Quote:
Originally posted by Taualumna
What I find interesting is this: In the past, a young woman wasn't considered "accomplished" unless she knew how to play the piano. Yet, successful composers were almost all men (The only pre 20th century woman composer I can think of is Clara Schumann). Perhaps it's the whole idea that ladies are supposed to entertain in the drawing room/parlour rather than in a concert hall.
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Ladies were expected to be accomplished, not proficient. If you read Jane Austen, for example, you'll realize that addition to playing a little piano, young women were expected to be able to sing a little, speak a little French, speak a little Italian, draw a little, etc. They were not expected (or in many cases even allowed) to become masters of one craft, but to become decent at many.