Best/Favorite Female Composer(s)?

Um, can't think of any, rather, I don't have a favourite...in fact, I don't think I have a single CD of a female composer in my collection.

Not counting atonal drivel by some more recent female composers who I won't mention by name, I can only think of three from the "golden years" (Beach, Clara Schumann, and Tailleferre). Tailleferre is far and away the best of those three, for whatever that's worth, and better than co-Les Six members Durey and Auric, but not as good as Milhaud, Honneger and Poulenc, for whatever that's worth. Actually, some film music buffs would argue Auric was also greater than Tailleferre due to his film scoring work.

atonal drivel
what, as opposed to the atonal music you like?

by some more recent female composers who I won't mention by name
dare you

I can only think of three from the "golden years" (Beach, Clara Schumann, and Tailleferre). Tailleferre is far and away the best of those three
I like Taillefaire's harp concertino - and somehow I'd never heard the harp sonata until you posted it just now, like that too, so thanks! - but I'm not sure it's clear to me that she's "far and away" better than Beach or C Schumann.

Anyway, from the "golden years":

Louise Farrenc - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4p1q0mNjoo&t=210s

Ethel Smyth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqnhhAPjA-I

and in a somewhat lighter line, Cécile Chaminade - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Gn_FpTXD0


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what, as opposed to the atonal music you like?

I don't like any, except maybe the odd bit here and there from Messiaen or Takemitsu, and even then I'd rather be listening to something else

dare you

Gubaidulina and Saariaho, for starters

P.S. Beach is my second favorite distaff composer. I do actually have The Wreckers Overture by Smyth tucked away on CD somewhere, and Beach's Gaelic Symphony as well.

...second favorite distaff composer...

Surely you can find a less offensive adjective than that to make your point.

Something old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC_9WnnWvqw

The most important non-American minimalist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnbGirPTgF0

Something newish, which, now that I've said that, everybody here will be too cowardly to listen to, even though it's less than two minutes: https://soundcloud.com/la-main-harmonique/caroline-marcot-ma-ardens-cor


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I second Germaine Tailleferre