Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2013-05-16 Devastating Diva: Pauline Viardot and Rewriting the Image of Women in Nineteenth-Century French Opera Culture Rebecca Bennett Fairbank Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Classics Commons, and the Comparative Literature Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Fairbank, Rebecca Bennett, "Devastating Diva: Pauline Viardot and Rewriting the Image of Women in Nineteenth-Century French Opera Culture" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 3788. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3788 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Devastating Diva: Pauline Viardot and Rewriting the Image of Women in Nineteenth-Century French Opera Culture Rebecca Bennett Fairbank A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Michael J. Call, Chair Francesca S. Lawson Larry H. Peer Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature Brigham Young University May 2013 Copyright © 2013 Rebecca B. Fairbank All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Devastating Diva: Pauline Viardot and Rewriting the Image of Women in Nineteenth-Century French Opera Culture Rebecca Bennett Fairbank Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature, BYU Master of Arts Historically vilified, the vocalizing woman developed a stereotyped image with the emergence of the prima donna in eighteenth-century opera. By the nineteenth century, the prima donna became the focal point for socio-cultural polemics: women sought financial and social independence through a career on the operatic stage while society attempted to maintain through various means the socio-cultural stability now threatened by women’s mobility. The prima donna represented both a positive ideal for women as well as a great threat to western patriarchy. A discourse emerged in which the symbol of female independence and success—the prima donna—became the site of tactical control and containment. The prima donna stereotype, opera plot and music, and literature all presented the vilified image as a warning of the disaster awaiting women who overstepped the social boundaries established in the patriarchal image of ideal womanhood. Pauline Viardot confronted this attempt at containment by fulfilling society’s expectations of her as a woman and simultaneously confounding its presentation of women opera stars. Viardot performed the role of social woman: she married young, she raised a family, she held a salon, and she engaged in other approved social activities. Madame Viardot’s acceptance and fulfillment of the roles established for her by her contemporary society provided her a unique freedom within society in which she could maintain a career on the operatic stage without succumbing to the traditional detritus of the popular press, literature or social ostracizing. She crafted her own image rather than allow society to stigmatize or vilify her. Her success was chronicled in contemporary literature written by women who viewed prima donnas as spokespersons for the female plight. Much of this literature explores women’s hopelessness and despair in the face of highly restrictive social codes. Prima donnas engaged in a very public career through which they established financial independence, professional success, and an identity literally shaped by their own voices. George Sand briefly explored the artist- woman’s search for freedom and independence in her 1833 Lélia, but it was not until Sand met Pauline Viardot that she was able to create a heroine who could gain a respected position in society, enjoy lasting personal happiness, maintain social and financial independence, and who lived to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Consuelo stands as a permanent record of Viardot’s impact on her contemporary society. Pauline Viardot successfully revised the image of the prima donna and that of women in the process. Viardot navigated the centuries-old tradition which demonized publicly vocalizing women and created a new image of the woman-artist. An accomplished actress among other things, Viardot successfully performed the roles of social woman, inspiration of a literary heroine, and prima donna. It is her successful negotiation of these roles which allowed her to carve out a unique position in her contemporary society, a position that allowed her to teach at the Paris Conservatory, support the careers of budding male musicians, garner the respect of royalty, publish and perform her own musical compositions, and live a long, fulfilling life. Letters addressed to Viardot, contemporary accounts by male musicians, and her immortalization in Sand’s Consuelo all record the new image Viardot created: that of a respected member of society and operatic performer of great artistic and musical genius. Keywords: Pauline Viardot-García, prima donna, épouse et mère, George Sand, opera, gender, diva, performance, women, Orpheus, women’s literature, music, Consuelo, Romanticism, genius ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is not often one stumbles across a fascinating research topic with so much still awaiting discovery. From my first brief encounter with Madame Viardot in an anthology of women composers, my respect for this nineteenth-century prima donna has continued to grow. Deepening interest in her contributions to opera and to the lives of her contemporary women took me to Houghton Library where I had the great privilege of examining her journal and unfinished memoirs. The staff members at Houghton were extremely kind and helpful as I dug through boxes of then uncatalogued material newly acquired for the Pauline Viardot-García Collection. Thank you to the collection’s curator, Leslie Morris, for making the materials available to me and for fielding various questions. Many thanks are due to my committee. Professor Francesca Lawson demonstrated unfailing interest in this project and offered encouragement at every point along the way. Professor Lawson first introduced me to the theoretical models at work in this thesis and provided thoughtful comments as I found my own voice within already established scholarship on women in opera. My heartfelt thanks go to Professor Michael Call for sticking with me even when retirement beckoned. I appreciate his constancy and willingness to continue as chair of my committee. Professor Larry Peer’s Romanticism seminar in 2011 confirmed my love for the nineteenth century and helped me better understand the Zeitgeist of Pauline’s Europe. Professor Margaret Higonnet helped me refine several concepts for this thesis, including one on identity creation through scrapbooking, which will make a belated appearance in a forthcoming article. I thank her for the time she took out of a busy schedule to meet with me and learn about my project. Through weekly voice lessons with my voice coach, Mindy Ammons, I gained a better appreciation for Madame Viardot’s commitment to artistry. I may never have the patience to practice as much as she did and I will never have her dramatic talent, but studying voice and preparing for a vocal recital in honor of Pauline has given me special insight to her love of music and her dedication to her art. My mother-in-law, Jean Fairbank, and friend, Sara Culley each provided childcare at crucial periods in my thesis writing. The time they gifted me made this finished work possible. William Bennett provided last-minute editorial support, formatting footnotes and checking my French. I appreciate his keen eye and quick work. Nicole Clawson, a dear friend, generously read multiple drafts of the thesis. Her devoted attention to detail helped me correct many little errors while her fresh eyes caught inconsistencies in logic as well as interruptions in the flow of my writing. I hope one day to repay the favor. Without the constant support of my husband, I never would have finished this thesis in time. Thank you, Keith, for taking time away from your own studies to help me, for reading drafts of every chapter, for making the trek to the Orwig so I could have access to needed research material, for taking care of Rachel, and for your patience. To my daughter, Rachel Ann, I dedicate this work. May you find your own voice and never stop singing. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page ......................................................................................................................................... i Abstract........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... vi Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: The Prima Donna Discourse....................................................................................10 Chapter Two: The Social Woman and Personal Success ..............................................................41 Chapter