Pauline de Metternich

Pauline Clementine de Metternich, née countess Sándor de Slawnitze, (February 25 1836 in Vienna - September 28 1921 in Vienna) was an eminent Vienesse and Parisien socialite and prime aristocrat of a great spell and elegance, an important promoter of work of German composer Richard Wagner and Czech composer Bed?ich Smetana.

Legacy

Pauline de Metternich was a notable patron of temporary arts. She made friends with music composers Richard Wagner (he dedicated her a piano composition) and Franz Liszt and helped them. It was her who organised the Parisian premiere of Wagner´s opera Tannhäuser in 1861. The failure of the project (the production was closed after three runs) became a celebre opera fiasco and one of the greatest music scandals of the 19th century. Nevertheless, she went on and spreat the music of Wagner and other nowadays famous composers. One of her proteges was the leading Czech musician of that time, Bed?ich Smetana whom she introduced to music circles of Vienna and Paris. Thanks to her Smetana´s comic opera The Bartered Bride was produced in Vienna in 1892, to noted popular acclaim.

Related Topics:
Richard Wagner - Franz Liszt - Tannhäuser - 1861 - Bed?ich Smetana - Vienna - Paris - The Bartered Bride - 1892

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her regular stays in Paris and Vienna caused that she became a social and cultural transmitter of many cultural phenomenons (sports, music, politic ideas what she was very keen on etc.).

Related Topics:
Paris - Vienna

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She wrote two books of memories. The first one, Gesehenes, geschehenes, erlebtes, in German, in praise of her grandfather chancellor Metternich and father Moritz Sándor, the second one, Éclairs du passé in French, recollectign the times of the court of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie de Montijo (she recollects the Wagner episode of Tannhäuser in Paris etc.). Both of them were published posthumously in the 20s of the 20th century.

Related Topics:
Metternich - Napoleon III - Eugénie de Montijo - Wagner - Tannhäuser - Paris - 20th century

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~