Description

Mel Bonis (1858–1937) was born into a modest Parisian family. As a child, her musical talent was reluctantly supported by her family after her teacher – César Franck – convinced them to allow her to study at the Paris Conservatoire. She was never able to complete her studies as her parents ordered her into a marriage with a music-averse businessman, which resulted in a prolonged break from composing as she became burdened by the domestic expectations placed upon her. 

Several years later, she returned to composing and wrote over 300 musical works. Almost all of her compositions were published during her lifetime, a testament to the high regard she was held in as a musician.

Mel Bonis’ Desdemona is the second piece in her piano suite Femmes de légende composed between 1909 and 1914. Each piece in the collection is inspired by a famous female figure from literature or mythology, and Desdemona draws on the tragic heroine from Shakespeare’s Othello. The piece reflects Desdemona’s tender innocence, nobility, and emotional depth. Bonis expertly conveys a sense of melancholy and grace, mirroring the character’s vulnerability and ultimate demise.