A late discovery of a most important female composer from France for the musical world.

Mélanie Hélène Bonis, known by her artistic pseudonym Mel Bonis (21 January 1858–18 March 1937), was a Romantic composer in the late years of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century.

Her ouevre includes more than 300 pieces: music for piano, chamber music in various formats, organ pieces, Lieder, choral music, a mass, and works for orchestra. Her teachers at the Paris Conservatoire included César Franck, Ernest Guiraud and Auguste Bazille.

To her contemporaries’ surprise, Mel Bonis succeeded in the Paris society and was well regarded by her male composer fellows Camille Saint-Saëns, her fellow student Claude Debussy and others. Some of her works have been officially published.

Sheila Arnold and Sandrine Cantoreggi initiated this album and discovered not only a piece – Soir – never played or recorded before, but kept their choice also mainly to their own instruments of violin and fortepiano (on a Blüthner fortepiano of 1871). Two Trios (one with cello, the other with flute) embrace the programme of small short pieces for violin and fortepiano, highlighting in particular the larger Violin Sonata, op.112.

"Music speaks to me about what I want, but then it withholds it. It kindles my desires and makes me feel the futility of everything on this earth. Oh! Words are so empty when they try to express all of these things! It's such a horrible longing." – Mel Bonis