Pauline Viardot
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Reaktion Books
Published:1st Nov '26
Should be back in stock very soon
Pauline Viardot, née García, emerged from one of Europe’s most celebrated musical families to become a renowned singer and a cultural icon. Her life spanned the glittering cosmopolitan circles of nineteenth-century Europe, where music, theatre, literature and politics intersected, and she moved effortlessly among languages, styles and genres. Yet Viardot was more than a performer: she was a lifelong composer whose songs reflected her vision of a Europe without borders. This biography places Viardot's music at its heart, revealing how her compositions embodied transnational ideals and creative independence. Accessible and engaging, it illuminates the personal and professional life of a remarkable woman whose artistry and intellect left a lasting mark on European culture.
Composer, pianist, organist, opera star, salonnière, musical advisor, polyglot – Viardot’s remarkable career is captured here in vivid detail by Natasha Loges. And, as she reminds us, Loges’s extensive research represents only the very tip of the iceberg in uncovering the life and works of this exceptional musician. * Katy Hamilton, writer, broadcaster and co-editor of Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall *
A new and much-needed biography of the multi-faceted Pauline Viardot. By drawing attention to the circle around this important artist – composers, performers, managers, friends and family – Natasha Loges offers a rich and provocative history of musical life in the nineteenth century. * Laura Tunbridge, Heather Professor of Music at the University of Oxford and author of Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces *
ISBN: 9781836392880
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
176 pages