Mel Bonis described music as a 'divine language' that expresses all beauty, truth, and fervor, comparing it to standing at the threshold of a paradise garden.
Composer Biography
Mel Bonis's parents initially disapproved of her playing the piano but were convinced of her exceptional talent by friends and acquaintances.
Composer Biography
Mel Bonis adopted a more neutral-sounding pseudonym because aspiring to be a female composer was considered almost absurd at the time.
Recording & Production
This album is the first to collect almost all of Mel Bonis's orchestral pieces and songs.
Compositional Technique
Mel Bonis's 'Valse espagnole Les Gitanos' won first prize in an annual competition, earning her 400 francs and a medal.
Composer Biography
Mel Bonis was admitted to the Paris Conservatory in 1876 after the great composer César Franck, impressed by her playing, took her into his organ class.
Composition History
The rediscovery of Mel Bonis's works began in the mid-1980s, initiated by physicians and musicians Eberhard and Ingrid Mayer.
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