Playing Like a Man: Gender Constructions in the Spanish Press of the 1930s about the Professional Activity of Female String Players

Abstract

This article presents newspaper sources from the 1930s discussing the professional activity of female string players in Spain and shows how they reflect and perpetuate gender constructions present in the socio-cultural and historical context of the period. To that end, a theoretical framework based on feminist musicology is established, which will help to critically analyse the sources. After a brief introduction contextualising the connection between women and the music profession from the end of the century, the article covers three main points: performances by foreign and Spanish female concert violinists and cellists; the case of the only women’s orchestra in Spain at that time; and the press’s stance on female musicians with respect to their situation as women and professionals. Finally, some conclusions in relation to the theoretical framework are presented.