KOMPONISTINNEN
(Women Composers)
German documentary, 2018, 95 min. - In English / German / French - with English subtitles
directed by Tim van Beveren, Kyra Steckeweh
script: Kyra Steckeweh
dramaturge: Ivan Salaj
cinematograpy: Nils Liebheit, Tim van Beveren
editor: Kamil Goerlich, Tim van Beveren
music: Mel Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Fanny Hensel, Emilie Mayer
music performed by Kyra Steckeweh
producer: Kyra Steckeweh, Tim van Beveren

Featuring:
Dr. Beatrix Borchard, Christine Géliot, Dr. Jörg Kuhn, Mary Ellen Kitchens, Laurent Martin, Ingrid Mayer, Tobias Niederschlag, Dr. Almut Runge-Woll, Susanne Wosnitzka, Dr. Reinhard Wulfhorst

When Leipzig pianist Kyra Steckeweh realized that her repertoire almost exclusively consisted of music composed by men, she began searching for pieces written by female composers. Her research in archives, libraries, and publishing houses brought to light a variety of remarkable piano pieces that have been buried in history and rarely performed. With her selection, she has brought to our attention and delight four very different composers, all of whom left a diverse body of work.

Besides examining the music, Steckeweh as a pianist and historian seeks to look “behind the notes”. How did these women live? What barriers did they have to overcome? How did they manage to cope with the obstacles of their time? Together with Berlin filmmaker Tim van Beveren, the pianist commences a quest for information, which leads them to France, Italy, Poland, and Germany. These are the places where Mel Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Fanny Hensel and Emilie Mayer did live and work.

The film team manages to elicit noteworthy aspects of the composers’ lives and works during their expert interviews. They discuss the preservation of the legacy of the composers and why their music is performed so rarely.

At the piano she skillfully revives the music, making the viewer feel almost personally acquainted with these remarkable composers.

komponistinnen.com