Friday marks the bicentennial of the birth of Clara Schumann. Though her achievements as a pianist and a teacher outstripped her success as a composer, she, it must be remembered, was the product of a time when women did not receive the same advantages, in terms of education, opportunity, and acceptance, as their male counterparts.

Be that as it may, Schumann proved to be a dynamo, caring for a family of eight children and a mentally ill husband, while earning the respect of her peers as a musician of impeccable taste and one of the outstanding keyboard interpreters of her day.

To honor the contribution of women in music, I’ll be sharing recordings of works by female composers all month long, as part of my regularly scheduled air shifts. Tune in today to hear music by Vítězslava Kaprálová, Louise Talma, and Phyllis Tate.

We’ll gain a little clarity for Clara, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Vítězslava Kaprálová, Phyllis Tate and Louise Talma