Pauline Thys is a writer who has won considerable dramatic fame. She has published some songs, but has devoted herself almost wholly to the stage. Among her successful operettas are "La Pomme de Turquie" and "La Perruque du Bailli." Her comic operas have been very well received, and include such favourites in their time as "Le Pays de Cosagne," "Le Cabaret du Pot-Cassé," "Le Fruit Vert," and "Le Mariage de Tabarin." She has also composed the lyric drama, "Judith." Comtesse Anais de Perrière-Pilte (Anais Marcelli) produced several successful operas and operettas, among them "Le Sorcier" and "Les Vacances de l'Amour." The Baroness de Maistre wrote a number of worthy religious works, among them an excellent "Stabat Mater." Of her operas, "Les Roussalkas" met with a success when produced in Brussels. Marguerite Olagnier is a composer whose productions show real worth. Her "Sais," performed in 1881, contained many beautiful numbers. She has written another opera, "Le Persan."
Marie de Pierpont was a talented writer for the organ, as well as an excellent performer on that instrument. She entered the operatic field with a work entitled "Le Triomphe du Cœur," which is reckoned her best production. The Baroness Durand de Fortmague was successful as an amateur, and her "Bianco Torello" and "Folies d'Amour" have been frequently given. Mlle. de Sainte-Croix has written a number of successful one-act operettas, which have been well received in the Paris theatres. Mme. Amélie Perronet has won laurels in the same field, and has written some popular chansonettes. Charlotte Jacques rests her fame on a single work, "La Veille." Mlle. Gignoux has directed her talents to the lyric drama, "La Vision de Jeanne d'Arc" being her most notable work. Hermine Dejazet is another operetta composer. Mme. Gallois is responsible for several ballets, besides songs and piano works, while Hedwige Chrétien-Genaro, a professor at the Conservatoire and a musician of real worth, won much success with her "Ballet Oriental."
In the domain of choral music, Mme. Delaval, a famous harpist of the eighteenth century, produced a cantata depicting the farewell of the unfortunate Louis XVI. to his people, which met with much success, but was naturally not a favourite in revolutionary France. She was also the author of much good harp music and many songs. Marie Sophie Gay, born at Paris in 1776, is credited with several cantatas, besides a good deal of piano music. Marie Anne Quinault was another eighteenth century composer who devoted her talents to the writing of motets and other church music. The Comtesse de Saint-Didier, born in 1790, was an amateur whose cantata, "Il Est Rendu," met with some success at Paris. In later times, Mme. Helene Robert-Mazel, an excellent pianist, produced the cantata, "Le Jugement Dernier," besides a number of interesting songs and a valuable collection of children's vocal music. Cécile Derheimer was another gifted composer who wrote a number of masses and other religious music, while Mme. Alphonse de Neuville, widow of the well-known painter, has composed a worthy mass, besides violin works and songs. These names are enough to prove that French women could equal their English sisters in this field, if the national taste demanded it of them.
With those who have written concertos should be classed Rosa La Roche, who lived in the latter half of the eighteenth century, and published a number of sonatas besides a successful piece for piano and orchestra. Mlle. Lechantre, of the same period, composed a work that was only a concerto by courtesy, for her orchestra consisted of two violins, two oboes, viola, and double-bass. In the nineteenth century, Mme. Marie Jaell, born Trautermann in 1846, took a position of some importance. She became a successful pianist, winning prizes at the Conservatoire, and publishing a new method of piano teaching that roused widespread attention and comment. Her compositions include a piano concerto, a piano quartette, and a number of excellent smaller works, such as an impromptu, two meditations, six petits morceaux, and some valses for two pianos.
Among violin writers, Mlle. Brisson, who flourished in the early part of the last century, produced a number of pieces for that instrument with piano, as well as some harp and piano music. Virginie du Verger was the author of three duets for violin and piano, besides a piano sonata and some études. In the field of piano music, the earliest name is that of the Marquise de la Misangere, who was born in 1693. Her ability as a performer on the clavichord was something remarkable, and she left behind her a number of works for her instrument. At the end of the eighteenth century, Mme. Helene Montgeroult held a prominent position as teacher in the conservatory and publisher of sonatas and other piano pieces.
In the early years of the nineteenth century, Mme. Marie Bigot won a great reputation by her playing. Her ability to read at sight was unusually marked, and she played the Sonata Appasionata of Beethoven from his manuscript in a way that astonished and delighted the composer. She did much to introduce Beethoven's piano works to Parisian audiences. Among her own compositions are many excellent piano pieces. Camille Marie Pleyel was another fine Parisian pianist, and a pupil of Moscheles and other great masters. Schumann gave high praise to her performances. She, too, published a number of piano works. Louise Massart, who succeeded Mme. Farrenc as a Conservatoire professor, was another piano composer of note. Among contemporary pianist-composers, Berthe Marx takes high rank. She won prizes and medals at an early age, and became famous through many concert tours, partly alone and partly in company with the violinist Sarasate. Her works include a number of excellent display pieces. She is now Mme. Otto Goldschmidt. Two other brilliant performers and writers for the piano are Charlotte Tardieu de Malleville and Helene Collin.
Louise la Hye deserves mention with the organ writers. She was a grandniece of the great Jean Jacques Rousseau, and flourished in the first part of last century. She won her laurels early, being cut off by an untimely death when only twenty-eight. She had already attained a professorship of harmony in the Conservatoire, and published many valuable organ works, besides pieces for piano and other instruments. Several masses by her remained in manuscript.
Among the song composers of the eighteenth century belongs Mme. de Travenet, whose romances and chansons, with piano or harp, became very popular. Pauline Duchambge, of later date, won great success in a similar manner. Hortense, Queen of Holland (1783-1837), published an album of her own songs at Paris. Mlle. Molinos-Lafitte is credited with a number of songs, which form another Parisian collection. In connection with singing, the excellent teaching work of Mme. Marchesi has been supplemented by the publication of numerous sets of admirable vocalises from her pen. In the realm of harp playing, the Comtesse de Genlis became noted in the eighteenth century, and published many compositions for the instrument. Marie Pollet, somewhat later in point of time, wrote a number of harp pieces, and played them in her many concert tours. Theresa Demar was another celebrated harpist and harp composer.