1.)
Q: Tell me about the place and time that you lived.
A:
I was born in Paris, France, on July 18, 1821. I was born into the Garcia's, an operatic family led by my father, a very famous tenor, Manuel Garcia. (Pauline Viardot Wiki, 2014) Since my family were all opera singers, I traveled to fabulous cities such as London, New York and Mexico by age 10. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) I loved London and New York because they had more to offer, such as amazing goods and marvelous things to do! (Henderson, 2006)I lived in many places throughout my lifetime; mostly in Europe, but some in the United States as well.
The time I lived in was certainly a great one! Europe was starting to industrialize and with more and more tourists coming to visit the major cities, the opera houses were in huge business. (Victorian Era, 2015) There were certain times in my life when things were difficult, such as when Napoleon III took to power in France. (Viardot Wiki, 2014) My husband and our family moved to Germany for safety. Other than that I loved the Industrialization, but the cities were crowded and the blue sky was almost always grey from the smoke.
2.)
Q: What events in your early life made you get interested in the arts?
A:
My father was a world famous tenor, teacher and impresario Manuel Garcia. He was the main reason why I got into the art of opera. As a child, my father decided to teach me instead of my diva sister Maria Malibran, because he thought I had more potential. He made me his favorite. ("Viardot Biography Britannica", 2015) Because my father and mother were both opera singers, I had no choice, but to be an opera singer. I originally wanted to be a concert pianist, but my mother forced me to sing.
I also took vocal and piano lessons with Franz Liszst and harmony and counterpoint lessons from Anton Reicha. I was destined to be an opera singer. "I was beautiful, smart and one of the best singers to ever grace the stage." Words by my father Manuel Garcia. I had a range from C3-F6 which is an amazing range for a soprano. This was accomplished by my amazing teachers who gave me the best techniques and training to further my career in opera. (Pendle, 2014)
3.)
Q: What role did mentors play in helping you develop the interests and talents you have as an artist?
A:
My mentors were amazing talented people who helped me be the best I could be as an opera star. My early piano teacher Franz Liszt, gave me inspiration fueling my passion and interest to be a concert pianist. I was never able to accomplish this dream because, as I said earlier, my mother forced me to sing opera, but I enjoyed it as well. (Harvard, 2001) I was taught opera by my parents. They spent many hours sharing their knowledge of opera singing with me as well as shaping me into a wonderful woman all around good person I am.
Even though Frederic Chopin wasn't my coach, I learned many new tricks and styles of piano from my friend. I learned new songs and duets from his pseudo teachings. Some of my mentors and teachers encouraged me to write and compose pieces because of my amazing piano skills. The pieces I wrote really helped me with more and more training to get to be the best opera singer of my time! (Pendle, 2014)
4.)
Q: What was the world of art like in your particular art field when you entered it?
A:
Opera flourished and was at its peak in Europe. (Encyclopedia, 2015) When I was sixteen I made my first major performance, a huge concert in Brussels, Belgium. There were more than two-thousand in attendance! When I traveled as a child, the opera houses were the biggest sources of entertainment in big cities like London and New York. (Victorian Era, 2015) A new style of opera started to emerge; Musical theatre as the little ones call it now. I never did it because it wasn't appealing to my tastes and it would stray me from my mother’s dream of me being an opera star.
Also, because of the industrialization, the middle class emerged.(Henderson, 2006) These men and women made less money than I, but unlike before, were able to attend shows and concerts they weren't able to do before. These “concertgoers” as some would call them helped me and my career expand massively. There was one downside to this growth of audience members though. It was that composers started to create longer operas that called for more energy and more from the performers. This wore me out from time to time. When I was a child I remember performing for only rich patrons, never for common folk. (Classical Music Museum, 2015)
5.)
Q: How did the major cultural, economic and political situations the time impact your work?
A:
I lived in what was called the Industrialization Period. It was grand! I wasn't born yet, but my father lived through the Napoleonic Wars which caused art in France to boom! (Eric Edwards, 2014) That’s the reason why I was born in Paris. The Napoleonic Wars made French entertainers’ salary higher than anywhere in Europe. My parents then moved to Paris to take this opportunity. As I said earlier, the middle class crated a new economic class. The first of its kind, the middle class let every day folk see my performances, which earned me more money. (Ramirez,1998) Also, thanks to urbanization, I was able to perform in new cities, not just the big ones, like London and Berlin.
There were also many great cultural impacts that helped my art. The most helpful was probably the new inventions, such as the steam locomotives. (Ramirez, 1998) These helped my family and I get to different cities faster than horse drawn carriages that were rough and slow. Great Britain industrialized under political freedoms such as new laws and independent political framework. (Encyclopedia, 2015) These new ideas such as woman's rights were a big issue of my time that were never solved when I was alive, but had a big impact on my art and other artists. (Ellis, 1999) These are only a few of many cultural, economic and political situations of my time that helped shape my art.
6.)
Q: What were your major accomplishments and the methods you used in your art?
A:
I had a few major accomplishments in my lifetime. I have been quoted as “one of the most celebrated French mezzo sopranos of the 19th century and a truly cosmopolitan woman artist.” (Harvard University, 2001) I was so fascinating that composers such as Johannes Brahms composed pieces just for me. I had a vocal range from C3-F6 which is about three whole octaves. (Pendle, 2014) I am also fluent in five different languages including, English, Spanish, French, German, and Russian. I composed five, relatively well known operas. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) These accomplishments I have treasured my entire lifetime.
I used many different methods in my art. I was taught how to sing many different types of music from different countries. I also learned how to hold and create harmonies and I learned new counterpoint techniques which helped me sing with proper tone and accuracy. (Classical Music Museum, 2015) I was taught piano and how to compose my own work which helped me to compose and play new pieces. These methods were vital to my success; without them, I would’t have earned any of the accomplishments I said earlier.
7.)
Q: What were the key opportunities you had that led to turning points in your life and art?
A:
The biggest opportunity I could have ever had was being the daughter of a former opera singer. This relationship led me to being raised an opera singer. (Viardot Wiki, 2015) This impacted my art because I was already slightly famous when I was born. I already knew famous artists and composers from my father, that helped me perform and to get jobs in opera. Another opportunity that I never saw coming was being chosen to teach at the Paris Conservatory of Music. (Kendall-Davies, 2012) This job made me able to work on not only my compositions, but teach vocal techniques and piano to young students.
I was asked by many famous composers about collaboration opportunities which changed my art and how I performed. These collaborations taught me acting, new vocal techniques and some amazing piano skills. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) One of the greatest opportunities though was my first performance, “Don Giovanni”, in The Americas. (Harvard University, 2001) I got world recognition and that was the performance that started my love for opera and the career that ensued.
8.)
Q: What hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be an artist?
A:
When my father died, I had no one to see what I really wanted to do for a living. I loved opera, but by the time I was a teenager I wanted to be a concert pianist. My father’s passing led to my mother teaching me vocal lessons and taking me farther away from my dream of being a professional pianist. (Davies, 2012) I eventually got over it though, knowing that opera would be the best choice for me.
One slightly annoying roadblock was the many men who tried to court me. After I married my husband, Louis Viardot, many men still tried to marry me. Sometimes, I got so nervous or scared of these men that I wouldn’t leave the house unless I had to. (Pendle, 2014) I got over it, but it took a while and drew me away from my art. Oh! I almost forgot! In my day there were no women rights. (Encyclopedia US, 2015) This meant that some roles that I originally had were given to men. It was unfair, but time will fix these issues.
9.)
Q: What personal anecdotes best illustrate how you became successful in the arts?
A:
In 1832, my father, Manuel Garcia died. He left me with one dying wish. He wanted me to become a world famous opera singer. (Viardot Wiki, 2015) This gave me motivation. I decided to pursue my father’s dream and I never gave up. I accomplished this goal by trying my hardest and being the best I could be.
Another story is the time I performed in the United States for my first ever opera, “Don Giovanni”. I was so nervous, but excited to perform in front of a crowd. (Davies, 2012) I worked so hard to learn and practice my music up until this point and it was time to show them everything I had done. I sung so beautifully that night. At the end, when I took my bow, the audience cheered and clapped so loud, it hurt my ears! That was one of the best nights of my entire life and It helped me to fuel my passion of opera. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015)
10.)
Q: How did your work impact the world of art?
A:
I feel I have impacted the world of art by leaving it a little better off than I found it. I gave joy to many who saw and heard my performances. I composed operas, songs and piano pieces that men and women still play and sing to this day! I feel like I helped the opera houses with revenue and keeping the entertainment business alive in my time period. I was never a huge diva, like my sister so I felt I brought positivity and kindness to the opera field.
I sure hope I left my mark on the world, in a good way. I hope young men and women can decide what they want to do, and when they can find it, follow it and don't look back. Thats what I used to say to my students at the conservatory. (Mafalda Savalt, 1892) I know I created many pieces and sung a lot of songs and that is what meant the most to me in my life.
Sources:
Harvard Library:
"Viardot-Garcia, Pauline, 1821-1910. Pauline Viardot-Garcia Papers, 1836-1905: Guide." Viardot-Garcia, Pauline, 1821-1910. Pauline Viardot-Garcia Papers, 1836-1905: Guide. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Encyclopedia US:
"Industrialization." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 1968, "Industrialization." International Encyclopedia of Marriage;Family. 2003, Rodney Wilson, "Industrialization." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008, "Industrialization." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S, and ROBERT STUART. "Industrialization." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 1968. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Napoleonic Art:
"Six Ways the Napoleonic Wars Changed British Art | Blog | Royal Academy of Arts." Six Ways the Napoleonic Wars Changed British Art | Blog | Royal Academy of Arts. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Britannica:
"Revolution and the Growth of Industrial Society, 1789-1914."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Classical Music Museum:
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Nineteenth-Century Classical Music. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Victorian Times wiki:
"Victorian Era." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Pauline wiki:
"Pauline Viardot." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Biography:
"Pauline Viardot | Biography - French Singer." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Women Composers:
Pendle "Pauline Viardot- Women Composers." Women Composers. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Industrialization facts:
Henderson "Industrialization in Continental." Industrialization in Continental. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Human Legacy:
Rez, Susan E., Peter N. Stearns, and Rinehart and Winston Holt. Holt World History: Human Legacy. Austin, Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. Print.
World History Textbook:
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, Anthony Esler, and Inc Hall. World History: Connections to Today : The Modern Era. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1999. Print.
Pauline Garcia Book:
Davies, Barbara. The Life and Work of Pauline Viardot Garcia. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2012. Print.
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