Louise Farrenc Resources

Works list

This list of works is based on what is currently in the catalog at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France:

Choral works

  • O père qu’adore mon père (hymn by Lamartine), (unaccompanied choir)
  • O père qu’adore mon père (hymn by Lamartine), (choir and piano)
  • O salutaris hostia, (soprano, alto and tenor)

Vocal works

  • Andréa la censurado, ballade
  • Je me taisais, romance
  • La tourterelle, romance
  • La madone
  • Le berger fidèle, romance
  • Le prisonnier de guerre, dramatic scene
  • Le suicide, scène et air (music same as Le prisonnier de guerre)
  • Toi que j’appelle

Orchestral works

  • Grand variations on the song “Le premier pas”, for piano and orchestra, Op. 4
  • Overture in E minor, Op. 23 (1834)
  • Overture in E♭, Op. 24 (1834)
  • Grand variations on a theme by Count Gallenberg, for piano and orchestra, Op. 25
  • Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 32 (1842)
  • Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35 (1845)
  • Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 (1847)

Chamber music

  • Grand Variations on the song Le premier pas, Op. 4
  • Concertante Variations on a Swiss tune, Op. 20 (piano and violin)
  • Piano Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 30 (1839; piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass)
  • Piano Quintet No. 2 in E, Op. 31 (1840; piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass)
  • Trio in E♭, Op. 33 (1841–44; piano, violin and cello)
  • Trio in D, Op. 34 (1844; piano, violin and cello)
  • Sonata for violin and piano in C minor, Op. 37 (1848)
  • Nonet in E♭, Op. 38 (1849; string quartet and wind quintet)
  • Sonata for violin and piano in A, Op. 39 (1850)
  • Sextet in C minor, Op. 40 (1852; piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn)
  • Trio in E♭, Op. 44 (1854–56; piano, clarinet and cello)
  • Trio in E minor, Op. 45 (1854–56; piano, flute and cello)
  • Sonata for cello and piano in B♭, Op. 46 (1857)

Piano works

  • Variations (Aristide Farrenc), Op. 2
  • Grandes variations Le premier pas, Op. 4 (piano solo)
  • Variations brillantes on a theme from La Cenerentola by Rossini, Op. 5
  • Variations sur l’air favori “O ma tendre musette!”, Op. 6
  • Air suisse varié, Op. 7
  • Trois rondeaux, Op. 8
  • Rondeau sur un air du pirate de Bellini, Op. 9
  • Variations (George Onslow), Op. 10
  • Rondeau sur des thèmes d’Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber, Op. 11
  • Variations (Galopade favorite), Op. 12
  • Rondeau (Rossini), Op. 13
  • Les italiennes, Op. 14
  • Variations brillantes (Donizetti), Op. 15
  • Les allemandes, Op. 16
  • Air russe varié, Op. 17
  • La Sylphide, Op. 18
  • Souvenir des Huguenots, Op. 19
  • Les jours heureux, Op. 21
  • Fugues, Op. 22
  • Trente études in all the major and minor keys, Op. 26 (1838)
  • Hymne russe varié, Op. 27
  • Variations sur un thème allemand, Op. 28
  • Variations (Bellini) Op. 29 (Piano four hands, arrangements for two or three pianos)
  • Douze études brillantes, Op. 41 (1853)
  • Vingt études de moyenne difficulté, Op. 42 (1854)
  • Trois mélodies, Op. 43
  • Scherzo, Op. 47
  • Valse brillante, Op. 48
  • 1er nocturne, Op. 49
  • Vingt cinq études faciles, Op. 50
  • Deuxième valse brillante, Op. 51
  • Various works for piano, without opus numbers

Digitized manuscripts of these vocal pieces can be found at Bibliothèque Nationale de France website:

Vocal works

    • Andréa la Folle (ballade)
    • Je me Taisais (romance)
    • La Madone
    • Le Berger Fidèle (romance)
    • Le Prisonnier de Guerre (scène dramatique)
    • Le Suicide (scène et air)

Choral works

    • O Père Qu’adore mon Père (Hymne de Lamartine), (SAT acapella)
    • O Père Qu’adore mon Père (Hymne de Lamartine), (SAT and piano)
    • O Salutaris Hostia, (SAT acapella)

Unable to find digital copy of these vocal pieces at this time:

Vocal Works

    • Toi Que J’appelle
    • La Tourterelle (romance)
    • Le Pêcheur Catalan

 

Bibliography

Friedland, Bea. “Louise Farrenc (1804-1875): Composer, Performer, Scholar.” Phd diss., The City University of New York, 1975.

Heitmann, Christin. “An unexpected find: “Le Pêcheur Catalan” WoO II.2, No. 9 by Louise Farrenc.” RISM. September 9, 2022. https://rism.info/rediscovered/2022/09/09/an-unexpected-find-le-pecheur-catalan-by-louise-farrenc.html.

Joshi, Tripti. “Louise Farrenc.” Alchetron. Last modified July 24, 2022. https://alchetron.com/Louise-Farrenc. 

Launay, Florence. “The Vocal Music of Louise Farrenc.” in Louise Farrenc und die Klassik-Rezeption in Frankreich, edited by Rebecca Grotjahn and Christin Heitmann, 153-163. Oldenberg: BIS Verlag, 2006.

Polowchak, Allika, “Louise Farrenc: A Woman Composer’s Voice Rising out of Obscurity” In All Zyzzogeton Presentations, 28. 2024. https://idun.augsburg.edu/zyzzogeton/28.

Stephenson, Cameron J. “The Symphonies of Louise Farrenc (1804-1875): A Comparative Examination.” Master’s thesis, East Carolina University, 2021.