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 Posted by Andrea Jutson on April 24, 1998 at 05:27:44:


In response to More music Questions, written by Spring on April 23, 1998 at 22:22:45


To L and T index ]   Does anyone know if women played any other instruments in JA's time oter than the piano and harp?  I don't recall it being mentioned in any of her books.  Were the piano and harp the only "genteel" instruments for a women to play?  
 
That's a really good question (and I can't say I actually know the answer!), but I think the harp and the piano were *the* only instruments a true lady would play.  My reasoning is, that "orchestral" instruments e.g. violin, trumpet, etc, would be played just by men, as it was just men who played in orchestras (as far as I know).  I don't think it would have been respectable for a woman to "exhibit" herself by playing in an orchestra- any "exhibitions" a lady made were in the home or private parties only.  (Unless Nannerl Mozart is counted, but she wasn't considered a lady:-)
So- the harp and the piano were considered a lady's "domain", leaving orchestras to men.  (Wildly surmising here:-)
Of course, there were famous male pianists (how could one forget Beethoven!), just to confuse things!
However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some ladies did play other instruments, if it wasn't particularly common.  I imagine music lessons with a music master could be sneaked in after some begging:-)





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