Jewish Early Music — Writing — Elise Groves, soprano

I rarely write in defense of classical music (and Early Music specifically) since I assume if you’re reading my posts, you don’t need to hear that. But I do talk frequently about context - the context in which a piece was composed, in which a composer lived, in which a work was premiered, etc. There’s another aspect of context I’ve mentioned before as well - the societal structures of those times. It’s easy to look at a post like the one about Marais’ horrifying surgery from a few weeks ago and feel a sense of superiority at how far medical knowledge has come since then (and aren’t we grateful!).

But sometimes when we make the comparison to our own times, we see that there hasn't been much improvement. Just to take our good friend J.S. Bach as an example:
- musicians had periods of stable and unstable employment, depending on the whims of their (rich, spoiled, out of touch) patrons
- payment was equally equivocal - sometimes it happened and sometimes not
- the demands of the job sometimes exceeded the salary offered
- “This includes an educational component??”
- “I have this great idea, but I don't have the funds or the right performers to make it happen.”
- while on the road for a gig, major personal tragedy occurs

Not so different from today, no?

And then there are the issues of elitism. At the very highest levels, the composers and performers in the historical record are overwhelmingly white men. History is written by the winners, so on some level, this is an understandable outcome. As a woman, I have the most familiarity with the forces that historically kept many women out of the history of music - here is a sampling:
- education (including in music) was a privilege only extended to a select few
- even for those who became skilled, private performance was preferred to public performance (society viewed musicians/theater workers/sex workers with the same disdain)
- in order to receive any kind of attention, a woman would have to be inordinately skilled AND attract the attention of a man who would forward her career without co-opting her work as his own.
- women were forbidden in the arenas of sacred music entirely
- the pressures and expectations society placed on women to marry and raise children conspired to both steal the time and focus away from women’s achievements

Some of these things have improved in the 21st century, but many of them are still forces to be reckoned with. I’m happy to report that (pandemic-time excluded), I have a wonderful church job and enjoy performing publicly. But 99% of the conductors and administrators I work for are men. My observation is that educational opportunities are now more divided by economic privilege rather than gender, but those forces are still at work. At the highest levels of performing in the classical music world (and with certain instruments), it’s still a male-dominated world.

In some cases, organizations are understanding when women take time to have a child - they are able to return to their careers without significant issues. But the load of a non-traditional schedule, being on the road for gigs, securing childcare, and perhaps not being offered work because “Oh, well they have a kid”… these are still very real issues (compounded in many cases by the issues of low pay). And I should also mention that organizations are not always as understanding as that. Women still lose work simply for being pregnant. In some cases, the time off that women need to recover means that they are no longer at the top of a conductor/administrator’s mind, which means they stop being hired.

And for how society views women? One need only think of the awards shows in Hollywood or most any concert review. How much time is spent talking about the skill and achievement of women, and how much time is devoted to what they’re wearing and how they’ve done their hair? Truly, when was the last time a concert review discussed the attire of a male performer?

And that brings us to issues of race. Again, history is written by the winners, and white men are the dominant species. A similar but even more expansive host of prejudices and cultural attitudes kept BIPOC individuals out of the public sphere and the historical record. But those composers, performers, etc. ARE THERE. There’s an oft-cited phrase, “Anonymous was a woman” that I would expand to be “Anonymous was whoever society refused to acknowledge”. And many took the work of talented others and passed it off as their own.

I’m a performer, not a sociologist (or any of the other relevant -ologists). My ability to speak to this is limited, and bluntly, white voices like mine (especially the well-meaning ones) frequently drown out those of people telling their own stories. I exhort you to listen to the stories of Black performers. Listen to the stories of Latinx and mixed-race performers. Seek out their work, buy their CDs, come to their concerts. I have tremendously talented (and patient and tenacious) colleagues who not only fight against the usual struggles of musicians to succeed, but also for their right to even be in the game. Their experiences and journeys make mine look easy (and I assure you, it hasn't been). Look for organizations to support who have a mix of people on stage (and in administration). We only move forward if we all move forward together.

Don’t give up on Early Music. Use it as a mirror. If the same cringe-worthy circumstances and practices are still in force today, then FIX THEM. And for the historical content, just view it as the tip of the iceberg. Imagine what other incredible treasures are out there and be honest about what has kept them from being known. Early Music Monday has been overwhelmingly white and male, partially because that’s the easiest material to get my hands on, but also because I haven't been trying hard enough. The new archive makes it obvious for me what topics need more attention, and I’ll be working in the coming weeks to fill those in. My love of Byrd and Lassus (and Schütz and ….) remains, and there will still be content that includes them. But our “diet” will hopefully move toward something a little more well-rounded going forward.

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