Ellas Crean Festival (a femenine compositors festival) this year has surprised the lovers of classical music with an unusual lineup. Despite its name and what it suggests, especially against what seems to support, the songs of this year were written in the handwriting of characters as diverse as unfeminine. During the course of classical music, the audience have heard works of Franz Schubert, Antonio Vivaldi or Claudio Monteverdi, among others.Following the lack of women composers in these concerts, whose goal is neither more nor less than that of professing equality between men and women at the time of writing on a blank score, the Association of Women in Music, with its President Mercedes Zavala to the head, sent an open letter to Zapatero on this issue.
It ensures that works are used by male composers "instead of (interpreted) to the contemporary composers, songwriters are obvious to the current and maximum generated confusion about the concept of musical authorship."
But the issue goes much further, because the artists that will be ordered to give life to the writings of these composers on stage will be foreign. Not only is this a loss of visibility of women composers, but also of the interpreters of our country.
What is the first impression of the Association of Women in Music when it knows that there will be only male composers in the Ellas Crean Festival 2010? And what does the President of this association think?
In general, there is no surprise among those who already knew the festival. Past editions ignored women composers, with
the sole exception of 2008, when there was a concert dedicated to current creators from Spain. We then opened a door, but it was not either in 2009 or in 2010, where it was again reversed.
For many women, myself included, it is wrong that the authorities think that as an event dedicated to women that carry the banner of equality is all great and wonderful. We believe that if it comes to value, it is just because it shows how important our job is to do things professionally and avoids trivialization precisely. Otherwise it becomes a mere use of feminism in terms of other interests.
In the beginning this festival showed classical music in general, not only in this current side, it was basically a festival of popular and commercial music. Even today putting the focus, interestingly, musical events in which the musical authorship is weak or diluted, is limited to text, or is directly male but is hidden by highlighting the singer performer. In the music business is a common practice to hide the author, composers and other performers, etc., and emphasize only the figure on stage. To prove this you just need to see the programs of concerts, which lack any information on authorship and works to be interpreted.
A deep malaise is what we feel when the Festival expands its borders and forms including classical music, hiring foreign female performers who bring well-known repertoire of male composers of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, rather than the composers of those corresponding centuries.
This issue, together with the amount of resources used on this occasion, and the folly of pretending that displayed female musical creation, is what broke the idea.
How is it possible that in an event of such magnitude, calling for equality, women composers could be forgotten ?
Frankly, I think it is in part due to a profound ignorance. Which is no excuse, because when you have so many public resources, and the President of the Government of Spain, along with two ministries, presents the festival and increases accountability, both to find the right people to lead the event, as appropriate assistance. They should also had to be careful with the social and cultural impact of the activities carried out, and not just its immediate popularity and political advantage.
In Spain it is commonly understood that anyone believes that music, even without training, while in other plots, such as medicine, plumbing or computer, to give three colorful examples, would be assumed that we must resort to specialists. In the case of composers, mostly from the historical, more importantly, because they are generally unaware of his existence. But something that is unknown does not mean it does not exist.
Do you think there is any interest for this to take place?
This country is under an inertia that are submerged cultural policy, which seeks to promote what commercial profitability or media and hence political, even at the cost to manipulate, steal and spoil the concept of culture. The Minister of Culture hetself continually repeated the tagline that culture is "consumed", or speaks of their "consumers." This makes it clear that the industry is concerned, not culture, the latter is acquired, transmitted, is taught or cultivated, and what should occupy a Ministry of Culture, in my opinion, is how it encourages and protects it, because otherwise existing businesses and markets, which will surely be responsible for searching for business opportunities. However it is increasingly common since the agencies supposedly devoted to the cultural are working in the wrong direction.
More than 130 people have joined her protest, is it enough?
It is never enough, but despite this, the protest has been very well received among the people who are dedicated to music, and others who are not. This issue not only affects those who live on this, but it is something that affects all of society.
We seem to be sufficient given that the chain was made in a week using our mailing only, then we have not done anything to expand it, because we wanted to be sure that was an opinion shared enough. Once we had the first companies and support e-mails stopped, because the intention was to make known to the authorities involved and make them aware of our displeasure, in case they were unaware, the barbarity that is appealing to women making music without it . We choose not to send it to the press, because as an Association we just make a constructive criticism that goes directly to the bodies that have sponsored.
What responses have been achieved?
At the moment only we have an answer, in my personal mail, from the Festival Director, Concha Hernandez, which I appreciate. In her letter it was apparent that she had not understood our protest, believing, among other things that we wanted was to be programmed ourselves, which obviously is not the issue. But at least, she gave us the opportunity to respond to her letter and clarify the arguments developed which is our point of view about fundament
al flaws in the approach to the Festival.
We are also still have to talk with people from the Ministry of Equality, which have sent us their concern about this issue.
On the label ELLAS CREAN in our blog, which can be found in http://mujeresenlamusica.blogspot.com/, there is the Association's open letter, the list of accessions and my answer to the director of the Festival.
It ensures that works are used by male composers "instead of (interpreted) to the contemporary composers, songwriters are obvious to the current and maximum generated confusion about the concept of musical authorship."
But the issue goes much further, because the artists that will be ordered to give life to the writings of these composers on stage will be foreign. Not only is this a loss of visibility of women composers, but also of the interpreters of our country.
What is the first impression of the Association of Women in Music when it knows that there will be only male composers in the Ellas Crean Festival 2010? And what does the President of this association think?
In general, there is no surprise among those who already knew the festival. Past editions ignored women composers, with
the sole exception of 2008, when there was a concert dedicated to current creators from Spain. We then opened a door, but it was not either in 2009 or in 2010, where it was again reversed.For many women, myself included, it is wrong that the authorities think that as an event dedicated to women that carry the banner of equality is all great and wonderful. We believe that if it comes to value, it is just because it shows how important our job is to do things professionally and avoids trivialization precisely. Otherwise it becomes a mere use of feminism in terms of other interests.
In the beginning this festival showed classical music in general, not only in this current side, it was basically a festival of popular and commercial music. Even today putting the focus, interestingly, musical events in which the musical authorship is weak or diluted, is limited to text, or is directly male but is hidden by highlighting the singer performer. In the music business is a common practice to hide the author, composers and other performers, etc., and emphasize only the figure on stage. To prove this you just need to see the programs of concerts, which lack any information on authorship and works to be interpreted.
A deep malaise is what we feel when the Festival expands its borders and forms including classical music, hiring foreign female performers who bring well-known repertoire of male composers of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, rather than the composers of those corresponding centuries.
This issue, together with the amount of resources used on this occasion, and the folly of pretending that displayed female musical creation, is what broke the idea.
How is it possible that in an event of such magnitude, calling for equality, women composers could be forgotten ?
Frankly, I think it is in part due to a profound ignorance. Which is no excuse, because when you have so many public resources, and the President of the Government of Spain, along with two ministries, presents the festival and increases accountability, both to find the right people to lead the event, as appropriate assistance. They should also had to be careful with the social and cultural impact of the activities carried out, and not just its immediate popularity and political advantage.
In Spain it is commonly understood that anyone believes that music, even without training, while in other plots, such as medicine, plumbing or computer, to give three colorful examples, would be assumed that we must resort to specialists. In the case of composers, mostly from the historical, more importantly, because they are generally unaware of his existence. But something that is unknown does not mean it does not exist.
Do you think there is any interest for this to take place?
This country is under an inertia that are submerged cultural policy, which seeks to promote what commercial profitability or media and hence political, even at the cost to manipulate, steal and spoil the concept of culture. The Minister of Culture hetself continually repeated the tagline that culture is "consumed", or speaks of their "consumers." This makes it clear that the industry is concerned, not culture, the latter is acquired, transmitted, is taught or cultivated, and what should occupy a Ministry of Culture, in my opinion, is how it encourages and protects it, because otherwise existing businesses and markets, which will surely be responsible for searching for business opportunities. However it is increasingly common since the agencies supposedly devoted to the cultural are working in the wrong direction.
More than 130 people have joined her protest, is it enough?
It is never enough, but despite this, the protest has been very well received among the people who are dedicated to music, and others who are not. This issue not only affects those who live on this, but it is something that affects all of society.
We seem to be sufficient given that the chain was made in a week using our mailing only, then we have not done anything to expand it, because we wanted to be sure that was an opinion shared enough. Once we had the first companies and support e-mails stopped, because the intention was to make known to the authorities involved and make them aware of our displeasure, in case they were unaware, the barbarity that is appealing to women making music without it . We choose not to send it to the press, because as an Association we just make a constructive criticism that goes directly to the bodies that have sponsored.
What responses have been achieved?
At the moment only we have an answer, in my personal mail, from the Festival Director, Concha Hernandez, which I appreciate. In her letter it was apparent that she had not understood our protest, believing, among other things that we wanted was to be programmed ourselves, which obviously is not the issue. But at least, she gave us the opportunity to respond to her letter and clarify the arguments developed which is our point of view about fundament
al flaws in the approach to the Festival.We are also still have to talk with people from the Ministry of Equality, which have sent us their concern about this issue.
On the label ELLAS CREAN in our blog, which can be found in http://mujeresenlamusica.blogspot.com/, there is the Association's open letter, the list of accessions and my answer to the director of the Festival.
If you want to share an experience or anecdote with us, it is your moment.
The sad anecdotes consists of people who share the message of the open letter, but indicated that they do not include their name for fear of retaliation or because it was not for his dealings with the ministerial authorities. It seems sad, more in a country that has only recently gained freedom of expression, so we should not give up so easily. For my part I have been under pressure and some surprisingly anonymous people sent me messages assuming creeping dark political interests in acting, but beyond these anecdotal cases the response has been enthusiastic, both women and men, of course, which is sensible, at least I think that the preservation of culture and knowledge unites us all, and we improved.
This means, in her view, "a step backwards with regard to the 2008 edition, the year that included a concert dedicated to current Spanish composers, which was certainly a successful attendance. We consider a scheduling blunder gone by well known composers rather than to value the work of historical women composers whose repertoire is still difficult to know ".
So far, more than 130 people have signed this petition. It is easy to think that their claims are well founded and entirely logical, but despite both the Ministry of Equality and Culture went ahead with the festival's program. All this is framed as a cultural activity of cultural events prepared on the occasion of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
Since this statement is released by a question that has not yet had a response in the world of music: "Can you imagine a claim of "creative cinema" that shows films of male directors, promoting the action of known actresses?"
Note on Women in Music:
The Association wWomen in Music, is a Spanish national association and within the Institute for Women, has over 20 years working in the recovery of the repertoire of composers and historical care and dissemination. Its main objective is to promote, publicize and promote the role of women in music creation, especially in traditionally underserved areas. Among its members are also composers, performers, conductors, musicologists and managers, as well as music lovers, and some partners who share our interest in achieving these objectives.
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