Caroline Montigny-Rémaury

Caroline Montigny-Remaury was the wife of publicist Léon Montigny.^[1] When she became a widow, she married Auguste Wieczffinski de Serres (1841–1900), an engineer of the Ponts et chaussées.^[2] She was the sister of painter Léontine Rémaury^[3] who was the wife of the painter Louis Bauderon de Vermeron,^[4] the sister-in-law of Ambroise Thomas, director of the Conservatoire de Paris.

She was the mother of Jean-Maurice-Charles Montigny, (born 18 October 1866, Paris 9th, prefect of the Sarthe department, and Alice Montigny, pen name Henry Ferrare,^[5] the wife of sculptor Émile Lafont, (marriage on 3 July 1894, Paris 9th).^[6]

She was a pupil of Franz Liszt. She performed in the provinces and abroad, Bordeaux, Lyon, London, where her appearance caused a sensation, and at the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, where she had been at the request of Ferdinand Hiller, and where she obtained a real triumph.

A virtuoso pianist, she was an inspiration to many composers and was often dedicated pieces by Pierné, Fauré, and Saint-Saëns. In 1880 Fauré dedicated his Barcarolle No 1 in A minor, Op 26 to her. It was premiered by Saint-Saëns at a concert of the Société Nationale de Musique in 1882.^[7] In 1886 Saint-Saëns wrote his Wedding-Cake^[8] for her second marriage in 1886 (she then became Caroline de Serres Wieczffinski), and dedicated her his Études pour la Main gauche seule, opus 135^[9] (1912), after she had seriously wounded her right hand, and with which she could no longer play.

She died 19 June 1913^[10] aged 70 in her home, 2 Cité Odiot, and was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery.^[11]

• "Piano Works for the Left Hand" on Gramophone.uk