Ethel Smyth Collection, 1910-1962

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Composer and writer Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) is recognized as the first English woman to compose music in the large forms of opera, oratorio and concerto. She studied in the 1870s at the Leipzig Conservatorium, first with Reinecke and then with Heinrich von Herzogenberg, and was accepted as a serious young composer by such musicians as Johannes Brahms and Edward Grieg. Smyth became deeply involved in the Women's Suffrage Movement, devoting two years of her life to the cause and writing what became the theme for the movement, March of the Women, in 1911. Smyth authored ten books, most autobiographical.

The Ethel Smyth collection contains correspondence with members of the musical community and members of the women's suffrage movement, drafts of autobiographical work, performance programs and pamphlets, and extensive diaries by Smyth commenting on personal matters, national and regional politics, composition and performance, and the lives of her friends. Also contains two sketches of Smyth by an unknown artist and two books of research notes by Christopher Marie St. John for the definitive biography of Smyth. This digital collection provides access to materials that are in the public domain in the United States. A small number of other materials, including research notes by Christopher Marie St. John for the definitive biography of Smyth, are potentially still under copyright protection. These materials are described in the online finding aid and may be requested for use in the Special Collections Research Center.

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The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. Where possible, we indicate more about our rationale for hosting these materials on the item pages. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission.

For More Information

Other published material by Ethel Smyth held by the University of Michigan has been digitized and deposted in HathiTrust. Visit the Ethel Smyth Publications there. Please note that access to titles in that collection will vary based on copyright laws in your region.

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