NOTES ON VIARDOT info

 

NOTES ON VIARDOT is a short, full length opera (about 75 minutes, not including an optional intermission) about the life of Pauline Viardot, the 19th century diva, composer, and cultural figure. 

Commissioned by the University of South Dakota, the opera has a large, female-leaning, cast with many opportunities for roles. The opera needs only a unit set. Some projections are desirable. It can be performed with orchestra, with a two keyboard reduction (keyboard II using samples), or with piano alone.    

The storytelling utilizes many of the composers she was associated with during her life, including Mozart, Rossini, Chopin, Bellini, Donizetti, Gluck, Saint-Saëns, and many of her own compositions. This "jukebox opera" approach makes the music easier to learn. Well known cultural figures such as Georges Sand, Charles Dickens, and Ivan Turgenev appear. This gives the opera a very familiar, audience friendly vibe. It also gives the opera a very powerful curricular tie to music history and 19th century European history. 

The opera is tied together with my own music, which is very lyrical. Here's a sample, an aria that young Turgenev sings. There are also several nods to musical theater in the style.

Here is the video from the premiere at University of South Dakota in April 2024. It was produced and directed by Tracelyn Gesteland.

Like repertoire pieces such as ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE or TALES OF HOFFMANN, the opera has casting flexibility for some of the leads--the Older Pauline can be played by a soprano or a high mezzo, with some different vocal lines and even aria transpositions. Several other roles also have options. 

NOTES ON VIARDOT has already been scheduled for production by Arizona State University, Music on Site, and Baylor University.

Prior to the premiere, the opera was given workshops at Florida Grand Opera, Taos Opera Institute, and Missouri State University. 

The first act, about 25 minutes entertainingly synopsizes Viardot's early career and has the most of the quotations. It is available separately.

The perusal score is here. It has all of the vocal options, which makes it a little confusing in a few spots.

Here are the principal principals:

Older Pauline Viardot           soprano or lyric mezzo

Younger Pauline Viardot       soprano

Georges Sand                        soprano or mezzo

The Reporter                         soprano

Young Ivan Turgenev            tenor or baritone

Older Ivan Turgenev             baritone or bass baritone

Louis Viardot                        tenor (eventually there will be a bass version)

There are many more smaller roles, including Charles Dickens, Alfred de Musset, Henry Chorley, Rivals Fanny and Giulia, Manuel Garcia (her father), Madame Garcia, Maria Malibran, Manuel Garcia (her brother). Many of the smaller roles can be doubled. 

There is some very easy chorus: Bandits, furies, fairies, her audiences

Although it is my intention to publish NOTES ON VIARDOT, right now it's being directly license by me.