Remembering the legacy of 19th-century French composer Mel Bonis

Who is Mel Bonis, you might wonder. At first glance, the name might suggest a man. But Bonis is one of many 19th-century female composers, such as Amy Beach, Clara Schumann and Ethyl Smith, whose works have been obscured by the sands of time.

However, the music of Bonis (1858-1937) is receiving the appreciation that “its lyrical beauty, emotional depth and timbral and harmonic adventurousness deserve,” according to the BBC Music magazine, which adds: “Now, Mel Bonis is widely recognized as one of the most significant female composers of her era.”

The Civitas Ensemble will perform Bonis’ Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 69, at its CSO Chamber Music concert on March 4. 

As a woman and a composer, Bonis faced great challenges during her lifetime. Born in Paris as Mélanie Hélène Bonis, she not surprisingly used the pseudonym Mel Bonis in her professional life. Despite those obstacles, Bonis went on to write more than 300 compositions, including 20 chamber works, 150 piano pieces, 25 organ pieces, 27 choral works and 40 songs.

Influenced by Franck, Faure and Saint-Saëns, she developed a compositional style that was “defined by its unique sense of harmony and rhythm, which combined the colors of Impressionism and Orientalism,” said BBC Music’s Steve Wright. “Her tenacity, and her continuing ability to craft beautiful, emotionally rewarding music throughout her struggles, are a a testament to both the challenges faced by women in music and to the enduring power of creative expression.”

Her works display "a great sensitivity to timbre and color, much like the Impressionistic soundscapes of Debussy and Ravel," said the BBC’s Wright. "She also has a gift for a memorable, song-like melody."

At a young age, her middle-class parents identified her musical talent. Despite the economic hardship, her parents made it possible for her to study with some of France’s greatest music pedagogue. She was introduced to César Franck in 1876, and a year later he became her organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire. While at the Conservatoire, she studied harmony with Eernest Guiraud, alongside classmates Gabriel Pierné and Claude Debussy. In 1880, she won the Conservatoire’s first prize in harmony.

After marrying Albert Domange in 1883, she took time off to raise a family. She began composing again in 1894, at a furious pace. Almost all of her 300 works were published during her lifetime. Her music was praised by the great French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. among othes.

After her death, her children assembled some of her notebooks and diaries into a memoir, Souvenirs et réflexions, which was published in 1974.