A French singer of Spanish origin, Pauline Viardot García (1821-1910) was a proponent of the cosmopolitan impulse that characterized European culture in the mid-19th century....

A French singer of Spanish origin, Pauline Viardot García (1821-1910) was a proponent of the cosmopolitan impulse that characterized European culture in the mid-19th century. She was a piano student of Liszt, a close friend of Clara Schumann, and was highly celebrated by the likes of Berlioz, Chopin, and Gounod. On this release Laure de Marcellus performs works both by and inspired by Pauline Viardot. She is joined by pianist Alberto Urroz. Her collaboration with Urroz is becoming a regular feature at Navarra’s Mendigorría Music Festival. After their last recital of a very well-received program of songs by Schubert, Liszt, and Fauré, they performed a Schumann program to rave reviews before Covid hit. They recorded this album in Spring of 2021.