By Barbara Coeyman as published in the IAWM Journal, Fall 1997, pp. 24.
Centaur CRC 2320, 1997
Betty Ann Miller's debut CD features solo keyboard sonatas and short pieces by women composers of the late Classic and early Romantic periods. British composer Maria Hester Park (1760-1813) is represented by Sonata in F Major, op. 4, no. 1 (1790) in two movements and Sonata in C Major, op. 7 (ca. 1796) in three movements. The music of Frenchwoman Marie Bigot (1786-1820), teacher of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, is heard in her Études in C minor and A minor from her Suites d'études (1812-20). The album concludes with Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's (1805-1847) Notturno of 1838, Melodie in C# minor, op. 4, no. 2 (1847?), and Sonata in C minor (1824). Miller's performance offers a welcome addition to the recorded repertoire of these composers. There seems to be no other available recordings of Bigot's music, and surprisingly few of Hensel's 125 solo works have appeared to date: of the repertoire on this compact disc, I located only the Notturno on another album. The Park sonatas are available in a harpsichord performance, in contrast to the Steinway piano performance on this album.
Betty Ann Miller deserves credit for solid performances. I particularly enjoyed her vital interpretation of the Bigot Études and Hensel's short pieces; the latter's 15-minute Sonata also has many brilliant moments. Miller's concise album notes say much about the composers and the repertoire. Identification of sources of the works and whether they are available in published editions might encourage more live performances of this repertoire. Perhaps a catchier title to the album could better explain its focus and the selections included. In any case, the CD is a welcome addition to our libraries of recorded solo keyboard music.
Barbara Coeyman currently chairs the College Music Society's Committee on Music, Women, and Gender, and she has recently published work on feminist pedagogy in music. In historical research, she specializes in French Baroque musical theater from an interdisciplinary view. She resides in Austin, Texas.