This book bridges a gap in scholarship by foregrounding the contribution of women to the nineteenth-century Lied. It consolidates recent research in the genre, and develops an alternative narrative that embraces an understanding of the contributions of women. Composers including Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Pauline Viardot-Garcia and Josephine Lang are considered with a variety of analytical approaches. In addition to the focus on the history and theory of the Lied, chapters explore the cultural and sociological background, as well as engaging with gender studies, performance and pedagogical contexts. The range of subject matter reflects the interdisciplinary nature of current research and the energy it generates among scholars and performers.