Konzert: Der Pariser Salon von Pauline Viardot - mit Nicholas Doig

Pauline Viardot was a singer, composer, and hostess of one of the most important Parisian salons of the 19th century. This concert by Nicholas Doig is dedicated to her musical world, featuring works by Viardot and her contemporaries.

Pauline Viardot (1821–1910) was one of the most important musical figures of the 19th century. Born in Paris to Spanish parents, she married Louis Viardot in 1840 and settled in Paris, where she hosted her salon from 1870 to 1883. Her guests included the most prominent artists of the time: composers such as Frédéric Chopin, writers such as Flaubert, poets such as Turgenev, and painters such as Delacroix. Viardot also lived in St. Petersburg from 1843 to 1846 and in Baden-Baden from 1863 to 1870.

The leading composers of the time wrote works for her rich mezzo-soprano voice. Her portrayal of “Orphée” (Gluck) in 1859 was celebrated with superlatives, not only for her singing but also for her epoch-defining acting. In addition, she composed five chamber operas, 84 songs in various languages, works for choir, and chamber music; Franz Liszt hailed her as a “great composer.”

This concert tells the story of Viardot and her salon and highlights her profound influence on the music scene in Paris. Gounod, for example, called her “the godmother of my career.” In the concert, we will hear three “Mélodies” composed by Viardot, arias from Gluck’s *Orphée*, Lully’s *Armide*, and Dalyrac’s *Roméo and Julia*, as well as “Mélodies” by the Parisian composers Gounod, Fauré, and Reynaldo Hahn. The program also includes songs by Viardot’s German friends: Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Brahms.

In 1859, Franz Liszt wrote about Viardot’s background:

“With her Spanish temperament, her French upbringing, and her German sympathies, she embodies the characteristics of various nationalities to such an extent that one cannot grant any particular country an exclusive claim to her, but rather one would like to call art the homeland of her free choice and love.”

This concert is hosted and presented by Nicholas Doig (hosting, vocals, and piano).

If you’d like to learn more about Pauline Viardot’s life, we recommend the eight-part France Culture podcast series“Le fabuleux destin de Pauline Viardot.”