The Female Exotic: Tradition, Innovation and Authenticity in the Reception of Music by Judith Weir

Colton, Lisa (2010) The Female Exotic: Tradition, Innovation and Authenticity in the Reception of Music by Judith Weir. Contemporary Music Review, 29 (3). pp. 277-289. ISSN 0749-4467

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Abstract

Judith Weir's music embraces the unusual, from libretti drawing on the medieval past to fantastic narratives set within diverse stylistic frames. Her musical language has been praised and criticised in almost equal measure for its versatility and humour. Weir's music seems tied to the musical past, but in ways so divergent between pieces that critics struggle to engage with it as fully as with the music of other British composers of recent decades. Focusing on several works, I explore the often fraught sense of historical subjectivity in Weir's music and its reception. I also examine the critical discourse relating to Weir's music, in particular works based on historical or non-Western stimuli, arguing that these texts (even the words of the composer herself) are tied closely to a historical line that continues to feel anxious about the creative powers of women composers.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Special Edition Guest editors: Lisa Colton and Martin Iddon
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Schools:	School of Music, Humanities and Media
Related URLs:	Author
Depositing User:	Lisa Colton
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2011 12:44
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2011 12:44
URI:	http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9397

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