Pauline Viardot - Aimez-Moi Ma Mignonne and Hai Luli!

Back when I posted Brahms' Alto Rhapsody, I looked into the performance history to see if there was an off chance that the soloist had lived into the recording era.  I found out that the original performance, under Brahms' instruction, was given by Pauline Viardot who lived till 1910, though I don't find that she ever made a recording, having retired even before she sang the Alto Rhapsody in 1870.  Brahms asked her to come out of retirement to sing it so her voice must have still been remarkable, even then.  The reported range of it, well over three octaves and the range of roles she sang and originated, at the request of top rank composers, would mean she must have been able to sing alto and soprano, a rarity in itself.

But, even if I didn't find any recording  of her I found out she must rank as one of the most fascinating and accomplished people of her times with one of the most remarkable musical careers of all time. It started by growing up in a family of famous and accomplished Spanish opera singers who not only toured Europe but also gave the first performance of Don Giovanni in the United States, with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte* in attendance, Don Giovanni being a specialty of their performances.

She was a fine pianist who took lessons with Liszt and studied composition under Anton Reicha as well as having instruction in voice from her parents and others.  She wanted to pursue a career as a pianist, having acted as the accompanist for her father's music studio before he died when she was 11(!) but her mother insisted that she concentrate on singing.   Which might have been the right decision because her career as a singer was nothing short of spectacular, her huge vocal range allowed her to sing a cadenza - I'd guess of her own invention - based on The Devil's Trill by Tartini, a virtuoso display piece for violin. which launched her into fame.

Her personal and musical life included friendships with Chopin, and George Sand, who were her intimate friends.  She introduced them to Ivan Turgenev who, remarkably, quit Russia to go be with her in France and, though she was married with children, he moved into her home and became a part of their household.  

In the course of looking for information about her I found out that she was a very good composer, herself, that, too, a rarity among singers after the 18th century.  Franz Liszt declared her the first woman composer of genius and Chopin consented to her adapting, with his assistance, some of his mazurkas into songs.  She composed several chamber operas to stories by Turgenev and one full, though short opera,

I am only beginning to learn about her and am planning on posting more about her this month.  To start with,  here are some songs which show she had her own style and put her knowledge of vocal music into them.  The accompaniments show her intimate familiarity with the piano, as well.  

Françoise Masset accompanied by Françoise Tillard

Cecilia Bartoldi, accompanied by Myung-Whung Chung

And a remarkable Cossack Lullaby which might have a bit to do with her association with Turgenev.

Jacqueline Laurin, Soprano
Laurent Martin, Piano

*  Who knew Mozart's greatest librettist moved to the United States where he operated a grocery store as well as being the first Jew and Catholic priest to teach at Columbia (college, then)?   Nor that he was born a Jew and was also ordained a Catholic priest who, none the less, had a mistress and fathered children by her.   I'll be looking into Da Ponte a bit more, as well.  It's incredible where the librettist of Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutti and The Marriage of Figaro ended up, why was I not taught this when I studied Mozart at university?