Pauline Viardot

Viardot was of Spanish origin and was quite noted for her mezzo-soprano voice. Though she did not have an immediate impact on popular audiences she greatly enhanced the intellectual and artistic circles in which she participated. Because of her singing abilities she performed in works by Massenet, Gounod and Faure helping to bring solid beginnings to their careers. She had studied music initially with her father, Manuel Garcia, who died when she was eleven. She continued her studies with her mother and was able to study piano with Meysenberg and Liszt and composition with Reic...