Women Composers
Details
Kyra Steckeweh | Germany | 2018 | 1:34:30
English, German with English Subtitles
When pianist Kyra Steckeweh realised that her repertoire exclusively consisted of music composed by men, she began searching for pieces written by female composers. Her research quickly disclosed a variety of remarkable works that have been buried and rarely performed. She sees a lot of catching up to do, which is why the focus of her has since shifted to the music of women composers. Her 2 cd albums with works by Mel Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Fanny Hensel and Emilie Mayer were released. Thereby she has brought to our attention 4 very different composers. All left a diverse work. In addition to the in-depth examination of the music, as a pianist and historian, she seeks to look ‘behind the notes’: How did these women live? What barriers did they have to overcome and how did they manage to cope with the obstacles of their time? The film ‘Women Composers’ highlights the historical and personal circumstances under which these four remarkable women created their works in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Together with Tim van Beveren, she commences a quest which leads to France, Italy, Poland, and Germany. During expert interviews, the team manages to not only elicit aspects of the composers’ lives and works but also discusses to which extent the legacy of the composers has been preserved and why their music is performed so rarely. At the piano Steckeweh skilfully revives the music, making the viewer feel almost personally acquainted with these remarkable composers.
Writer
Kyra Steckeweh
Producer
Tim van Beveren