French Romances for Piano 4-hands

The Mada & Hugh Piano Duo Podcast

Love is in the air! For the month of February, we are going to celebrate Valentine's Day with romantic works for piano 4-hands. In this episode, we share works by two French female composers - Mel. Bonis and Cecile Chaminade. Born in 1857, Chaminade began composing at an early age and went on to have a successful career, with her music being performed throughout Europe and the United States. Chaminade was particularly known for her piano works, but she also composed for orchestra, chamber groups, and vocal ensembles. She was the first woman to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur for her contributions to French music and was also made a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold by the Belgian government. Despite facing the challenges of being a woman in the field of music composition, Chaminade persisted and became one of the most celebrated female composers of her time.

Mel Bonis was a French composer and pianist, born in 1858. She was a talented musician who composed over 200 works in her lifetime, including works for piano, chamber ensemble, and choir. Despite her notable accomplishments, her career was plagued by personal and professional tragedies. She struggled with poverty and a lack of recognition during her lifetime, and many of her works were not published until after her death. Additionally, she lost her husband and two of her children, which deeply affected her emotionally and creatively. Despite these challenges, Mel Bonis continued to compose and perform throughout her life, leaving a significant body of work as her legacy. Her music was rediscovered in the 20th century, and in recent years, there have been efforts to promote her music and to recognize her contributions to French music. The last work we play - Valse Lente by Mel. Bonis - is actually the piece we use as our piano duo's theme song in all our podcast episodes. Now you can enjoy it in its entirety!

1. Interlude et Bacchanle - Mel. Bonis

2. Idylle Arabe - Cecile Chaminade

3. Valse Lente - Mel Bonis

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