Born in Siena, Italy, in 1844, Penelope Bigazzi won her first prizes from the Florence Academy of Fine Arts at age seven. At age thirteen, the young pianist began a very long tour of northern Italy, the South of France, and Spain. In December 1859, she settled in Madrid, where the press would report extensively on her active role in the local music scene. She also composed most of her works there. Some evoked Italy and her childhood memories (Rimembranze del Carnevale 1857-58 in Ferrara ; Souvenir de Venise, Fantaisie ; Oh! mia cara Italia: rimembranza per piano, op. 12), or trendy Italian operas (Capricho para piano sobre la Ballata de Oscar en la ópera Un ballo in maschera de Verdi, op. 17 et Fantasía fácil para piano sobre la ópera La Traviata). Others were openly political, referencing the Italian Risorgimento (Himno de Garibaldi, Transcripción) or the Spanish-Moroccan war (El sitio de Tetuán: polka militar, et Los españoles rogando a Dios por el Ejército de África: nocturno para piano op. 8). Others still took on dance rhythms (Saludo a Madrid: polka-mazurka para piano, op. 13; La andaluza, redowa; La astu­riana, schottisch; Higuanama, Habanera de salón para piano ; Soberbia y humildad: vals de concierto para piano, op. 10).
At age eighteen, she married Sicilian miniatures painter Francesco Geloso, and gave birth to two sons in Spain – Albert and Cesar. Penelope remained a very active performer, but her composition work slowed once she was married. In 1868, the family moved to Bordeaux. Penelope taught at the Société Sainte-Cécile until 1884. She began the musical instruction of her sons, who then attended the Paris Conservatory. Albert Geloso, the eldest, became a famous violinist, was the first chair violinist in the Geloso Quartet, and a prolific composer. Cesar Geloso, the youngest, became a pianist and composer, and later was director of the Versailles Conservatory. Penelope Bigazzi-Geloso died in December 1914 in London, where she was traveling with her son Albert on his tour.

– Miren Adouani –

[Traduction en anglais : Raphaël Meyer]