Mel Bonis: Orchestral works

A great musical talent and a sensitive soul, born into a self-respecting family who forbade their daughter to marry the love of her life; a marriage of convenience with a respectable man; but later an affair with the love of her youth - that would be the stuff of a maudlin novel. But Mel Bonis was not an invention. She was one of the strongest composers of her time, who concentrated on piano and chamber music as well as songs, but also enriched the Impressionist repertoire with numerous treasures with her original creations and arrangements for orchestra. The Ophélia, which is once again particularly topical, the purring mélodie of the amorous tomcat on the roof at night, the Spanish gypsy waltz and the dances for orchestra are just some of the beguiling discoveries with which our production pays a well-deserved tribute to the noble lady.

Recorded: Köln, Kölner Philharmonie, 2–6 September 2024