Henriette Renié, born in Paris in 1875, is remembered as a virtuoso harpist. She found her passion for the instrument as early as age five. At age eleven, she won a prize for harp at the Paris Conservatory and began a grand career as a soloist and famous teacher, training many students who would spread her teaching technique across the world. She also had ambitions as a composer: a student of Théodore Dubois at the Conservatory, she won a second prize for counterpoint and fugue in 1895. Her Concerto en ut mineur for harp and orchestra, which she had begun writing during her studies and performed herself in 1901 at the Concerts Lamoureux (conducted by Camille Chevillard), was a sensation. Anchored in French post-romanticism, the piece contributed to establishing the harp as a concert instrument. Alongside pieces for solo harp, she also composed Deux Pièces symphoniques pour harpe et orchestre: Élégie and Danse caprice, which she performed herself (conducted by Camille Chevillard) in 1906 and 1910 respectively. The December 15, 1906 issue of Le Ménestrel said about Élégie: “The charming artist, whose brilliant technique and transcendent virtuosity are now enshrined, has proven that she can manage an orchestra as easily as she makes her poetic instrument sing. Very polyphonic and pleasantly concertante, this well-developed and quite well-constructed piece was very appreciated”. Henriette Renié also expressed her talent in the field of chamber music, particularly with a Trio for violin, cello, and harp or piano (1901-1902) and a Sonata for cello and piano (date unknown), which joyously assemble all the ingredients of late 19th century French chamber music. Her contribution to said repertoire earned her the Prix Chartier in 1916, a prize for chamber music awarded by the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

– Florence Launay –

[Traduction en anglais : Raphaël Meyer]