Women's Mental Health: Ophelia’s Song
Exploring the works of Elizabeth Maconchy and Connections to Women's Mental Health
Heather Fetrow performing “Ophelia’s Song” by Elizabeth Maconchey
In preparing music for the premiere of my Hildegard’s Garden concert (which was transformed thanks to my longtime collaborator pianist Mila Henry into a virtual concert during the pandemic) I discovered "Ophelia’s Song" by Elizabeth Maconchy, which is one of her very early works composed when she was a student in 1924. The piece was inspired by Ophelia’s speech to Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet, "There is rosemary, that’s for remembrance—pray you love, remember."
Through exploring the text, I learned a great deal about the character of Ophelia who “goes mad,” or in our modern-day language, struggles with mental health, ultimately taking her own life as an act of revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Elizabeth Machonchy Viewed Music as an Impassioned Argument
Maconchy was discouraged from composing by faculty at the Royal College of Music when she was attending. She was told by one of the professors: "If we give you the Mendelssohn Scholarship you will only get married and never write another note." Unfortunately, this attitude toward women in the arts is not uncommon throughout the world still today in many institutions.
This prediction ultimately turned out to be utterly wrong as Maconchy is now considered to be "one of the finest composers the British Isles have produced" according to Martin Anderson of Tocatta Classics. Many people have compared her music to that of Bartók and she has been favorably compared with contemporaries such as Britten. She created over 200 compositions in her lifetime.
Elizabeth Machonchy Style & Ophelia’s Song
Maconchy was a gestural composer, working at the smaller scale of short musical fragments in order to be able to explore her ideas as they came. Maconchy’s style was focused on intervallic composition with resonances influenced by certain intervals. In her compositions, Maconchy employed a favorite "harmonic device": the simultaneous use of major and minor sonorities. The alternating major and minor chords came to denote episodes of heightened emotion in her work. Additionally, it has been argued that rhythm is the primary force behind Maconchy's command over energy, dynamism, and imagination.
Elizabeth Maconchy said, “for me, the best music is an impassioned argument.” I find it interesting that as a woman, she likely made impassioned arguments for her own music’s performance, over and over again. There is distinct femininity in Maconchy’s style, especially in Ophelia's Song. While not as popular as other classical composers from her era, or as accessible to today's modern audiences, her music is rich and expressive and fully worthy of programming in today's concert halls.
Additional Resources
Wikipedia: Elizabeth Maconchy
More of Maconchy’s own words and Listening at Recordi.com
Our Shared Struggle of Mental Health
As one reflects on Ophelia's words and state of mind which eventually led her to commit suicide in the play, it is necessary to examine how deeply these mental health challenges plague us still today as a society. In particular teenagers’ struggles with mental health have been exacerbated with the isolation resulting from the co-vid 19 pandemic resulting in suicide rates increasing dramatically among teens. One 2016 study in the UK showed that:
One in five women compared to one in eight men had a mental health problem
There was a steady increase in the number of women experiencing mental health difficulties, with young women particularly at risk
One in five women aged 16-25 reported recently self-harming
Suicide rates in women were at their highest for a decade.
I can't help but think of the connection between the isolation of the pandemic and this quote from Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance (Artist's Way):
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.” -Abraham Maslow, American psychologist
Let’s be honest; the artist’s journey is portrayed often as one of isolation, depression, and anxiety. Elizabeth Maconchy might not have known it then, but her work Ophelia’s Song is a classic depiction of isolation and depression in women and speaks to the stages of the artistic journey of many composers.
Tenacity and Advocacy: The Penelope Project’s Roots
The NEA found that women artists are less able to find the support they need for their endeavors. One has to wonder about the connections between this lack of equitable support for women's creative works and mental health struggles, especially during the pandemic, which has added an incredible strain to all of us. The Penelope Project is dedicated to providing the necessary funding, as well as exposure and mentorship opportunities so that female creatives can continue doing what they love, and helping to heal others who come in contact with their artwork. The creators involved in the Penelope project are rooted artistically in previous collaborations and we will be honored to share their perspectives throughout the project.
What can you do to help?
How does the systematic suppression of women’s artistic output contribute to women’s mental health? What can be done to alter this form of gender-based injustice?
Creating community is fundamental to the survival and progress of women's artistic works, especially during this time. Additionally, there are few things as isolating as mental health issues. When women's voices go unheard it limits our sense of humanity collectively.
If you are ready to take action to help make a change, we invite you to join us and support The Penelope Project via GoFundMe for a one-time contribution or monthly via Patreon, where your contribution to this initiative will help raise funds and further awareness of one of the most pervasive women’s issues.
Funds raised on Patreon and GoFundMe will support the collaboration of women artists today and for years to come in the form of scholarships and mentorship. Without women’s voices in the arts today, how many impassioned arguments will go unheard?
One Time Donation
Recurring Monthly Donation
In closing, we know music has the power to heal, and it is a healing that affects both the creator of the music and the listener. As such we invite you to explore this potential along with a community of other supporters of women in the arts in Voice’s of Women’s monthly Spotify playlist offering via a monthly Patreon membership.