Mel Bonis - Orchestral Works (Rumon Gamba)

Information

Composer: Mel Bonis

1. Trois Femmes de légende: Ophélie, Op. 165/2
2. Trois Femmes de légende: Salomé, Op. 100/2
3. Trois Femmes de légende: Le Songe de Cléopâtre, Op. 180/2
4. Suite en forme de valses: Ballabile, Op. 35/3
5. Suite en forme de valses: Interlude, Op. 36/3
6. Suite en forme de valses: Valse lente, Op. 36/3
7. Suite en forme de valses: Scherzo-valse, Op. 38/3
8. Two Movements from ‘Suite orientale’, Op. 48/2: Prélude
9. Two Movements from ‘Suite orientale’, Op. 48/2: Danse d’Almées
10. Le Chat sur le toit, Op. 93/2
11. Trois Danses: Bourrée, Op. 62/2
12. Trois Danses: Pavane, Op. 81/3
13. Trois Danses: Sarabande, Op. 82/2
14. Noël de la vierge Marie, Op. 54/2
15. Danse sacrée, Op. 37/3
16. Les Gitanos, Op. 15/3

Elizabeth Watts, soprano

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Rumon Gamba, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Chandos

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Born in Paris, Mélanie Hélène Bonis (1858–1937) was a prodigious musical talent who studied under César Franck alongside classmates Claude Debussy and Gabriel Pierné. Parental pressure forced her into an arranged marriage, briefly halting her career until a later reunion with a former lover reignited her creative passion in the 1890s. Bonis composed over 300 works, but modesty and widespread gender bias caused her music to fall into obscurity after World War I. Despite late-life illness, she composed until her death. This album highlights her exceptional orchestral output, written during her most prolific period between 1891 and 1912.

Rumon Gamba (b. 1972) is a British conductor known for his dynamic leadership and extensive recording work. He studied at Durham University and the Royal Academy of Music, where he trained under Colin Metters, George Hurst, and Sir Colin Davis. Gamba served as Chief Conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (2002–2010), NorrlandsOperan in Sweden (2009–2012), and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra in Denmark (2011–2015). Since 2022, he has been Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra in Finland, with his contract extended through 2026. A prolific recording artist for Chandos Records, Gamba has released over 50 albums, including film music and works by composers such as Miklós Rózsa, Malcolm Arnold, Bernard Herrmann, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz