Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This is a gathering of short, stimulating articles by ten thinkers actively concerned with the subject of women in music. The text is logically bound by Susan McCleary's foreword and an introductory overview that also serves as a bibliographic essay on the state of feminist musicology through 1991. The essays are accessible (only one piece includes musical examples), wide-ranging (e.g., there are essays on feminist theory, social history, performance practice, art, and folk and popular music in Europe and America), and fertile (notes and references encourage further study). This well-edited book belongs in all serious music and women's history collections.-- Bonnie Jo Dopp, formerly with Dist . of Columbia P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This work sets itself a fascinating task, which it accomplishes with distinction and interest. Ten essays--ranging from a discussion of the philosophy of feminist music criticism and musicology (Marcia J. Citron), through the psychology of rearing a child prodigy (Adrienne Fried Block on Amy Beach) and how the politics of representation influenced musical activities throughout history, to a tale of gender and power in American balladry (Susan C. Cook)--revisit some familiar musical paths with new maps. Cook and Tsou promise in their introduction to "add untold dimensions to our previous understanding of music history and musical activity" and they do. They present the reader with "an attempt to right the inequities of male-female relations by rewriting aspects of our musical past ... ask[ing] new questions ... examin[ing] neglected source materials...." This collection traverses the tale of women in music from the English Renaissance, 17th-century France, 18th-century Italy, 19th-century American magazine (popular) music, arriving at a discussion of female images in current rap music. The distinguished essayists are joined in the common cause of rethinking and reviewing the history of music, a cause that will be taken all the more seriously because of the excellence of their contributions. This volume is a must for any music history shelf in any library serving undergraduates, graduates, and the general musical public. It will also be a valuable addition to the literature of women's studies, sociology, and ethnomusicology. The excellent bibliographic references attached to each article will serve future scholars as a springboard for research for years to come. S. Glickman; formerly, Franklin and Marshall College