Germaine Tailleferre

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Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983) is now remembered largely because she was a member of Les Six, a group of French composers active in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Tailleferre encountered many obstacles, most notably a difficult personal life including two brief marriages to men who were unsupportive of her musical career; it is also true that critics tended to focus on her gender rather than her musical style. This Element tells the fascinating story of Tailleferre's life and long career and, most significantly, explores the development of her musical style and her role in the development of neoclassicism in France. In recent years, international performers have rediscovered her appealing, lively music and have at last started to bring Tailleferre to wider audiences. This Element will contribute to the rediscovery of Tailleferre and will reveal her to be a significant force in twentieth-century French music.