Mélanie Bonis

Mel Bonis at age 17, painting by Charles-Auguste Corbineau (1885).

Mel Bonis at about age 50, photo ca. 1908.

Mélanie Hélène Bonis, known as Mel Bonis (b. 4th arrondissement of Paris, 21 January 1858 – d. Sarcelles (Val-d'Oise), 18 March 1937) 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.

Compositions

Chamber music

• Suite en trio pour flûte, violon et piano, opus 59 (1903),
• Fantaisie en septuor, pour piano, deux flûtes, deux violons, alto et violoncelle, opus 72 (1906),
• Scènes de la forêt (Forest Scenes), flute, horn and piano, opus 123 (1927-1928),
• Suite dans le style ancien, for flute, violin and piano, opus 127/1 (1928),
• Suite orientale (Oriental Suite), opus 48,
• Soir, matin (Tonight, Morning) for piano and violin,
• Nocturne
• Quatuor piano et cordes en si bémol opus 68,
• Quatuor piano et cordes en ré opus 124,
• Sonate pour flûte et piano en do dièse mineur (Piano and Flute Sonata in C-sharp Minor) opus 64,
• Sonate pour violoncelle et piano en fa majeur opus 67,
• Sonate pour violon et piano en fa dièse mineur (Violin and Piano Sonata in D Minor) opus 112,
• Different pieces for violin and piano, flute and piano.

Music for piano

In nine volumes

• First volume: Femmes de Légende (Legendary Women)
• Second and third volumes: Pièces Pittoresques et Poétiques (Picturesque and Poetic Pieces), I and II
• Fourth volume: Concert pieces
• Fifth volume: Danses et Pièces Légères
• Sixth volume: Piano à quatre mains A
• Seventh volume: Pièces Pittoresques et Poétiques III, seven pieces
• Eighth volume: Piano à quatre mains B
• Ninth volume: Deux pianos à quatre main, Scherzo opus 40 and Variations opus 85

Children's music

• Children's Scenes, opus 92 (1912)
• Miocheries opus 126 (1928)
• Nine Easy Pieces (Neuf Pièces faciles), opus 148 (1936)
• 17 Children's Pieces (17 Pièces enfantines), opus 116 (1926)
• Album pour les tout Petits opus 103 (1913).

Organ music

• 21 Organ Pieces, Carrara Pergame (Italy) with Toccata, Cantabile, Choral, etc.
• 6 Unfinished Pieces

Vocal religious music

• Regina Cœli opus 45,
• Divers motets pour chœur

Orchestra

• • Les Gitanos, opus 15- 3, Orchestration by Ad. Gauwin,
• Suite en forme de Valse
• Suite Orientale opus 48 (1900):: Prelude, opus 48-1
• Bourrée, Pavane, Sarabande (1909),
• Trois Femmes de Légende (Three Legendary Women) : Salome opus 100- 2, (for piano, Ophelia, opus 165- 2 posthumous (for piano), The Song of Cleopatra opus 180- 2.

Children's orchestra

• Burlesque Symphony, opus 185, posthumous: ballad

External links

• Biography on the site Musica et Memoria
• Biography on the site Musicologie.org
• Find-a Grave: Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris - Mel Bonis
• Biography of Mélanie Bonis run by her descendant Contains a list of her compositions and a discography.
• Free scores by Mélanie Bonis at the International Music Score Library Project