This course examines music-making as a significant site of gender performativity during the Georgian era (1714-1832), the period in which Jane Austen lived, and a critical period for gender construction in England. Her novels are full of musical scenes that offer fascinating commentary on the gendering power of music-making, however, the coded language and dated references often make these scenes difficult for the modern reader to parse. To situate ourselves in Austen’s gendered musical world, we will read from a variety of primary and secondary sources on music, gender and sexuality, as well as current scholarship on musical instruments and repertoire during the period. In the second half of the course, we will turn to Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma, to observe the ways in which the Georgian construction of gender played out in literature, particularly through representations of domestic music-making. Open to all students. (Not offered 2025-26).

1 unit

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