Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) France
- andreachamizoalber
- Aug 31, 2025
- 1 min read
Composer and pianist. She was the first woman to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest recognition of merit. Here's Arabesque Op. 61, one of the most notable works among the 200 she wrote for piano. Here's the link to the score as well.
Now comes her Concertino, Op. 107, an important part of the flute repertoire. In this attached video, the orchestra's conductor tells the following anecdote at the beginning: "She wrote the Concertino for her lover, who was the principal of an orchestra. He was getting married to another woman. Chaminade interrupted the ceremony to give him the work as a wedding gift. She received a formal thank you from the mother-in-law, accompanied by a death threat."
Here is also the link to the score.
Chaminade gave her first concert at the age of 18, and from that moment on, her work as a composer gained increasing popularity. She primarily wrote piano works and songs, most of which were published.
So here are several piano pieces, all with a link to download the sheet music.
Pathetic Study, Op. 124
Piano Sonata in C minor Op. 21
Capriccio impromptu, Op. 153
Still for piano, but now in a concerto, is her Konzertstück, Op. 40. Chaminade premiered it as a soloist in 1888, to very good public reception. This work was regularly featured in many concerts in Paris and elsewhere.
The link to the score is below.
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