Böcker i Elements in Women in Music-serien

Leokadiya Kashperova's romantic compositions were highly regarded by Rimsky-Korsakov, César Cui, and by Balakirev whose works she premiered and recorded. In 1907, Kashperova performed her own compositions to critical acclaim in Leipzig, Berlin and London. After the 1917 Revolution following her death in 1940, her name joined her fine music in historical anonymity and oblivion. This Element is the result of twenty years' research culminating in eight study-visits by the author to St Petersburg, Moscow and the Yaroslavl/Kostroma region. The Biography (section 1) is the first ever written about this composer. Kashperova's Memoirs (section 2) and her Recollections of Anton Rubinstein (section 3) are made available in translation for the first time. Together with a new edition of her compositions (Boosey & Hawkes, London) this Element aims to support the restoration of Kashperova to her rightful place in music history as Russia's foremost female composer of the early twentieth century.

This Element explores the life and work of Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969), as a composer, violinist, pianist and author. She lived a remarkable life in Poland, navigating the complex world of Polish communist society and Soviet dominance after the Second World War, and brought Polish music to wider European attention. The Element describes the historical context of her life, her major achievements, and the language and development of her compositions, which attracted notable interest in Polish musical life. She wrote a wide range of pieces, making a significant contribution to the string repertoire, with important String Quartets and violin works. In her sixty years she achieved impressive triumphs as a women composer, served the Polish Composers Union and often judged major international competitions.