Farandole by Hedwige Charetien

Edited by Sue Ruby

Born in Compiègne, France in 1859, little is known about Hedwige Chrétien until she became a student at the Paris Conservatory in 1874, studying with Ernest Guiraud. In 1881, she won first prize in harmony, counterpoint and fugue. She also won first prize in piano performance. In 1889, Chrétien became a professor at the Paris Conservatory. Not much else known about her life. Her compositions, about 150 in all, consist of pieces for piano, orchestral and chamber works, songs, two ballets and two one-act operas.

One of the most extensive collections of Chrétien’s work in the United States is held in the University of Michigan's Women Composers Collection, which is where this work was located. It is available on microfilm from there through the HathiTrust Digital Library.

Farandole was first published in 1900 in the Journal des Demoiselles, a French newspaper published in Paris from 1833 to 1922. Aimed at girls aged 14 to 18 from affluent backgrounds, the Journal des Demoiselles devoted a limited part to education and science, for the benefit of literature, fashion and theatre.

All markings are original to the composer. The work is dedicated “To my little friends Cécile and Jacques Passard”.