7/21/2019 Pauline Viardot

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 Nicole London

Pauline Viardot published almost 200 songs between the years 1841 and 19051 !n spite o" her

many compositions# it is di""icult to "ind more than a "ew in most libraries $he %irlyn %usic Library at

the &ni'ersity o" %ichigan has the largest collection o" Viardot manuscripts with 220 musical scores $he

most widely circulated Viardot pieces are "ound in anthologies o" music by women composers such as

The New Historical Anthology of Music by (omen edited by )ames * +riscoe which contains one

,erman lied by Viardot# and Women Composers: A Heritage of Song  compiled by -arol .imball which

contains three pieces / compilation o" twel'e lieder by Viardot that was edited by -atherine entman

/nderson is held in 95 libraries worldwide !n the introduction to this anthology# /nderson maes note o" 

-lara chumann and ector +erlio3s admiration o" Pauline Viardot2 

!n "act# Vardiot was widely respected by many prominent composers o" her time -amille aint

aens was a "riend o" Pauline Viardot# and as a composer himsel"# he shares some 'aluable insight into

Pauline Viardots own li"e as a composer !n a collection o" his essays# aintaens says6

! do not now how she learnt the secret o" composition7 apart "rom handling the orchestra# she

new them all and the numerous lieder she wrote on rench# ,erman and panish tets testi"y to

an impeccable techni:ue !n contrast to most composers "or whom nothing is more urgent than

 publicity "or their own products# she concealed hers as though they were a "ault7 it was etremely

hard to persuade her to ha'e them per"ormed7 the least o" them# though# would ha'e done her

honor ;

1 -atherine entman /nderson# <Pauline Viardot ,arcia6 $wel'e Lieder= >+ryn %awr6 ildegardPublishing -ompany# 1994?# 5

2 !bid# 5@

3 -amille aintaens# <-amille aintaens on %usic and %usicians#= ed *oger Nichols >New Aor6

B"ord &ni'ersity Press# 2008?# 1@8

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 Nicole London

aintaens also describes a story in which Viardot per"ormed a recitati'e and aria in a %o3artian

style "ooling her audience into belie'ing the aria was written by %o3art himsel" when in "act it was

written by Viardot /s a reason "or the lac o" public reception o" Viardots publications# aintaens

o""ers that she must ha'e had a dislie "or "ame as could be noted by her relati'e anonymity in her

secreti'e# but illustrious teaching career4

4 !bid