Album of the week #30: En Pleine Lumière, by Sandra Mogensen

Our new ALBUM OF THE WEEK is...

En Pleine Lumière, by Sandra Mogensen

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Happy listening!

About the album:

This first album in the “en pleine lumière” project features 10 composers born in the mid-19th century, including Mel Bonis, Cecile Chaminade, Germaine Taillferre and Amy Beach.

Women such as Clara Schumann, Amy Beach and Cécile Chaminade are now recognised as a significant pianist-composers, who also enjoyed international performing careers, but in the course of her research, pianist Sandra Mogensen discovered many other women composer-pianists who were well-regarded, but whose names and music are hardly known today. These include Mélanie Bonis, Helen Hopekirk, Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Luise Aldopha Le Beau, and Laura Netzel. The piano music of these composers was widely known and played during their lifetimes, but for much of the 20th century, their works were rarely played. Now, in the changing climate of classical music, with a greater emphasis on diversity, these once-forgotten composers are being given the recognition they deserve.

AUGUST 19

CLARA ANGELA MACIRONE - UK
Born 19 August

More about her

Find scores by Clara Angela Macirone:

SUSANA ANTÓN - ARGENTINA
Born 19 August

More about her

Find scores by Susana Antón:

 Check here last year's composers of the day

21 JANUARY 2019

CLÉMENCE DE GRANDVAL - FRANCE

BORN 21 JANUARY 

Clémence de Grandval born as Marie Félicie Clémence de Reiset and also known as Vicomtesse de Grandval and Marie Grandval, was a French composer of the Romantic era. She was a person and composer of stature during her life, although less remembered subsequently. Many of her works were published under pseudonyms.

Grandval was the recipient of the inaugural Prix Rossini, winning in 1881 with her librettist Paul Collin. Her earliest works were sacred and performed in churches, but she went on to write a number of operas and various popular songs and instrumental works, including many pieces for oboe. Unfortunately, the orchestral scores of some of her pieces have been lost.

During the 1870s, Grandval played a major role in the Société Nationale de Musique, and was the most played composer in this society. She also gave much money to the organisation. During the second part of the 19th century, she was a very popular composer who was admired by many critics.

♫ LISTEN 

Trio de Salon by Cleménce de Grandval 

MEL BONIS - FRANCE

BORN 21 JANUARY 

Mélanie Hélène Bonis, known as Mel Bonis was a prolific French classical composer. She wrote more than 300 compositions, including works for piano solo and four hands, organ pieces, chamber music, mélodies, choral music, a mass, and works for orchestra. The organist Auguste Bazille was one of her teachers.

Mel was initially allowed to play the piano in order to increase her value on the matrimonial market, and she was quite fortunate when family friends enabled her to attend the Parisian ‘Conservatoire’. In addition, her work as a composer was fuelled by the fact that her parents managed to find her an affluent husband. Free from financial hardships, Mel Bonis practiced music as a pleasant pastime, soon producing and disseminating her own compositions. Still, practicing music as a profession was unthinkable for a woman, which eventually lead to Mélanie Bonis changing her first name into “Mel“ in an attempt to blur her gender in front of potential publishers.

♫ LISTEN 

Suite in Trio Op. 59 by Mel Bonis 

► FIND SCORES BY MEL BONIS