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PAN PIPES • WINTER 2018 • sai-national.org 28 REVIEWS SCHUBERT'S WINTER JOURNEY: ANATOMY OF AN OBSESSION Ian Bostridge. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2015. T enor Ian Bostridge is known as a leading interpreter of lieder, but he also earned a PhD from Oxford University with a dissertation on the role of witchcraft in 18 th century English life. In addition, he taught political theory and 18 th century British history at Oxford. This academic background, as well as the special affinity he feels for Franz Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, are both evident in his recently-published book. Titled Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession it is an accessible, rewarding read for any music lover, even those with little formal musical training. In Winterreise Franz Schubert provides musical settings for twenty-four poems by Wilhelm Müller, which tell the story of a young man who has been rejected by the one he loves and is wandering through the snowy countryside in his grief. Throughout his journey, he goes through a wide range of emotions and experiences, and Schubert's interpretation of these events results in one of the most beautiful and complex pieces of music in the Western music tradition. Bostridge begins the book by discussing his connection to this particular song cycle, beginning with his personal history as a young performer of the work, then describing how he relied on the music and lyrics to navigate through his own challenges in adolescence. He subsequently devotes a chapter to each song in the cycle, prefacing each with Müller's text and his own English translation. He approaches each song from a variety of perspectives, exploring the cultural context in which Schubert wrote and how it relates to what the protagonist of the cycle is going through. He also touches on the influence of Schubert's own life experiences. He examines the use of language in the poems, the significance of different musical characteristics such as key and range, and relates the work as a whole to other contemporary art and music, including the work of artists such as Caspar David Friedrich. The book is enhanced by the many related photographs and reproductions of art that illustrate his interpretations. Bostridge's knowledge is wide-ranging and he seems fluent in a number of subjects, writing beautifully and expressively. The reader not only finishes the book with a deeper understanding of an important musical work, but with broader knowledge about an influential period in Western culture. In addition, for performers, it will surely enrich any interpretation of Schubert's work and reinforce its ongoing relevance on many levels. Reading this book is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. — Kathi Bower Peterson SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS: THE FORGOTTEN WOMEN OF CLASSICAL MUSIC Anna Beer. London: Oneworld Publications, 2016. T his recent book on the subject of female composers (many of whom aren't technically "forgotten" as the subtitle indicates, but rather neglected) focuses on eight women from the 17 th century to the 20 th century. Many of them will be familiar — for instance, Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel — while others are probably less so, particularly Marianna Martines and Elizabeth Maconchy. As a whole, the composers chosen for discussion (in addition to the four women listed above, Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and Lili Boulanger are included) come from a variety of backgrounds, and include those from affluent families as well as some with a more working-class origin. A few of the composers were fortunate enough to have good support systems that enabled them to flourish, allowing them to compose throughout most of their lives (Jacquet de la Guerre and Maconchy) while others were stifled due to the expectations of society or their family members (particularly spouses), which made it difficult to exercise their talent (Schumann). Others' creative lives were cut short through early death (Boulanger and Hensel). In some cases, there was a combination of challenges that proved to be insurmountable. For each composer, Beer provides biographical information, as well as background about their musical training and the barriers to success each woman faced. She explains in detail the attitudes toward women of each specific time and place, and elucidates the strategies these composers used to continue successfully practicing their art. It is a wonderful introduction to a few of the many unfortunately neglected composers in our past, some of whom have yet to be the subject of a book-length biography. Beer also discusses characteristics of the composers' music; in addition, she provides sources for further reading, as well as recording recommendations. Beer writes engagingly, and her music analysis is suitable for readers who don't have a music background. Sounds and Sweet Airs offers an approach that sees these women as not so much "exceptional" as simply "hard-working." In other words, while in the past scholars emphasized the fact that many of these composers were child prodigies and exhibited extraordinary talent at an early age, this tends to characterize them as the exception to the rule — that composers of skill are generally male and that only unnaturally talented women could ever rise to their level. The author argues convincingly that this denigrates the hard work and skill all these women devoted to their art. She questions why we still, in the 21 st century, do not give these talented composers their due. Perhaps if enough people read this book and others like it, women composers of the past and present will get more of the attention they deserve. — Kathi Bower Peterson

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