Why this Register?
* there are over 8000 women composers since Sappho (±700 BC)
* aprox. 40% of all the living composers are women, but nobody knows their names, their work and their contribution and importance for the history of music
* there are more than 1000 operas written by women, of which most are unperformed
* although in Kassel, Germany, during the last decade aprox 50 concerts have been organized, performing works of over 100 women composers it is still possible that a serious monthly like 'Das Orchester' (June 2000) writes about this field of music as 'Steps into The Unknown Land'!
* music written by women can seldom be heard on any stage, any broadcastprogramme and is even difficult to be found on recordings
* less than 0,25% of all the time broadcasts spend on classical, serious and jazz music in Europe is composed by women. In The Netherlands 10 classical radiostations during ± 2000 h/pw can be heard.
* We are sure that it is absolutely necessary all artistic managers, all stages and the newsmedia give more recognition and respect to professional women in music and their work. This might lead to more performances on stage, more recordings and more broadcasting by radio and television; at least more than at present. We think that in other parts of the world the situation is certainly not better than..
* We hope that one day all orchestras, ensembles and choirs will discover this amount of - never before or seldom performed - music. We hope that every orchestra, ensemble or choir will play at least once a year ( March 8th?) work written by a woman composer. That would result in an international change in stage programming. We hope that world first performances of these compositions may be conducted by women orchestra conductors (Up till now we found worldwide ± 200 names of women orchestra conductors. They also are victim of prejudice, reason why you see them seldom in action on stage. The fact that Marin Alsop will be next year (2005) the very first woman conductor in the 150 years-history of the Royal Dutch Concertgebouw Orchestra was big news for the Dutch press!!). The situation of women condutors is perfectly written down by Elke Mascha Blankenburg in the May 2005-issue of 'Das Orchester'.
* Thinking of the words Tera de Marez Oyens said in Fairbanks, Alaska in August 1993, that there must be done a lot of work to be heard, and if not, there will be no chance for women composers, it is necesseraly to work together all over the world, beginning with linking all our websites to one another, exchanging as much information as possible, combining our efforts to reach our mutual goal: let the world know that the quality of professional women musicians is equal to their male colleagues.
* In this register we bring out the names of composers, operas, orchestra conductors which we found in books, periodicals and in other ways. From the ± 4000 names of composers we have about 1500 biographies, which are only obtainable on demand. We also bring out in this register all women orchestras we can find and a number of organizations in the field of women in music. Listing in this register does not necessarely stand for a judgement of value. (Some singer/songwriters are indicated with W for World Music, others with C for Country Music)
Most important sources for this register:
Books:
Blankenburg, Elke Mascha: Dirigentinnen im 20. Jahrhundert;
Broughton, Simon, e.a. : World Music, the rough guide;
Carr, Ian e. a.: Jazz, the rough guide;
Claeys, S.: Het Tweede Thema;
D.M. Cummings, ed: International WHO'S WHO Classical Music 2003 19th ed;
Fuller, S.: The Paladium Guide to Women Composers;
Jackson B.: Say You Can Deny Me?;
Kennedy, W.: The Oxford Dictionary of Music;
Letzter, J. & Adelson, R.: Women writing Opera;
Marx, F & Haas, G.: 210 Österreichische Komponistinnen;
Antje Olivier & Karin Weingarter-Perschel: Komponistinnen von A-Z;
Eva Rieger, (Red): Frau und Musik-Frühe Texte;
Danielle Roster: Allein mit meider Musik, Komponistinnen in der europäischen Musikgeschichte;
Sadie, J & Rhian, S: New Grove Dictionary of Women composers;
Warrack, J. & West, E.: The Oxford Dictionary of Opera;
Weissweiler, E.: Komponistinnen, vom Mittelalter bis zum Gegenwart;
Wolff, Kurt: Country Music, the rough guide;
Periodicals:
'Das Orchester'(monthly); MGN-Magazine/Oorzaak (2-monthly); VPRO-Gids (weekly).