Nannerl Mozart: Born in an Unfavorable Era, Research Paper Example

Many female composers throughout the history have been forgotten, or even unnoticed by the current society. One example of these women is Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart. Judging from her last name, it is clearly seen that she is related to the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, why do people nowadays only appraise Wolfgang and don’t know that he had a sister? Nannerl Mozart lived in a period where women had unequal opportunities when it comes to music. This period enforced the idea that women were meant to marry and fulfill the duties in the house. Thus, it was hard for them to develop their talents in music. I argue that if Nannerl Mozart were born in a later musical era, she wouldn’t be overlooked by the society, yet her talent will lead her into becoming a well-regarded woman composer in the history and an inspiration for others.

Female composers have been generally ignored or neglected throughout history compared to their male counterparts. While the works of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gained much acclamation and praise, female artists were pushed under their shadows, shunned by the world of music based on a number of social constraints and suppressive standards set by their male counterparts.

The general position of women in society begun taking a positive turn at the onset fo the 18^th century. During this time, men begun to accept the fact that women could perform other functions apart from the role of mother, wife and caregiver. Matthew Johnson recognizes this in his article, the Recognition of Female Composers;

“Contrasting views of women’s place in society, brought about by such minds as Montesquieu, Condorcet, and Rousseau, granted women the “permission” that they had never had to show that they could do more than just housework”[1].

However, numerous social constraints stifled efforts by female composers to develop and release musical compositions. Aisling Kenny postulates that the continuous social obstacles of the place of the woman in the society during the 18^th and 19^th Century considerably contributed the manner in which compositions by female artists were perceived. One of the underlying factors that led to the lack of recognition by female composers was the branding of female composers as “women composers”. This ultimately affected the manner in which people perceived their music. As opposed to drawing attention to their compositions, its generated isolation as these compositions were given special attention.

“It is plausible that paying special attention to women’s music might cause such ‘segregation’ of their music, and yet paradoxically such ‘separate’ consideration is essential to combat the enduring obstacles that prevent women’s music from being heard today”[2].

In conclusion Nannerl Mozart was a talented and accomplished composer, a fact recognized by his brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, perception of society on the position of the woman within the social structure continually hampered her efforts to compose and perform her music. General misconceptions about the creativity of women and quality of creative work undermined her compositions. Recognition for music be female composers has gained much popularity in the late twentieth century and the twenty first century. Had she been born after the 20^th century, her compositions would possibly rival, if not better, work done by most male composers, including her brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Bibliography

Johnson, Matthew S. “The Recognition of Female Composers.” Agora Journal 1, no. 1 (2005).

Kenny, Aisling. “Integration or isolation? Considering implications of the designation ‘woman composer’.” The First International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology. Graz: University of Graz, 2008. 50-56.

[1] Matthew S. Johnson, “The Recognition of Female Composers,” Agora Journal 1, no. 1  (2005): 2.

[2] Aisling Kenny, “Integration or isolation? Considering implications of the designation ‘woman composer’,” (presentation, The First International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology, Graz, University of Graz, 2008): 52.