Marie Kiéné Bigot de Morogues (3 March 1786 – 16 September 1820) was a French pianist and composer. She is best known for her sonatas and études.

Career

Marie Kiéné was born in

Colmar Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

. After marrying M. Bigot, she moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in 1804, where she lived for five years. She was highly accomplished at the piano and played for

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

, who exclaimed, "Oh, my dear child, I did not write this music – it is you who has composed it!" He wrote on the sheet from which she played, "On 20 February 1805, Joseph Haydn was happy". She became a friend of Salieri. Her husband being the librarian of Count Razumovsky, she also became friendly with

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, who admired her playing. She was the first to play for him, from the autograph, his newly written Appassionata Sonata, impressing him so much that he told her, "That is not exactly the character I wanted to give this piece; but go right on. If it is not wholly mine, it is something better." He gave her the autograph of the Appassionata. In 1808, after a misunderstanding over Beethoven's invitation to take Marie and her three-year-old daughter, Caroline, for a drive and her refusal, the famous composer sent an apologetic letter to her and her husband, writing, "It is one of my foremost principles never to occupy any other relations than those of friendship with the wife of another man. I should never want to fill my heart with distrust towards those who may chance someday to share my fate with me and thus destroy the loveliest and purest life for myself." The Bigots returned to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1809. Marie composed, gave lessons, and did much to introduce Beethoven's music to Parisian audiences. In 1812, her husband was taken prisoner as part of Napoleon's campaign in Russia, and Marie took to teaching piano to support her two children. In 1816 she gave lessons to Felix and

Fanny Mendelssohn Fanny Mendelssohn (14 November 1805 – 14 May 1847) was a German composer and pianist of the early Romantic era who was known as Fanny Hensel after her marriage. Her compositions include a string quartet, a piano trio, a piano quartet, an or ...

in Paris. She died in Paris aged 34 of

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

Music

Marie Bigot studied harmony and composition with Auber and Cherubini in Paris. She composed a Sonata, Op. 1 (dedicated to Queen Luise of Prussia), and ''Andante varié'', Op. 2 (with eight variations and a caprice, dedicated to her sister Caroline Kiéné) while living in Vienna. Then, after returning to Paris, she published a Rondeau and a set of Études. Fétis mentions a set of waltzes, and although they are in her hand and ascribed with her name, he doubts that she composed them. An article written upon her death at age 34 mentions that she had composed more music but had refused to publish it "out of modesty".''Journal des théâtres, de la littérature et des arts'', no. 202, 9 November 1820, p. 4.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigot, Marie 1786 births 1820 deaths People from Colmar Musicians from Haut-Rhin 19th-century French classical composers 19th-century French women classical pianists 19th-century French classical pianists 19th-century French women composers Composers for piano French Classical-period composers French women classical composers