Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris in 1857, into an upper-class family of music-lovers. Georges Bizet, who was a friend of her parents, suggested she attend the Paris Conservatory, but her father was against professional musical training as he considered music to be solely a leisure activity. Chaminade therefore trained privately under Félix Le Couppey (piano), Augustin Savard (écriture musicale), and Benjamin Goddard (composition). Her father’s opposition finally abated: after debuting as a pianist in 1877, her Trio, op. 11 was performed at the Société Nationale de Musique in 1880, followed by her Suite, op. 20, pour orchestre in 1881. In 1884, she completed her symphonie dramatique Les Amazones, op. 26, on a feminist libretto by Charles Grandmougin, which was performed in 1888 in Antwerp alongside her Concertstück, op. 40, pour piano et orchestre, an avant-garde work of the same far-eastern influence as much of French music beginning in 1889. In 1887, her Deuxième Trio, op. 34 was performed at the Société Nationale de Musique. In 1888, her ballet Callirhoë, op. 37 was performed at the Marseille Opera. Her innovative inspiration faltered around 1890, for reasons yet to be determined, and she began her career as a “salon composer”, with a large output of piano pieces and mélodies written for amateur musicians. She only returned to composing symphonies in 1902, with her Concertino, op. 107, pour flûte et orchestre, commissioned by the Conservatory. An exclusive contract with Enoch saw her works distributed worldwide, with major success in the United States: numerous “Chaminade Clubs” made her a veritable role model of the modern woman. She married late in life, but considered herself in truth “married to her music.” She was one of the first women conductors, and is thought to be the first woman composer to receive the Légion d'Honneur, in 1913.

– Florence Launay –

[Traduction en anglais : Raphaël Meyer]