Highly respected in the 19th-century Parisian music scene, Louise Farrenc was acclaimed as a pianist and admired by Robert Schumann for her compositions. The Theme and Variation sets are among her most significant works for piano. Their content ranges from the humour and playfulness of the Op. 7 set, to the intimacy and melancholy of Op. 6 on the popular aria ‘O ma tendre musette!’ Maria Stratigou’s recording of the Études (GP912–13) was considered ‘beguiling piano music’ in BBC Music Magazine, confirming once again that Farrenc has been unjustly neglected as a composer.