This 2005 thesis explores the life and musical legacy of the Belgian-born French pianist, Marie Camille Felicite Denise Moke Pleyel (1811-1875), through letters, reviews, musical dedications and short stories.

Pleyel's life, her importance as a pianist, as well as the social conditions of women pianists in nineteenth-century Europe,will be examined. The chapters are chronological, each part describing a period in Pleyel's life. Part IV: "Queen of Pianists" focuses specifically on the reception of female pianists in Europe during Pleyel's lifetime, as well as her position among them.