Notes and Editorial Reviews
Australia may well lay claim to having produced, during the early to mid-20th century, a greater proportion of prominent women from within its ranks of composers than was the case with any other Western nation at the time. Notable among this group of female composers of the time are Margaret Sutherland, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Miriam Hyde, Mirrie Hill, Dulcie Holland and Esther Rofe. Of these Sutherland and Glanville-Hicks, at least, can claim to be two of the most notable half-dozen or so Australian composers (male or female) of their generation. Sutherland was born in Adelaide but, except for two brief trips to England and Europe in 1924-25 (when she studied composition with Arnold Bax) and 1952, resided in Melbourne from 1902 until her
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death. There she made a very significant contribution to the city's (and Australia's) musical culture as composer, pianist, teacher of piano and tireless propagandist on behalf of Australian music and music education. All her life she pursued what she perceived as the "desperately heartbreaking and uphill journey" towards gaining recognition as a female composer in the barren creative environment of Australia in the first half of the century. Her creative work amply reflects her attitude to the nature of the female composer and shows some lifelong preoccupations which are well illustrated in the music recorded on this disc. Although she composed in all the traditional genres of Western music, she seems always to have preferred to write within relatively modest dimensions. She once said in an interview: "I suppose this is reasonable - women don't seem to go in for writing epics." If you have yet to make the acquaintance of this fascinating composer, this disc is a great place to start. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Sonata for Violin and Piano by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Robert Chamberlain (Piano),
Marina Marsden (Violin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1925
2.
Nocturne for Violin and Piano by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Marina Marsden (Violin),
Robert Chamberlain (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1944
3.
Contrasts by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Marina Marsden (Violin),
Christopher Latham (Violin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1953
4.
Bagatelles (6) for Violin and Viola by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Marina Marsden (Violin),
Justine Wickham (Viola)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1956
5.
Divertimento for String Trio by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Marina Marsden (Violin),
Justine Wickham (Viola),
Sue Blake (Cello)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1958
6.
The World and the Child by Margaret Sutherland
Performer:
Sue Blake (Cello),
Marina Marsden (Violin),
Justine Wickham (Viola),
Elizabeth Campbell (Mezzo Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Australia
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