8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

1/10

Los artculos publicados en TRANS-Revista Transcultural de Msicaestn (si no se indica lo contrario) bajo una licencia Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2! "spa#a de Creative Commons $uede copiarlos% distribuirlos & comunicarlos p'blicamente siempre ue cite

su autor & mencione en un luar visible ue *a sido tomado de +R,NS areando la direccin .RL &/o un enlace a este sitio0

111sibetranscom/trans No utilice los contenidos de esta revista para ines comerciales & no *aa con ellos obra derivada La licencia completa

se puede consultar en *ttp0//creativecommonsor/licenses/b&-nc-nd/2!/es/deedes

,ll t*e materials in TRANS-Transcultural Music Revieware publis*ed under a Creative Commons licence (,ttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2!) 3ou can cop&% distribute% and transmit t*e 1or4% provided t*at &ou mention t*e aut*or and t*e source o t*e material% eit*er b& addin t*e

.RL address o t*e article and/or a lin4 to t*e 1ebpae0 111sibetranscom/trans 5t is not allo1ed to use t*e contents o t*is journal or

comercial purposes and &ou ma& not alter% transorm% or build upon t*is 1or4 3ou can c*ec4 t*e complete licence areement in t*e ollo1inlin40 *ttp0//creativecommonsor/licenses/b&-nc-nd/2!/es/deeden

TRANS- Revista Transcultural de Msica/Transcultural Music Review 2011

TRANS 15 (2011)DOSS!R" M#S$A % !ST&DOS SO'R! AS M&!R!S / S*!$A SS&!" M&S$ AND +OM!N,SST&D!S

Feminine Endingsat TwentSusan 6cClar& (.CL,)

Resu.en"n este artculo la autora *ace un balance

retrospectivo de los veinte a#os transcurridos desde la

prublicacin de la primera edicin de su libro Feminine

Endings en 7887 "n 9l rele:iona sobre la recepcin%

el impacto & la inluencia de esta obra dentro & uera

de la 6usicoloa

Astract5n t*is article% t*e aut*or asseses t*e t1ent& &ears

passed since t*e irst edition o *er boo4 Feminine

Endings 1as publis*ed S*e relects upon t*e

reception% impact and inluence t*at *er 1or4 *as *ad

inside and outside 6usicolo&

*alaras clave6usicoloa% ;eminismo% Feminine Endings

e wrds6usicolo&% ;eminism Feminine Endings

ec3a de rece4cin" octubre 2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

2/10

2 TRANS 15 (2011) SSN" 1678-0101

Feminine Endingsat TwentSusan 6cClar& (.CL,)

6ost academic boo4s disappear 1it*out a trace% oten 1it*out even a sinle revie1 Some o m&

o1n 1or4 = t*e *istorical and t*eoretical researc* on seventeent*-centur& music t*at matters a

reat deal to me = onl& ets publis*ed because o t*e notoriet& o m& earlier career Li4e ot*er

aspects o lie% a sc*olarl& reputation does not al1a&s depend upon airness> sometimes it just

comes do1n to luc4 and timin

No one (least o all t*is aut*or) could *ave anticipated t*at a drab-loo4in little boo4 rom

t*e .niversit& o 6innesota $ress 1ould be cause or a t1ent&-&ear relection7

Nor did its earl&

reception suest t*at Feminine Ending1ould become a classic 5n act% it 1on second prize in a

competition or t*e best boo4 o eminist musicolo& publis*ed in 78872 ":cept or do?ens o

private e-mails rom individuals claimin t*at t*e boo4 *ad c*aned t*eir lives and a sinle rave b&

roc4 critic Robert C*ristau in The Village Voice%@it received in public not onl& neative revie1s but

outraed% vitriolic reactions = a more t*an a e1 deat* t*reatsA;or an& o &ou aspirin to c*ane

t*e undamental precepts o a discipline% allo1 me to report t*at itBs not al1a&s a barrel o lau*s

5 *ad *ad relativel& modest *opes or Feminine Endings0 5 intended merel& to brin t*e 4inds

o issues lon circulatin 1it*in t*e *umanities and social sciences into musicolo& ;eminists in

ot*er ields *ad alread& spent &ears documentin t*e semiotics o ender dierence and miso&n&

in literature% visual art% p*ilosop*&% ilm% *istor&% and even t*e *ard sciences ,nd ater

1it*standin reprisals rom male colleaues% t*ese 1omen *ad eventuall& manaed to transorm

t*eir disciplines> t*e& survived t*e attac4s larel& b& bandin toet*er intellectuall& or t*e sa4e o

a common cause and supportin one anot*er! ut just as Feminine Endings appeared% a ne1

eneration o sc*olars = *eralded most prominentl& b& udit* utlerBs Gender Trouble = *ad

7Susan 6cClar&% Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality(6inneapolis0 .niversit& o 6innesota $ress% 7887>

2nd

edition% 2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

3/10

Feminine Endings at T/enty @

moved on to 1*at t*e& considered t*e ne:t stae% 1*ic* involved uestionin t*e ver& cateor& o

H1omanI and levelin t*e c*are o HessentialismI at an&one 1*o 1ould underta4e ender-based

anal&sisM

Loo4in bac4% 5 reali?e t*at m& timin could not *ave been 1orse rom t*is point o vie1

eep in mind t*e act t*at t*e anti-essentialist turn occurred at least iteen &ears ater second-

1ave eminists *ad started critiuin t*e canonic te:ts o t*eir respective ields o speciali?ation

+*is 4ind o 1or4% 1*ic* *ad not appeared &et in musicolo&% 1as 1*at 5 1as attemptin to brin

to t*e table in Feminine Endings ut 1*en t*e attac4s bean (indeed some o t*em occurred even

beore t*e boo4 appeared)% man& o m& emale colleaues too4 reue in t*e arument t*at to

identi& as a 1oman% even or t*e sa4e o political solidarit&% 1as to all pre& to essentialism ,rmed1it* t*eir copies o utler% t*e& joined in condemnin t*e boo4% oten more savael& t*an t*e men

in t*e proessionK

,s a result% t*at project o e:aminin constructions o ender in classical music never reall&

*appened G*at ollo1ed instead 1as t*e emerence o 1*at 5 call eminist apoloetics% in 1*ic*

musicoloists rus*ed to demonstrate t*at t*e canonic composers 1ere reall& eminists all t*e 1a&

alon & adoptin t*is strate&% no one *ad to ris4 alienatin t*e male establis*ment> t*e reat

composers became even reater b& virtue o t*eir prescient political correctness One could be a

eminist 1*ile maintainin oneBs status as a ood irl 1it*in t*e discipline = and also la&in claim

to a *i*er standard o t*eoretical soundness ,s Sc*oenber said 1*en *e 1as as4ed i *e 1ere

t*at dreadul composer0 HSomeone *ad to be% and no one else 1anted to% so 5 too4 it on m&selI>

no one else 1anted to be Susan 6cClar& eit*er% iven t*e public batterin to 1*ic* 5 1as bein

subjected

+*e smo4e inall& cleared% *o1ever Feminine Endingsis no1 in its second edition> it *as been

translated into several lanuaes> its c*apters s*o1 up as reuired readin in countless course

s&llabi 5 5 made m& reputation b& bein t*e+emme +ataleo musicolo&% t*at reputation opened

up opportunities 5 never could *ave imained ,s t*e &ears *ave passed% 5 *ave become less a

Mudit* utler% Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Sub#ersion o+ !dentity(London and Ne1 3or40 Routlede0 788 "laine ar4in% Heit*er/or%I "erspecti#es o+ 2e/ Music

@ and "li?abet* Sa&rs% HDeconstructin 6cClar&0 Narrative% ;eminine Se:ualit&% and

;eminism in Susan 6cClar&Bs Feminine Endings%I -ollege Music Symposium@@/@A (788@/788A)0 A7-!! ;or a careul anal&sis o t*e iasco b& a sc*olar 1*o speciali?es in r*etoric% see arbara +omlinson% Feminism and

++ect at the Scene o+ rgument: 0eyond the Trope o+ the ngry Feminist ($*iladelp*ia0 +emple .niversit& $ress%

2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

4/10

A TRANS 15 (2011) SSN" 1678-0101

cause c3l4bret*an a grande dame

3et 1*at 5 *ad envisioned as a #ade mecum became = and remains = somet*in o an

isolated artiact ,lon 1it* 6arcia CitronBs Gender and the Musical -anon% 1*ic* also appeared in

7887% and Rut* SolieBs Musicology and *i++erence% it stands amon t*e e1 traces o second-1ave

eminism 1it*in musicolo&8,nd 5 ver& muc* reret t*e act t*at t*e boo4 and its reception *ad

t*e eect o closin do1n t*e enterprise o eminist criticism in music studies beore it reall& ot

started 5 m&sel stopped 1or4in in t*is area or t*e most part% iven t*at 5 appeared be causin

more problems t*an solutions 5n retrospect% 5 1ould *ave to sa& t*at Feminine Endings *ad an

over1*elminl& neative impact on t*e subield o eminist musicolo&

PPP

3et t*e boo4 scarcel& disappeared rom vie1 G*atever its public reception% Feminine Endings*as

encouraed a number o sc*olars 1*o 1ould count as m& intellectual randc*ildren to address

1it* rene1ed vior t*e issues it raised +oo &oun to *ave participated in t*e uarrel bet1een

second- and t*ird-1ave eminists t*at brou*t muc* o t*is conversation to a *alt% t*e& simpl&

rab onto 1*atever ideas or suestions t*e& ind t*ere and pursue t*em or t*eir o1n purposes

ut 1*at 4ept t*e boo4 circulatin in t*e meantime

;irst% it spo4e to t*e conversations t*en on-oin in ot*er disciplines 6ost o t*e c*apters in

Feminine Endingsstarted out as tal4s in eminist literar& or ilm conerences% and 5 *ad 1or4ed to

develop 1a&s o communicatin m& ideas to sc*olars 1*o *ad no particular musical e:pertise but

1*o 1elcomed an&one 1*o could brin suc* inormation to t*eir conversations Stranel& enou*%

t*e parts o t*e boo4 t*at enae most seriousl& 1it* Ht*e music itselI 1ere desined or t*ose

audiences Git*in t*e conte:t o a conerence paper% 5 could% o course% pla& m& e:amples% usin

bodil& esture and acial e:pression to uide m& listeners ut ver& e1 o t*em ever ailed to

ollo1 m& aruments = and none o t*em ever c*ared me 1it* abusin an ineable art orm or

1it* essentialism +*ose audiences al1a&s included cuttin-ede eminist t*eorists

5 *ave continued to participate in t*ese interdisciplinar& conversations 5 *ad *oped Feminine

Endings1ould lead ot*er musicoloists to do 1it* muc* reater reuenc&> 5 s*ould not be t*e

onl& music-sc*olar represented in Susan FubarBs True -on+essions(see aain n !) ,nd as man& o

86arcia Citron% Gender and the Musical -anon(Cambride0 Cambride .niversit& $ress% 788@)> Solie% Musicology

and *i++erence(see aain n A)

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

5/10

Feminine Endings at T/enty !

m& raduate students *ave discovered% sc*olars rom t*e *umanities and social sciences lon or

individuals 1*o are 1illin to spea4 to t*em about music

3et an& venture outside t*e *ome discipline must ta4e into account t*e needs o t*e

particular audience ,lt*ou* t*is enterprise *as never reuired me to 1ater do1n m& ideas% it

does orce me to t*in4 ver& seriousl& about t*e codes 1e commonl& use 1it* one anot*er 1it*in

musicolo& Do listeners 1*o do not speciali?e in music reall& need to *ave t*e 1ords HNeapolitan

Si:t*I t*ro1n at t*em ,nd i t*at coniuration turns out to be important (as it ver& oten trul&

is)% t*en *o1 s*ould 5 o about e:plain its eects

Javin to unpac4 tec*nical terms in t*is as*ion *as allo1ed me to spea4 uite eectivel& to

t*ose in ot*er ields ut it *as also reatl& en*anced m& teac*in o music students and m&1ritin aimed at ot*er specialists ;or 5 *ave learned t*at man& proessional musicians *ave onl&

*a?& and a*istorical notions concernin basic concepts suc* as Htonalit&I0 our master& o an arcane

jaron *as allo1ed us to cover up suc* inadeuacies7771e just ta4e our

ne1l&-acuired met*ods bac4 to our insular communit& and s*o1 t*em o li4e s*in& ne1 adets

+*e same is too oten true o our relations*ips to t*e ot*er ields = literar& t*eor&% p*ilosop*&%

sociolo&% ant*ropolo& = upon 1*ic* 1e dra1

"nain productivel& in interdisciplinar& 1or4 means learnin t*e concerns and vocabularies

o t*ose 1it* 1*om 1e 1is* to interact 5t also means% *o1ever% iurin out *o1 t*e evidence

made available b& music mi*t corroborate or sometimes even c*allene dominant models in

ot*er ields 5 music *as not*in o siniicance to add to *istorical or cultural t*ou*t% t*en 1e

s*ould sta& 1it*in our o1n domains ut 5 believe t*at music in all its maniestations rants all o

us a uniue mode o access to po1erul articulations o *uman eelins and ideoloies 5t s*ould

not be treated as mere entertainment (not even pop music) or untouc*able Hart%I least o all b&

t*ose o us trained to understand *o1 it operates

7 La1rence

ramer% Music as -ultural "ractice, $&))($%)) (er4ele& and Los ,neles0 .niversit& o Caliornia $ress% 788@)%

-lassical Music and "ostmodern no/ledge (er4ele& and Los ,neles0 .niversit& o Caliornia $ress% 788M)% and

especiall& !nterpreting Music(er4ele& and Los ,neles0 .niversit& o Caliornia $ress% 2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

7/10

Feminine Endings at T/enty K

1it* t*e conventions o t*e larel&-male traditions 1it*in 1*ic* t*e& *ad al1a&s operated 5n t*e

absence o a vocabular& or enain 1it* musical meanins o an& 4ind% 5 believed 5 *ad to bein

constructin met*ods = not onl& 1it* isolated emale composers but 1it* t*e tradition itsel as

1ell Durin t*e 78

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

8/10

TRANS 15 (2011) SSN" 1678-0101

Spanis*% "nlis*% $olis*% ,rican-,merican% a&% Qene?uelan% orean% ;innis*% or emale composers

= as second-rate and un1ort*& o attention +o be sure% t*ose 1*o *ave enjo&ed t*e privilee o

identi&in 1it* music lon avored as universal or absolute 1ill sua14 1*en disloded rom t*eir

*eemonic position ut musicolo& as a 1*ole can onl& beneit rom t*is levelin o t*e pla&in

ield

;ortunatel& 5 am no loner alone in t*is endeavor Ot*er eminist musicoloists *ave also

made e:traordinar& contributions in t*is area +o name but a e1 1or4in in m& o1n *istorical

period0 Su?anne Cusic4% 1*o *as produced a deinitive biorap*& o ;rancesca Caccini and t*e

enderin o po1er in t*e earl& seventeent*-centur& 6edici court> Gend& Jeller% 1*o *as

anal&?ed t*e c*aracteri?ations o 1omen in Qenetian opera> Feoria Co1art% 1*o *as e:aminedt*e inluence o libertines and emale intellectuals in t*e ;rance o Louis 5Q> udit* $eraino% 1*o

*as raned across periods and cultural *ierarc*ies in *er stud& o HueerI voices t*rou* out music

*istor&7M

+*e discipline o music t*eor& *as also opened up recentl& in directions inluenced b& critical

musicolo& G*en Feminine Endings irst appeared% t*eorists 1ere mostl& enaed in ormalist

anal&sis% and some o t*e most po1erul attac4s came rom t*ose 1*o objected to t*e act t*at 5

did not abide strictl& b& pitc*-related anal&sis +*e last ten &ears% *o1ever% *ave 1itnessed t*e

emerence o sc*olars 1*o reard Hmusic t*eor&I as also includin cultural t*eor&% 1it* previousl&

orbidden topics suc* as metap*or% esture% t*e bod&% and temporalit& no1 s*o1cased in

conerences and publications7K

+*is development *as led me to be *ailed uite une:pectedl& as a

distinuis*ed music t*eorist7

P P P

7MSu?anne Cusic4% Francesca -accini at the Medici -ourt: Music and the -irculation o+ "o/er(C*icao0 .niversit& o

C*icao $ress% 2.niversit& o C*icao $ress% 25n October 2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

9/10

Feminine Endings at T/enty 8

;inall&% Feminine Endings *as *ad an une:pected inluence on creative artists Tuite a lare

number o composers (as man& o t*em men as 1omen) *ave 1ritten pieces in reaction to t*e

ideas presented in t*e boo4% and a e1 visual artists *ave produced 1*ole e:*ibitions inspired b&

m& verbal imaer& 5t is t*is creative response = t*e act t*at ne1 1or4s o art no1 e:ist in t*e

1orld in part as a result o m& 1or4 = t*at ma4es me *appiest

5 never 4no1 in advance t*e orm t*is inluence 1ill ta4e% or 5 do not set out recipes in t*e

boo4 or *o1 to compose 5 do% *o1ever% enae 1it* t*e 1a&s in 1*ic* musical strateies

produce meanin 5n a 1orld in 1*ic* musicians are still trained to t*in4 e:clusivel& in terms o

pitc* sets and structures% c*astised b& t*eir teac*ers or reactin emotionall& to 1*at t*e& *ear%

Feminine Endings not onl& encouraes aective responses but also oers a vocabular& ore:plainin *o1 pitc*es and e:pression connect

,s a result% 5 *ave been invited to lead 1or4s*ops or composers in S1eden and else1*ere =

not because 5 am m&sel a composer but because 5 can listen to a piece and t*en dare to put into

1ords 1*at 5 *ear and understand 6ore t*an t*at% 5 can e:plain 1*& 5 t*in4 t*e artistic c*oices

made b& t*e &oun composers in uestion matter 6an& o t*eir pieces *ave not*in e:plicitl& to

do 1it* ender ut t*e arra& o s4ills and insi*ts presented in Feminine Endings ma& be

appropriated and utili?ed in countless 1a&s

5n Stoc4*olm in October 2

8/13/2019 Trans 15 02 McClary

10/10

7