Marie Bordes-Pene

Background

Marie-Léontine Pène was born in Lorient on 25 November 1858.

Education

She studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, gaining first prize in playing the piano in 1872.

Career

In 1889-1891, the painter Jacques Émile Blanche painted her portrait. On 16 December 1886, in Brussels, Bordes-Pène was the co-performer, along with the dedicatee Eugène Ysaÿe, in the premiere public performance of César Franck"s Violin Sonata in A major, which began early evening, being the finale to a long program that started at 3 pm. However, the gallery in which the performance took place permitted no artificial lighting for fear of damaging the paintings.

Hence, the artists played most of the sonata in the dark and from memory.

Also in 1886, in Paris, she was the soloist at the first performance of Vincent d"Industry"s Symphony on a French Mountain Air, which was dedicated to her. In 1888, Pierre de Bréville dedicated his Fantasie to her.

Franck also dedicated his Prelude, aria et finale to her, which she premiered on 12 May 1888. In 1890, a stroke left her paralysed, and she retired to teach in Rouen where she died on 24 January 1924, aged 65.

Connections

brother-in-law:

Charles Bordes

teacher:

Félix Le Couppey