M. Bonis: Femmes de légende

Featuring

Diana Sahakyan
Mel Bonis

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Composer Biography

Mel Bonis was forbidden from marrying her fellow student Amédée Landély Hettich and was instead married to a wealthy widower 22 years her senior.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mel Bonis was critical of Claude Debussy's impressionistic style, stating that his compositions, while using precious materials, lacked 'plan nor scale'.

Performer Biography

Pianist Diana Sahakyan, born in Yerevan, received her foundational music education in Armenia before continuing her studies in Germany and Spain, including at the 'Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía' in Madrid.

Performer Biography

Diana Sahakyan has won numerous international awards, including the 'Concours international Flame' (France) and 'Nuova Coppa Pianisti' (Italy).

Composer Biography

Mel Bonis, born Mélanie Bonis, shortened her first name to be gender-neutral, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire alongside Claude Debussy.

Composer Biography

Mel Bonis had a secret daughter with Amédée Landély Hettich, her former fellow student, whose true parentage was only revealed when the daughter fell in love with one of Bonis's sons.

Composition History

The 'Femmes de Légende' pieces, which portray famous women from literature and mythology, were not originally conceived as a cycle but were written over a long period from 1888 to 1937.