A discourse on the nature of women in musicology

Abstract

The article discusses the phenomenon of gender musicology (a trend of the so-called new musicology), viewed through the lenses of a foreigner, of a representative of a different national school of musicology (namely, Russian). The article questions the basic fundamental concepts of feminism in musicology - particularly the black-and-white vision of almost everything, from barlines to musical genres and forms - where we always forced to recognize masculine and feminine features. The focal point of the essay is the criticism viewpoints of Susan McClary, who is one of the founders of this discipline. Another case is constituted by the discussion of one of the most well-known and picturesque examples of feminist critique: Bizet's opera Carmen, which is the showcase for numerous ideas of musical feminists - namely, the juxtaposition between the body-oriented outlook of Carmen and spiritual and bourgeois outlooks, the music- and gender-related mechanism of creating the musical and conceptual 'desire' to kill Carmen, and so on. Additionally, of positions critical gender musicology are discussed - epitomized by Peter van den Toorn's critique of musical feminists, and his subsequent counteraction against their position. Finally, the essay questions the essential role and value of feminism, part of which is formed by gender musicology.