Mélanie Bonis

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. The organist Auguste Bazille was one of her teachers.

She was born in parisian lower middle-class family and was educated according to the strict norms of the catholic morality of the time. Of great talent and musical sensitivity she taught herself the piano. At the age of sixteen began her studies in the prestigious Conservatoire. She attended the accompaniment, harmony and composition classes, sharing the benches with Claude Debussy and Gabriel Pierné.

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 (Evening, 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