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From top left to bottom right: Béatrice Petitet © Klinger & Husar OEG, Sophie Raynaud © Tatyana Vlasova, Agnes Pfeffer © Regina Mierzwa, Fanny Kircher © private
04.12.2025 | 19:00 | Ehrbar Saal

A journey into French Romanticism

Voyage with Pauline Viardot

Béatrice Petitet Mezzo-soprano
Sophie Raynaud piano
Fanny Kircher violoncello
Agnes Pfeffer Moderation & Recitation

Programme

Songs, works and stories by and about

Pauline Viardot

Frédéric Chopin

Henri Duparc

Gabriel Fauré

Hector Berlioz

Georges Bizet

Jules Massenet

Ernest Chausson

Rita Strohl

and about their time and life.

There are places, journeys, encounters and moments that influence life more than others and remain in our memories. Especially in the 19th century, salons were places where different art forms met and inspired each other - music, painting, literature, poetry, philosophy - and news was exchanged across countries. Through the versatile artist Pauline Viardot-Garcia, we gain an insight into French Romantic music and the culture of the salons on the one hand, and political, social and personal themes on the other. The songs, pieces and correspondence between the artists reflect their friendships, discourse and mutual support, Franco-German appreciation and inspiration, the influence of colonialism and slavery on the artists' fantasies about the Orient, as well as the difficulties and challenges that women faced as musicians and composers.

Béatrice Petitet ...

... born in Seattle, grew up in Paris, studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston, in Amsterdam and at the Vienna University of Music with Walter Berry, Robert Holl and Edward Zambara, among others. Her repertoire focusses on Mozart, French Romanticism and contemporary music. She has performed on various stages in Vienna, including under Pierre Boulez, with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Bertrand de Billy, the "Orchestre National de Belgique" (Mikko Frank), Neue Oper Wien, the ensembles "Intercontemporain" and "die reihe" - as well as invitations to festivals, including the Festival Lyrique d'Aix en Provence, at the Grand Opera Luxembourg, Tanglewood Festival, USA. Radio recordings and CD productions for ORF, Bayrischer Rundfunk, Radio France and ARTE. She has also been active in vocal training since 2003.

Sophie Raynaud ...

... born in Lyon, trained at the CNSM in Paris, has performed on the biggest stages in Europe, the USA and Japan as a soloist and in recitals and chamber music evenings, including at London's Wigmore Hall, the Edinburgh Festival, the Cologne Philharmonie, the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Bunka Haikan Recital Hall in Tokyo. Sophie Raynaud teaches at European institutions such as the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Brussels and at the music academies in Bern, Bremen and Munich. In her work as a coach, she has appeared at the largest opera houses in Europe: the Vienna State Opera, the Theater an der Wien, the Salzburg Festival, the Zurich Opera House, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Teatro La Fenice and the Bavarian State Opera and is frequently requested for recordings by Sony or Prima Classic. Her solo album "Childhood mirrors" was released on the Prima Classic label at the end of 2024.

Fanny Kircher ...

... born in Vienna in 1999, studied concert cello with Prof. Othmar Müller at the Joseph Haydn Private University in Eisenstadt and instrumental and vocal pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) - she completed both programmes with distinction. She is currently completing her Master's degree at the MDW in the class of Prof Bruno Weinmeister. She regularly performs with the orchestra on renowned stages such as the Vienna Musikverein and the Vienna State Opera and is also involved in studio recordings for international film and media productions. Her solo and chamber music activities have taken her to international festivals. As a teacher, she teaches at the music schools of the City of Vienna and works in the field of integrative music education at the AKH. She plays a cello made by the German violin maker Albrecht Löbner in 2022.

Agnes Pfeffer ...

... has been involved in various cultural projects since childhood (dancing, making music, writing, organising); during her French studies, she focused on linguistic topics, music and psychology. Since 2011, intuitive body and consciousness work for holistic pain and stress management as well as personal development. Since 2022 readings (often with music) and 2023 publication of her first book Rooted I float. Everyday poetry.

Organised by Béatrice Petitet. Tickets can be purchased at the box office (attention, cash only!) at the following prices: € 38,- (category 1), € 28,- (category 2) & € 15,- (pupils and students up to 27 years).

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