Upright Piano (Ditanaklasis) 1800

This is Matthias Müller’s "Upright Piano (Ditanaklasis)", made in the late 18th or early 19th century. Pianos such as this one were status symbols, emblems of middle-class domesticity and leisure. But let's consider access to the instrument. Who played it? Who listened? And who was excluded? As private concerts became more widespread, the piano became associated with women and the domestic sphere. Playing and singing were acceptable pastimes for women, but composing professionally was not. The piano as a piece of furniture suggests a very particular kind of relationship to music, one that is embodied, tactile, and even intimate. The limits placed on women's creativity are challenged when we hear their compositions. When we acknowledge their undeniable influence on musical history, we are better able to understand their impact on social and cultural life.