Pauline Viardot

Pauline Viardot was the daughter of the most famous tenor in Paris, Manuel García. Her sister, María Malibran, was a huge opera star, who died at the age of 28 after a fall from a horse. Pauline, whose piano teacher was none other than Franz Liszt, was told by her mother that she was to sing instead of becoming a concert pianist, so she did. She became one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century, moving Charles Dickens to tears. She married young, a man twenty years older than she was, who managed her career in her opera roles. After meeting Ivan Turgenev in Moscow, she was loved by him for the rest of her life. She was close friends with Georges Sand, Chopin, and other artists and musicians. Her husband and Turgenev both died the same year, and she lived until 1910, having become a teacher, passing down the method of her father. Marilyn Horne is among the many singers who continue to study the García method.

Horne was the narrator of Pauline's story for the concert "Pauline Viardot and Friends" at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. My mother and I went, and were thrilled. We both have great memories of having seen Marilyn Horne sing in Orlando Furioso by Vivaldi. The singers? Fredericka von Stade (I got to see her with Kiri Te Kanawa in the Marriage of Figaro!) Vladimir Chernov, Melody Moore. He was so expressive, with such a warm tone (reminding me a little of Tito Gobbi in some moments, but not quite as metallic). He had such interpretive expressiveness, especially in the Russian songs Viardot composed.
Moore was absolutely fabulous, inspiring prolonged ovations and sincere exclamations of praise from the veteran singers.

Viardot was a composer, whose work has been overlooked, but who is enjoying a revival now, in part due to efforts such as this. Here is Cecilia Bartolli singing Viardot's Havannaise (habañera), and a live performance: