Mel Bonis - Orchestral Works (Joseph Bastian)

Information

Composer: Mel Bonis

1. Trois femmes de légende: Le Songe de Cléopâtre, Op. 180
2. Trois femmes de légende: Ophélie, Op. 165
3. Trois femmes de légende: Salomé, Op. 100/2
4. Suite orientale, Op. 48/2: I. Prélude
5. Suite orientale, Op. 48/2: II. Danse d'Almée
6. Les Gitanos, Valse éspagnole, Op. 15/3
7. Suite en forme de valses: Ballabile, Op. 37/3
8. Suite en forme de valses: Valse lente, Op. 38/3
9. Suite en forme de valses: Scherzo-valse, Op. 35/3
10. Trois danses pour orchestre: Bourée, Op. 62/2
11. Trois danses pour orchestre: Pavane, Op. 81/3
12. Trois danses pour orchestre: Sarabande, Op. 82/2
13. Danse sacrée, Op. 36/2
14. Le Chat sur le toit (Les Amours du chat), Op. 93/2
15. Noël de la Vierge Marie, Op. 54/2
16. Le Ruisseau, Op. 21/2

WDR Sinfonieorchester

Joseph Bastian, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Born into a conservative family that prevented her from marrying the man she loved, Mel Bonis (1858–1937) endured a life marked by personal constraint, including a marriage of convenience and a later affair with her youthful love. Yet her life was far more than romantic drama. Bonis emerged as one of the strongest composers of her era, focusing on piano works, chamber music, and art songs, while also contributing distinctive orchestral compositions to the Impressionist repertoire. Works such as Ophélia, evocative mélodies, and vibrant dances reveal her originality and expressive range. This production honors a remarkable composer whose music deserves renewed recognition and appreciation.

Born in 1981 in France to a French-Swiss family, Joseph Bastian began as a cellist, trombonist, and composer before focusing on conducting. A former Principal Bass Trombonist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO), he gained international attention in 2016 with a last-minute debut conducting the BRSO, widely praised as sensational. Mentored by Mariss Jansons and others, he has since received major awards, including the Neeme Järvi Prize and the Eugene Jochum Prize. Bastian currently serves as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Munich Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne and the Asian Youth Orchestra, alongside an active international guest conducting and operatic career.

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