Now in paperback Mona Mender celebrates the fascinating and diverse women who have done us all a great service by furthering music and helping musicians. Her tribute begins with a brief history that places these women in their proper historical backgrounds. The main part of the book is devoted to the women themselves, most of whom are well-known, including Lucrezia Borgia, Coco Chanel, Gertrude Stein, Catherine de Medici, Queen Elizabeth I, Nadia Boulanger, and Isadora Duncan. Many of these women were the power behind the development of the Metropolitan Opera, the Hollywood Bowl, Tanglewood, Aspen, and other institutions, festivals and organizations. Although the roles of the women vary-from supportive mothers and sisters, to patronesses, wives and lovers, and then inspired teachers and creative administrators-they all have one thing in common: they have contributed their support, their passion, and commitment to music and the lives of musicians. For high school, public, and academic libraries. Cloth edition published in 1997.