Episodes
| Series | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | An Affair Of The Heart | 20230125 | Donald Macleod recounts how and why Mel Bonis came to find her musical training at an abrupt end. It was a circumstance that irrevocably changed the course of her life. Mel Bonis's name may not be a familiar one these days, but she produced somewhere in the region of three hundred compositions. There's no doubt that she was sensitive to gender discrimination. It's why she chose to publish her music under the name of Mel rather than her birth name M退lanie. She was born in 1858 to parents of modest means. Her father worked for the watch company Breguet, still in business today, and her mother worked in the haberdashery trade. Neither of them held any particular interest in music, so it was down to young M退lanie to teach herself the play the family's piano. Her talent was recognised by a visiting friend who facilitated a meeting with one of the leading lights of the day, C退sar Franck, an esteemed professor of organ at Paris's prestigious Conservatoire. M退lanie enrolled and showed great promise as a student, winning several end of year prizes. Her studies came to an abrupt end when her parents refused to give their consent to her marriage to a fellow student there, a poet, critic and singer, Am退d退e Hettich. Her life took a sharp turn two years later when, at the instigation of her parents, she married a twice widowed man of comfortable means. Thereafter her life as a composer had to take a back seat to the demands of raising five step-children and three of her own children with her husband, Albert Domange. Even so, she managed to continue to compose, producing music for her own instrument, the piano, and in almost every other genre as well. One of the most important relationships of Mel Bonis's life was with Am退d退e Hettich. Originally a fellow student, the pair of them collaborated on song writing projects. Valses-caprice, Op 87 Laurent Martin and Claudine Simon, piano four hands El耀ve toi mon me Laetitia Grimaldi, soprano Ammiel Bushakevitz, piano L'Oiseau Bleu, Op 74 BBC Singers Elizabeth Burgess, piano Grace Rossiter, conductor Cello sonata in F major, Op 67 - I. Moderato quasi andante Thomas Blees, cello Maria Bergmann, piano Suite en forme de valses, Op 35 to 39 The Bucharest Symphony Orchestra Ben䀀it Fromanger, conductor La chanson de Rouet, Op 24 Carillon mystique, Op 31 Maria Stembolskaya, piano Les Gitanos, Op 15 No 2 Laurent Martin, piano Suite en Trio, Op 59 Trio Empreinte Clara Abou, violin ɀmilie Heurtevent, soprano saxophone Anne de Fornel, piano Salom退, Op 100 BBC Symphony Orchestra Rumon Gamba, conductor Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC Audio Cardiff Donald Macleod recounts how Mel Bonis came to find her musical training at an abrupt end |
| 2023 | Heartache In War-time | 20230126 | Donald Macleod considers why the Great War was especially difficult for Mel Bonis and how she expressed her emotional state through her music. Mel Bonis's name may not be a familiar one these days, but she produced somewhere in the region of three hundred compositions. There's no doubt that she was sensitive to gender discrimination. It's why she chose to publish her music under the name of Mel rather than her birth name M退lanie. She was born in 1858 to parents of modest means. Her father worked for the watch company Breguet, still in business today, and her mother worked in the haberdashery trade. Neither of them held any particular interest in music, so it was down to young M退lanie to teach herself the play the family's piano. Her talent was recognised by a visiting friend who facilitated a meeting with one of the leading lights of the day, C退sar Franck, an esteemed professor of organ at Paris's prestigious Conservatoire. M退lanie enrolled and showed great promise as a student, winning several end of year prizes. Her studies came to an abrupt end when her parents refused to give their consent to her marriage to a fellow student there, a poet, critic and singer, Am退d退e Hettich. Her life took a sharp turn two years later when, at the instigation of her parents, she married a twice widowed man of comfortable means. Thereafter her life as a composer had to take a back seat to the demands of raising five step-children and three of her own children with her husband, Albert Domange. Even so, she managed to continue to compose, producing music for her own instrument, the piano, and in almost every other genre as well. During the war Mel Bonis was profoundly affected by news from the frontline. Two of her sons were in the army, and then the bombing of Paris cast a light on the circumstances surrounding Mel Bonis's illegitimate daughter. Mazurka-ballet, Op 181 Laurent Martin, piano Trois melodies, Op 91 H退l耀ne Guilmette, soprano Martin Dub退, piano Soir et Matin, Op 76 Mozart Piano Quartet Sc耀nes de la Forꀀt Diana Ambache, piano Richard Dilley, horn Anthony Robb, flute La Cath退drale Bless退e, Op 107 Myriam Barbaux-Cohen, piano Sonate pour violon et piano, Opus 112 - IV. Finale Francine Trachier, violin Fran瀀oise Tillard, piano Produced by Johanna Smith for BBC Audio Cardiff |
| 2023 | Reflections On A Life | 20230127 | Donald Macloed explores Mel Bonis's preoccupations, musical and otherwise, in later life. After the Great War Bonis turned to writing music for her own pleasure, for her friends and family and for God. Mel Bonis's name may not be a familiar one these days, but she produced somewhere in the region of three hundred compositions. There's no doubt that she was sensitive to gender discrimination. It's why she chose to publish her music under the name of Mel rather than her birth name M退lanie. She was born in 1858 to parents of modest means. Her father worked for the watch company Breguet, still in business today, and her mother worked in the haberdashery trade. Neither of them held any particular interest in music, so it was down to young M退lanie to teach herself the play the family's piano. Her talent was recognised by a visiting friend who facilitated a meeting with one of the leading lights of the day, C退sar Franck, an esteemed professor of organ at Paris's prestigious Conservatoire. M退lanie enrolled and showed great promise as a student, winning several end of year prizes. Her studies came to an abrupt end when her parents refused to give their consent to her marriage to a fellow student there, a poet, critic and singer, Am退d退e Hettich. Her life took a sharp turn two years later when, at the instigation of her parents, she married a twice widowed man of comfortable means. Thereafter her life as a composer had to take a back seat to the demands of raising five step-children and three of her own children with her husband, Albert Domange. Even so, she managed to continue to compose, producing music for her own instrument, the piano, and in almost every other genre as well. The arrival of her illegitimate daughter Madeleine had already brought much anxiety and guilt to the religiously minded Bonis. She kept the child a secret from her family. Then one of her sons expressed his wish to marry Madeleine, completely unaware that they were related. Finale, Op 187 Tatjana Ruhland, flute Florian Wieck, piano Miocheries, Op 126, No 13, La toute petite s'endort Bertrand Chamayou, piano Regina coeli, Op 45 Calliope Women's Chorus R退gine Theodoresco, director Piano quartet No 2 in D major, Op 124 Mozart Piano Quartet Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 144 Ge?rard Chave, tenor Schola Saint-Saveur, vocal ensemble Claire Le Fur, harp Chantal de Zeeuw, organ Jean-Franc?ois Se?nart, conductor Le songe de Cl退opatre, Op 180 Bucharest Symphony Orchestra Bꀀnoit Fromanger, conductor Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC Audio Cardiff |
| 2023 | The Learning Years | 20230124 | Donald Macleod explores Mel Bonis's years of training at the Paris Conservatoire, where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Debussy, and attended C退sar Franck's organ classes. Mel Bonis's name may not be a familiar one these days, but she produced somewhere in the region of three hundred compositions. There's no doubt that she was sensitive to gender discrimination. It's why she chose to publish her music under the name of Mel rather than her birth name M退lanie. She was born in 1858 to parents of modest means. Her father worked for the watch company Breguet, still in business today, and her mother worked in the haberdashery trade. Neither of them held any particular interest in music, so it was down to young M退lanie to teach herself the play the family's piano. Her talent was recognised by a visiting friend who facilitated a meeting with one of the leading lights of the day, C退sar Franck, an esteemed professor of organ at Paris's prestigious Conservatoire. M退lanie enrolled and showed great promise as a student, winning several end of year prizes. Her studies came to an abrupt end when her parents refused to give their consent to her marriage to a fellow student there, a poet, critic and singer, Am退d退e Hettich. Her life took a sharp turn two years later when, at the instigation of her parents, she married a twice widowed man of comfortable means. Thereafter her life as a composer had to take a back seat to the demands of raising five step-children and three of her own children with her husband, Albert Domange. Even so, she managed to continue to compose, producing music for her own instrument, the piano, and in almost every other genre as well. Mel Bonis was just nineteen when she entered Paris's famous musical establishment. Her years of study there gave her access to a superior level of training in piano, harmony and accompaniment. Pr耀s de ruisseau, Op 9 Myriam Barbaux-Cohen, piano Pens退es d'automne Piano Quartet No 1, Op 69 - I. Moderato and IV. Final. Allegro ma non troppo Mozart Piano Quartet Villanelle, Op 4 D耀s l'aube, Op 18 Val退rie Gabail, soprano Eric Cerantola, piano Marionnettes, Op 42 Maria Stembolskaya, piano Sonata for Flute and Piano Maria Cecilia Muကez, flute Tiffany Butt, piano Suite Orientale, Op 48 No 2 BBC Symphony Orchestra Rumon Gamba, conductor Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC Audio Cardiff |
| 2023 | The Turning Point | 20230123 | Donald Macleod surveys the life of nineteenth century French composer Mel Bonis, with a focus today on two dates, both of which would mark significant events, 1881 and 1883. Mel Bonis's name may not be a familiar one these days, but she produced somewhere in the region of three hundred compositions. There's no doubt that she was sensitive to gender discrimination. It's why she chose to publish her music under the name of Mel rather than her birth name M退lanie. She was born in 1858 to parents of modest means. Her father worked for the watch company Breguet, still in business today, and her mother worked in the haberdashery trade. Neither of them held any particular interest in music, so it was down to young M退lanie to teach herself the play the family's piano. Her talent was recognised by a visiting friend who facilitated a meeting with one of the leading lights of the day, C退sar Franck, an esteemed professor of organ at Paris's prestigious Conservatoire. M退lanie enrolled and showed great promise as a student, winning several end of year prizes. Her studies came to an abrupt end when her parents refused to give their consent to her marriage to a fellow student there, a poet, critic and singer, Am退d退e Hettich. Her life took a sharp turn two years later when, at the instigation of her parents, she married a twice widowed man of comfortable means. Thereafter her life as a composer had to take a back seat to the demands of raising five step-children and three of her own children with her husband, Albert Domange. Even so, she managed to continue to compose, producing music for her own instrument, the piano, and in almost every other genre as well. Today Donald Macleod considers the means Mel Bonis had at her disposal to further her musical ambitions. ɀtiolles, Op 2 Mariam Barbaux-Cohen, piano Oph退lie, Op 165 BBC Symphony Orchestra Rumon Gamba, conductor Piano Quartet No 1 in B flat major, Op 69 - II. Intermezzo. Allegretto tranquillo Mozart Piano Quartet Impromptu pour piano, Op 1 Laurent Martin, piano 5 pi耀ces pour piano No 1: Gai Printemps, Op 11 No 2: Romance sans paroles, Op 29 No 3: Menuet, Op 14 No 4: ɀglogue, Op 12 No 5: Papillons, Op 28 Diana Sahakyan, piano Cello sonata in F major, Op 67 - III. Tr耀s lent Thomas Blees, cello Maria Bergmann, piano Fantaisie, Op 72 'Septuor Tatjana Ruhland, flute Florian Wiek, piano Members of Stuttgart Royal Symphony Orchestra Produced by Johanna Smith for BBC Audio Cardiff |