The marriage took place in April 1840 Pauline was 18, and Viardot was, at 39, old enough to be her father. In May 1839 she made her opera debut as Desdemona in Rossini's Otello at London's Covent Garden, and was invited to give a private performance for the 19-year-old Queen Victoria (Victoria wrote that 'I was delighted with Garcia, who will I think surpass her poor sister.' ) Five months later Pauline made her first Parisian opera appearance at the Théâtre Italien, again as Desdemona, followed by Angelina in Rossini's La Cenerentola and Rosina in his Il Barbiere di Siviglia.Īfter her triumphs on the opera stage Pauline was besieged by admirers, including Sand's former lover Alfred de Musset, who wrote that 'she sings as naturally as she breathes.' Sand was instrumental in steering Pauline away from de Musset and arranging her marriage to Louis Viardot, the director of the Théâtre Italien, who had been an advisor to Maria Malibran. Pauline became famous, if not quite overnight, very rapidly. She gave her first Parisian performance at a salon a year later George Sand heard her sing shortly afterwards and immediately took an intense interest in her. (As a measure of Manuel Garcia's skill and renown, the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's Barber of Seville was written for him.) But both Maria and Manuel were deceased by the time Pauline made her professional singing debut in the fall of 1837 at age 16. Pauline Garcia was the younger sister of the soprano Maria Malibran and the daughter of the singer, composer and vocal teacher Manuel Garcia.

Pauline Viardot by Ary Scheffer, 1840 (detail).

Consuelo sand