(b Paris, 16 Dec 1847; d there, 28 Jan 1903). French composer of Irish parentage. A pupil of Franck and a devotee of Wagner, she wrote music of great breadth and virility, including operas, dramatic symphonies and symphonic poems, successful choral works, notably Les Argonautes (1881), and many songs. But she is remembered chiefly for her striking personality, which dominated musical and literary salons.

The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.