Maria Hester Park (1760–1813): Composer, Teacher, and Performer

This book offers a vital contribution to the study of women in classical music, focusing on composer Maria Hester Park. It addresses a significant gap in scholarship on late 18th- and early 19th-century women composers, examining Park’s life, keyboard works, influence within London’s cultural milieu, and professional networks within a male-dominated musical world. The book explores her performances, engagement with subscription publishing, and the societal expectations shaping female musical accomplishments, encouraging a broader recognition of women’s artistic legacies from this period.

Table of Contents:
1. “Beloved by All Who Had the Advantage of Knowing Her” 1.1 Harmonies of Life: Marriage, Music, and Cultural Influence 2. Performing and Teaching in the Heart of London’s Cultural Life 2.1 London’s Concert Life 2.2 Public Concert Performances 2.3 Teaching the Nobility and Female Musical Training 3. Composing for the Keyboard and the Cultivation of Female Accomplishments 3.1 Maria Hester Park’s Compositions 3.2 The Keyboard Instrument 4. Publishing with Subscription 4.1 The Subscription Method 4.2 The Subscription of Park’s Works 5. The Glees 5.1 The English Glee 5.2 Park’s Glees 6. The Concerto for the Pianoforte or Harpsichord 6.1 The Keyboard Concerto 6.2 Park’s Concerto 7. Solo Keyboard Sonatas Opp. 2, 4, and 7 7.1 The Sonata 7.2 Sonatas Op. 2 7.3 Sonatas Op. 4 7.4 Sonata Op. 7 8. The Waltz, Divertimentos Op. 8, and Sonata Op. 12 8.1 The Waltz 8.2 Six Easy Divertimentos for the Harp and Pianoforte, Op. 8 8.3 A Sonata for the Pianoforte, Op. 12 9. Accompanied Keyboard Works 9.1 The Accompanied Keyboard Sonata 9.2 Park’s Divertimento 9.3 The Sonatas Op. 1 9.4 The Sonatas Op. 13 9.5 The Sociological Factor 9.6 The Accompanied Sonata and the “New Woman” 10. Maria Hester Park and Her Women Composer Colleagues 10.1 Women Composers in England 10.2 The Confusion with Maria F. Parke 10.3 The “Woman Composer” Question Revisited Bibliography

About the Author :
Lise Karin Meling is an associate professor of music history at the Faculty of Performing Arts, University of Stavanger, Norway, where she teaches music history, performance practice, and harpsichord performance. Her research spans the roles of women composers and their social status in the 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as the significance of domestic music-making in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, she has expanded her work to include the gendered history of musical instruments, particularly keyboard instruments, and the study of subscription lists in England in relation to women composers. Dr Meling has authored a wide range of scholarly articles, book chapters, and textbooks in music history. As a harpsichord performer, she is committed to bringing lesser-known works by women composers to light. She is also an active participant in national and international conferences, contributing to lecture recitals, interviews, and media appearances.

Review :
“Dr Meling’s excellent new book not only provides new insight into a previously overlooked composer and her works but also provides important contexts for music-making—especially women’s music-making—in Georgian England. It provides essential historical background to the contemporary music scene, music as a profession, and the societal norms of the time. This book is a must-read for musicians, musicologists, and fans of Jane Austen alike.” Prof. Kate Maxwell UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway “In this book, Meling demonstrates how form and analytical methods derived from the classic monograph on the male composer's life and work can be applied to a well-crafted presentation of the female composer, Maria Hester Park. The book also records how Park contributed to enabling women to assume leadership positions in the musical landscape.” Prof. Per Dahl University of Stavanger, Norway “Maria Hester Park (1760–1813) is important both for her connections to figures such as Samuel Johnson and Joseph Haydn and for her diverse musical activities. Meling has written what is likely to become the standard account of her life and works. It should be of interest to all studying women in music, British music, or culture in the Georgian era.” Dr Halvor Hosar Uppsala University, Sweden “This is the late work of one of the most inspiring Norwegian storytellers in feminist musicology. By changing the lighting direction in historiography, Meling invites the reader to give people, music, and cultural practices the attention and the appreciation they deserve.” Prof. Dr Lilli Mittner UiT Centre for Women’s and Gender Research, Norway