Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
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21 of the greatest women composers in classical music
1. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Not only a composer of some 70 works, Hildegard was a writer, mystic and visionary. As a Benedictine Abbess, she founded two monasteries. One of her compositions, the Ordo Virtutum, is the oldest surviving morality play. It features melodies for the human soul and 16 virtues, but the Devil for once doesn't get any of the best tunes – he has a speaking role.
