Scan 12
Musical Courier 1898-05-18: Vol 36 Iss 950, 1898
74 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1Pauline Viardot.
3FURTHER NOTES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
5(See Preceding Pages.)
7It must be realized by singers that before Pauline Viardot commenced the serious study of singing she had already a thorough acquaintance with musical composition, the general laws of opera making and mounting from a musical standpoint. She had heard the matters discussed in regard to her sister and in the classes of grown-up artists, of which she was often accompanist and member.
9The knowledge of costuming had been a feature of study and discussion. The arrangement of her own was always hers. Her ability as an artist (in painting and drawing) enabled her to make exact copies from the libraries and musées she personally visited, and her reproductions were marvels of conscience and skill. She created much effect by this feature alone.
11It appears that her success in "Rosine" the first night was not considered up to her exceptional work in "Orphée" and "Cendrilla," which preceded. But the second night she was like a second person. She did not feel the "conviction" till after the first representation.
13"Her style," says one writer, "united abandon and majesty in a peculiar degree. Her eyes were ardent and mobile, her gesture natural and true, her waist small and long, hair black as night and complexion the tint peculiar to Spanish blood."
15Gauthier said of her voice: "The timbre is excellent, neither too clear nor too veiled. It is not a metallic voice, like Grisi's. The tones of the medium have something indescribably touching and penetrating. Her compass is prodigious, her method all Garcia, which is all that needs to be said. The listener is quite at ease in hearing her, and never afraid of an accident. She attacks with distinctness, without hesitation or attempt, something that is rare. She is an excellent musician, hearing everything with an exactitude which amounts to intuition. Her syllabation is remarkable and her pantomime wonderful."
17She was at one time filled with enormous ambition to play Arsace in "Semiramide," one of her sister's successes. This she accomplished in '42 with great success. The duo between Arsace and Semiramide, sung by Grisi and herself, was one of the "effects" of the representations. The "Huguenots" was one of her greatest operas. During the Universal Exposition she sang in Berlin, London and St. Petersburg. She sang so much for charitable objects in her moments of operatic leisure, and was so kind to other artists, indeed, to all persons, that she has been called "the good, the charitable, the Sainte Viardot." In Ireland she was specially loved. Her "Dernier Magician," an opera in two acts, was played before the Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar in '69.
19Another writer of her time says that at the very first tones of her voice one could see that she and Malibran had been trained in the same school in vocalization, but with all the difference of temperament and individuality of character intact. "The voice is full and equal, just, brilliant," he says; "with wonderful vibration in the middle and low tones. She colors in a most novel and admirable manner, expressing doubt, rage, passion, despair as in painting, and with greatest facility. This phenomena of dramatic vocalization defies analysis."
21Endowed by nature, art and science, she controlled her fate by results. At once she went to the first rank. She had imagination, intelligence, knowledge and voice—little wonder that she became what she has remained, one of the chief stars of pride and glory of musical art.
23Madame Viardot was baptized in the Church of St. Roch, Paris. Her godfather was the composer Paer, then director of music to the king. Her godmother was the Princess de Galatzin. It was remarked of the coincidence: "Art and Society adopted her, the first for her talents, the second for her qualities of mind, heart and person."
25She left Paris at three years; thence to London, New York and Mexico, as described in earlier numbers of this paper. In Mexico she had a few piano lessons from Marcos Vega. This instruction naturally was forgotten before the first serious study in Europe.
27On board the vessel returning from America her father gave her singing lessons, and at once accustomed her to singing to words in different languages, so as to teach her, he said, to associate words with tones, and also to place the appropriate color of language to musical sound. Hers was a polyglot vocabulary. She learned four languages in four years—that is, the language as a medium of thought. German was later added.
29This extreme precociousness of the children, which was incomprehensible to many, was the source of many expressions of blame for the severity of the father, but which was in fact without foundation.
31On her return to Paris she had some piano lessons from Mysenberg. In studying the piano rudiments she showed the willingness to make a science of art which was the delight of her father. She gave three years to the preparation of fingers alone, with perfect contentment, even happiness, at the feeling of ease and dexterity which came. At the same time she read at sight a septuor of Hummel. Later she became a first-class pianist. The study of singing followed, beginning at sixteen.
33She was passionately fond of Schubert, her first love in melody. So much did she love his songs that she copied them, everyone with her own hand, for the simple pleasure of being as near as possible to them and being occupied with their construction, which to her was so powerfully moving.
35To equalize and make perfect her voice, she says that she passed through the most laborious and incessant vocalization. When she had sung all her father had written for Malibran and for her she composed for herself, for she had been well grounded in composition by Reicha.
37People have placed much importance upon the influence of the violin on her voice. She wrote brilliant accompaniments for de Beriot's celebrated studies, which was the extent of their collaboration. Outside of her father's lessons her mother played an important part in her musical education. She says she can remember in the course of the wonderful family rehearsals that used to take place her father striking the keynote of an opera and the family singing the work quite through without the instrument. Seldom, she says, was there the variation of a hair's breadth in the justness of the tone at the close.
39PAULINE VIARDOT-GARCIA.
40At the Time of Her Marriage.
42It was expected to be so. If a variation occurred it was regarded as a catastrophe, a calamity!
44"People must be able to succeed that way," he said, "in order to sing. They must be so capable in order to have mastery over themselves, and so gain the mastery over audiences and so stir and enthuse and arouse."
46Yet a herd of ignorant girls who cannot sing a song of two stanzas without their music, who must have the pounding of a piano like a battle scene under their ears to keep them straight on the key, and who cannot read two phrases at sight, expect to walk on to a stage, armed solely with their desire to be applauded and to arouse and stir and enthuse a mass of mankind.
48What nonsense! What absurd nonsense!
50Engaged by Thomas.
51Among the early engagements made by the Chicago Orchestra for solo work next season are Moriz Rosenthal, pianist, and Emma Eames, soprano.
53Robert J. Winterbottom.
54The piano recital given by Robert J. Winterbottom took place at St. Michael's Parish House on Friday evening. He was assisted in his program by Miss Martha Stark, contralto, and Miss Anna M. Palmer, accompanist.
56A Zellman Pupil.
57Miss R. Lene, a young contralto of promise, who sang at the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, Sunday, May 8, is a pupil of Joseph B. Zellman. She has studied with him but a short time—about one year—and has not studied with anyone previously. Yet her enunciation and intonation were sufficiently noticeable in "The Light of the World," by Stephen Adams, to indicate the excellencies of Mr. Zellman's method, and also her own musical possibilities.
59Kaltenborn – Beyer-Hané
60STRING QUARTET; also
61KALTENBORN SEXTET.
62Solo work by Messrs. KALTENBORN and BEYER-HANÉ.
63Musical Agents, or 148 West 91st Street, New York.
65LOUIS G. MUNIZ,
66Teacher of the TRUE and PRACTICAL METHOD for the complete development and thorough education of the singing voice.
67Pianist and Accompanist.
68STUDIO: 135 WEST 56TH ST., NEW YORK.
70CHAS. A. RICE,
71TENOR.
72Oratorio, Concerts and Recitals,
73Vocal Studio: 221 East 19th Street, New York.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.