Bibliography
Baldwin, Olive and Thelma Wilson, ‘Park [née Reynolds], Maria Hester’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography <https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-61880?rskey=mnWw1M&result=1> [accessed 23 January 2025]
This is most comprehensive biography about Park at present. It refers to loads of useful primary sources including newspapers, parish register, letters, also some Tomas Park’s publications depicting their married life.
Baldwin, Olive and Thelma Wilson, ‘Park [née Reynolds], Maria Hester’, New Grove Online <https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.41402> [accessed 23 January 2025]
Although this is a quite brief overview of Maris Hester Park’s biography, the her several important roles have been pointed out, including the pianist, teacher, wife of litterateur and engraver Thomas Park. Meanwhile, authors praised Park’s compositions, which can be used as a reception in the later study. However, it lacks interpretation of music works and adequate annotations, so reference value is limited.
Brooks, Jeanice, ‘Staging the Home: Music in Aristocratic Family Life’, in A Passion for Opera: The Duchess and the Georgian Stage, ed. by Paul Boucher, Jeanice Brooks, Katrina Faulds, Catherine Garry and Wiebke Thormählen (The Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, 2019), pp. 30-45
In terms of women musical pedagogy in the late eighteenth century, Park was one of music mistresses. Brooks introduced the dedicatee of A Divertimento for piano and violin, Lady Harriet, was Park’s student. However, without more historical materials used to research Park’s education in-depth, instead Brooks only briefly mentioned her.
Fuller, Sophie, ‘Maria Hester Reynolds (Maria Hester Park)’, in The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States 1629–Present, ed. Sophie Fuller (Pandora, 1994), pp. 267–268
As the earliest biography about Park, Fuller interpreted traits of her existing works, such as the genres and music instruments. Moreover, Fuller noted that the historical context about her performances in the Oxford music room, especially stressed that there is a surviving programme in November 1773. Nevertheless, author did not offer more primary sources to convince the authenticity of these context.
Freeman, Alissa, ‘A New Liberation: Reviving the Piano Literature of Classical-Era Women Composers through Online Teaching Resources’ (University of Michigan, 2022)
It is supposed that the well connection between Park’s husband with publisher in London was contributed to her publications. Furthermore, according to analysis of historical context and characters of compositions, Freeman concluded the reason why Park would invest to print their music.
Fleming, Simon, ‘The Gender of Subscribers to Eighteenth-Century Music Publications’, Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle, 50.1 (2019), pp. 94-152, doi.org/10.1080/14723808.2019.1570752
Fleming merely divided the three types of identity among the female subscribers in A Set of Glees, Op. III, which are aristocratic, Mrs and Miss. And there is a pie chart indicating their respective rates.
Hayes, Deborah, ‘Maria Hester Reynolds Park’, Classical Women <https://spot.colorado.edu/~hayesd/18c%20Women/park.html> [accessed 23 January 2025]
Hayes introduced Park’s lifetime from three aspects: a short biography, catalogue of works and reference list. In the biography, Hayes analysed her social life by examining the dedications on the cover pages, and also portrayed her happy married life via her husband’s poems. These sources provide an indirect insight. Work list presents some of modern editions and albums but not sufficient.
Hayes, Deborah, ‘Some Neglected Women Composers of the Eighteenth Century and Their Music’, Current Musicology, 39 (1985), pp. 42-65
There is one serious confusion between Maria Hester Park and Maria Frances Parke presented in this journal article. In a programme given by Morning Herald, it demonstrats a highly praise for the concert performed by Haydn and Maria Frances Parke in the Hanover Square Rooms on 1794, instead of Maria Hester Park. In the end, Hayes pointed out the basic information of her works followed by current research gaps.
Meling, Lise Karin, ‘Maria Hester Park and her subscribers’, in Music by Subscription: Composers and their Networks in the British Music-Publishing Trade, 1676-1820, ed. by Simon D.I. Fleming and Martin Perkins (Routledge, 2022), pp. 57–72.
This chapter concentrates on subscribers of Park’s three compositions: Six Sonatas, Op. 1, A Set of Glees, Op. III and A Concerto, Op. VI. Meling distinguished different social roles of subscribers through their titles (musicians, publishers, booksellers,College affiliations, clergy, members of the gentry and nobility) and compared the percentage of numbers of male and female subscribers. Conversely, Park’s subscriptions are listed either. By means of examining the information of subscription, it is observed that Park’s popularity and social circle. More importantly, her reputation and popularity are higher than scholars thought.
Morgan, Elizabeth, ‘The Accompanied Sonata and the Domestic Novel in Britain at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century’, 19th-Century Music, 36.2 (2012), pp. 88-100, doi.org/10.1525/ncm.2012.36.2.088
As a gender study, Morgan discussed the collaboration and interaction between male violinist as accompanied role and female pianist as a leader in Park’s Op. XIII, No.2. Morgan argued it can reflect, moreover, that married women pursued equal, confident and intelligent figure in the domestic space. However, Park did not specifically express this intention in the composition. Morgan analysed phrase, theme and counterpoint in the music structure and paralleled Edgeworth’s novel Belinda to support this viewpoint. All in all, this is an interdisciplinary and innovative perspective to interpret Park’s music by delving into existing historical materials, which is not to lament the lost primary sources.
Tolley, Thomas. “Haydn, The Engraver Thomas Park, and Maria Hester Park’s ‘Little Sonat’”, Music and Letters, 82.3 (2001), pp. 421–31, doi:10.1093/ml/82.3.421
As an journal article frequently cited, it provides a conceived analysis of the interaction between Park and Joseph Haydn, drawing extensively on historical sources related to Haydn. Fist of all, Haydn’s letter is most compelling evidence identifying Maria Hester Park as the dedicatee of a ‘little sonata’. Whereas, it is challenging to determine the exact title of little sonata. Tolley observed loads of primary sources, including compositional context, surviving manuscripts, biographical accounts and correspondences, ultimately to infer the piece should be Sonata in D major (H.XVI:51).