The BBC Singers, featured on this recording, promote a 50:50 gender policy for composers whose music they perform and champion composers from all backgrounds.
Notable Performances
The performance of Der Wald at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on March 11, 1903, marked the first time an opera composed by a woman was seen there.
Cultural Impact
Ethel Smyth temporarily gave up composing to join Emmeline Pankhurst in the fight for women's suffrage, even writing a marching song that became the suffragettes' anthem.
Composer Biography
Ethel Smyth, the composer, was known for cycling in her neighborhood, often smoking a cigar and accompanied by her dog, making her a notable figure in her time.
Composition History
The libretto for Der Wald was initially conceived as a 'little plan' by Henry Bennet Brewster, a close friend of Ethel Smyth, who aimed to frame a passionate human story within the impression of the forest.
Recording & Production
This recording of Ethel Smyth's Der Wald is a world premiere recording.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ethel Smyth described her opera Der Wald as a 'short, poignant tragedy which for a moment interrupts the tranquil rites of the Spirits of the Forest', with the real story being 'the eternal march of Nature'.
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