Säveltaiteilijat kotioloissaan: Kerttu Wanne, Astrid Joutseno ja 1930-luvulla pilkahteleva outous

Authors

• Astrid Joutseno Helsingin yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23980/sqs.146456

Abstract

In this article I highlight Finnish musician-artists and life partners violinist Kerttu Wanne (1905–1963) and pianist Astrid Joutseno (1899–1962). They have been long forgotten in the Finnish history of music. During their lives Wanne and Joutseno were well-known professionals with international careers. Wanne was also a popular poetry and aphorism writer and Joutseno a piano pedagogue. In addition, Joutseno is my great aunt. This article analyzes Finnish newspaper articles about Wanne and Joutseno, written and published in the 1930s. I ask how being artists as women and being same gender life partners is portrayed and given meaning to. I also address silences, what remains without expression or is written in-between the lines. My methods rely on life writing theory and practice as well as queer theoretical concepts. I develop a queer life writing position in relation to historical time, arguing that contemporary queer interpretations and life writing about the queer past are necessary for taking care of the future.

Keywords: life-writing; queer archive; queer history of music; artist women; partnership; kinship