It's complicated

Natasha Loges has recently published a new biography on the fascinating and complicated life of the composer Pauline Viardot. Viardot was a friend and esteemed colleague of countless fellow artists. She also had a long-term affair with the author Ivan Turgenev, with the tacit blessing of her husband Louis. Ahead of today’s lunchtime concert, Natasha delves into Viardot’s world, exploring her intriguing character but also advocating for a body of work that doesn’t need exciting tales of glamour and infidelity to stand proud in the modern concert hall.