It’s
possible that you have not heard the name Ethel Smyth (1858–1944), although she
was a respected English composer of her time known for her chamber music,
orchestral works, vocal scores, and opera.
Ethel
was born into a successful family who didn’t understand why she sought to
follow her ambitions to become a composer. At that time, it was uncommon for
women to pursue a career in this way. She studied for a period at the Leipzig
Conservatory and then left to study privately. Her work met the approval of
big-name composers of her time including Brahms, Clara Schumann, Grieg, and
Tchaikovsky. An advocate for women’s rights, Ethel sometimes would allow her
political views to seep into her work. She lost her hearing later in life, and
at that point devoted herself to writing prose.
Though
Ethel Smyth is respected as a woman who fought to obtain her desired career,
some scholars admit that she never really found her own personal voice in her
composition. Her powerful Mass in D of 1893, for instance, is said to be
reminiscent of Beethoven. Her opera The
Wreckers of 1906 is said to find inspiration from Wagner and Sullivan. What
do you think? Join me next time as we dig a little deeper into Ethel’s successful
opera.
