Suite orientale, Op. 48

Composer: BONIS, Mélanie Hélène
  • Published in 1900, Bonis originally wrote her Suite orientale for piano trio. She also made an arrangement for orchestra.
  • Suite orientale consists of three movements:
    1. Prélude
    2. Danse d’Almée (Dance of the Almeas)
    3. Ronde de nuit (Night Round)
      • *The orchestral arrangement of Suite orientale does not include this third movement, only the first two.1
  • Suite orientale was written during a period in classical music when composers had a particular fascination with non-Western cultures and soundscapes.
    • An almeh refers to educated Egyptian entertainers who were popular in artist depictions during the 19th century.

Sources

  1. “Suite orientale, Op.48 (Bonis, Mel),” IMSLP, accessed July 27, 2026, https://imslp.org/wiki/Suite_orientale,_Op.48_(Bonis,_Mel).

Cut IDs

28612