, and Joan Tower. The item is not listed in several of the essays are now classics of queer
the Index of Names under Oliveros, Monk, or musicology. Why is Suzanne Raitt's 1992 article
Tower, nor is it cross-referenced in the sections "The Singers of Sargent: Mabel Batten, Elsie
Two or more individuals' or even 'Countries Swinton, Ethel Smyth'—described by Pendle's
and Geographical Areas: United States'. The assistant Suzanne Hamlin as examining 'meth

problem for this item seems to stem from the ods of portraying women and their sexuality'—
decision not to annotate theses and disserta- listed in 'Countries and Geographical Areas:

tions, something acknowledged in Pendle's England' rather than here (or perhaps under

preface as due to 'their numbers and the diffi- Two or More Individuals')? And why is
culties getting access to them'. Mitchell Morris's 'It's Raining Men: The

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84 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 55/1

Weather Girls, Gay Subjectivity,and the Erotics catalogue "Hamnet" and the detailed finding
of Insatiability' (another essay from Audible aids available on its website, a significant por
Traces) listed in "Women in Rock and Pop tion of the Folger's materials can be searched
Music' and not here? It feels as if there is a dis and browsed according to standard biblio
tinct reluctance to include items in this section graphical tags; however, this method is insuffi
if they can possibly be placed elsewhere, cient for those wishing to undertake compre
thereby making the study of sexuality in music hensive investigations of particular types of
and queer musicology seem narrower and less materials. In one instance, that of manuscript

important than it surely has become in recent music, Richard Charteris has both provided a
years. Interestinglythe subject index has no en solution and illustrated the complexity of such
tries for lesbian, gay, homosexual, or queer, al a task. Compiled over three decades,
though it does have entries under sexuality. Charteris's annotated catalogue offers a com
It is easy to list writings that I personally prehensive inventory of the Folger's holdings
have found useful and illuminating that are not of what is best described as music manuscripts
included in this volume and easy to pick holes and manuscript music. This encompasses a
in the tricky task of developing a coherent and wide variety of materials, ranging from such
user-friendly organizational structure. But well-known manuscript volumes as the
there is no doubt that this book is a consider Dowland Lute Book (MS V.b.280; Charteris's
able achievement. Pendle's insistence on the source no. 104), the c. 1817 fair-copy score
idea of making feminist writings available for of Rossini's Otello (MSS W.b.544-546; source
feminists is a welcome one in what can seem no. 129), and Felix Mendelssohn's autograph of
like a vehemently post-feministworld in which his four-hand piano version of the overture to A
the very word 'feminist' is one to be avoided. Midsummer Night's Dream (MS V.a.372; source
The inclusion of non-English language writings no. 90) to assorted vellum stubs and binding
and the team's thorough annotations are also materials with scraps of medieval and

very welcome. So, despite the fact that my in Renaissance Gregorian chant, and even to bits
stinct may be to reach for my computer key of fragmentary musical doodling on the pages
board, I know that when I need to find out what or flyleaves of early printed books. Charteris
information is available about any of many dif has assiduously sought out every instance of
ferent aspects of women's involvements with notated music in the Folger's collection, how
the worlds of music, I will start by reaching up ever substantive (e.g., source no. 100: a 122
to my book shelf to pull down Women in Music: folio volume of songs, motets, and anthems by
A Research and Information Guide. Henry Purcell and others, copied in the early
eighteenth century [MS V.b.197]) or diminu
Sophie Fuller
tive (source no. 65: an "incomplete and text
London
less" unattributed, untitled music fragment
copied in the late sixteenth century on the
verso of the frontfly-leafof a 1540 edition of a
An Annotated Catalogue of the Music
French-language tutor).
Manuscripts in the Folger Shakespeare
For each of his 168 "sources", Charteris pro
library, Washington, D.C. By Richard
vides, as appropriate, information on the
Charteris. (Annotated Reference Tools in
source's physical description; watermarks; im
Music, no. 6) Hillsdale, N.Y.: Pendragon Press,
print; provenance; Folger accession number,
2005. [xxix, 749 p. + 35 plates. ISBN: 1-57647
former pressmark, and microfilm details, as
115-2. $86]
well as general comments and a list of relevant
Home to one of the world's largest collections scholarly literature. This preliminary informa
of early English printed books and manu tion is followed in each case by an inventory in
scripts, the Folger Shakespeare Library has which individual musical items in the source
long been an important resource for scholars of are numbered and catalogued, with further
Tudor and Stuart England and of all things commentary and cross-references provided as
Shakespearean. Thanks to the library's online appropriate. The volume concludes with a se

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