Lettres de Pauline Viardot

Some unpublished letters by Pauline García Viardot (1821–1910), sister of Maria Malibran and an established singer who performed in European theatres and in her private salon, have been purchased through the antiques market by the Istituto Liszt Foundation, which now holds them in its archive. The transcript and commentary of Pauline’s letters, provided here for the first time, show a dense network of contacts with the protagonists of the European artistic world. Her salon, frequented by the best society of the time, was a meeting place for the artistic, cultural and political elite, also helping to launch the career of young composers and singers. A polyglot and cosmopolitan personality, composer, organizer of musical après-midis, Pauline shared her interest in the music of the past with other composers of the time, and worked actively to save it from oblivion.

Keywords: Pauline Viardot, Franz Liszt, George Sand, Fryderyk Chopin, Ivan Turgenev, Charles Gounod, Camille Saint-Saëns, Ambroise Thomas, Hugo Wehrle, Julius Zarębski