n a piano quintette and a
string quartette, besides short cantatas and the usual lesser pieces for
violin, piano, and voice. Marie Wurm, born at Southampton in 1860, is a
successful pianist as well as composer. Her concerto in B minor is
highly praised for excellent workmanship, originality, and melodic
strength and charm. Among her other works are a concert overture, a
string quartette, violin and 'cello sonatas, some five-voiced madrigals,
with various piano pieces and songs.
Rosalind Frances Ellicott has won a place of honour among women
composers. She was born in 1857, and is a daughter of the Bishop of
Gloucester. Her music is not especially ecclesiastic in vein, but
includes many notable secular compositions. Among her important works
are dramatic, concert, and festival overtures, and a fantasia for piano
and orchestra, all given at various English festivals. Of her various
cantatas, the "Birth of Song," "Elysium," and "Henry of Navarre" have
met with the most success. She has written two piano trios, a string
quartette, and much music for 'cello, piano, and voice.
Ethel M. Smyth, who recently was brought into notice in America by the
performance of her opera, "Der Wald," is one of England's talented
musical women. In purely orchestral vein she has produced a serenade in
D and the overture "Antony and Cleopatra," both being given at the
Crystal Palace in 1890. She has shown originality in other than
operatic fields, and her greatest work is a Mass in D. This is a
composition of decided merit, and is full of sustained dignity and
breadth of style. It is intensely modern in quality, and its expressive
feeling is somewhat reminiscent of Gounod, but it is not in any sense an
imitation of the great Frenchman. Her string quintette has been
performed at Leipsic. She has written a violin sonata and the usual
number of minor pieces and songs. Her opera has received much praise,
but the final verdict rates it as rather confused and undramatic, in
spite of much good music in the score.
Many women have attempted opera, but none have met with more than
temporary success. In England, owing to the example of Gilbert and
Sullivan, light operas and operettas have flourished to a considerable
degree. Mary Grant Carmichael met with some success through her
operetta, "The Snow Queen," but like Miss Smyth gave the world a more
important work in the shape of a mass. Ethel Harraden, sister of the
novelist, had her opera, "The Tabo
|