Mélanie Bonis (1858 ‑ 1937)
Air Vaudois
Only reluctantly did the family allow their daughter, Melanie, to study at the Paris Conservatory. Forced by her parents into marriage with an industrialist 22 years her senior, she had to care for his five children. She herself gave birth to three children. Family circumstances allowed Mel to devote more time to composition beginning in 1900. During this time she received several awards for her compositions.
In 1916, in the midst of World War I, Mel Bonis composed this light-hearted piece for flute and piano. Her eldest son had been conscripted as a prisoner of war for forced labor in the canton of Vaud. This piece was probably written during a visit of Mélanie Bonis. It reflects a moment of happiness in a difficult time.
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