Virginie Morel-du Vergeraus romantic + classic

Virginie Morel-du Verger (* 17 May 1799 in Metz, France; † 17 December 1869) was a French pianist, music teacher and composer.

Life

Jeanne Virginie Morel was born in Metz on 17 May 1799.
She was born into an ‘illegitimate union’.

According to the Universal Biography of Musicians, Virginie Morel was a child prodigy who discovered the piano as an autodidact and played it ‘remarkably well’ from the age of twelve.

Encouraged by her admirers, she moved to Paris with her mother. At the age of 13, she was enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire. In his first examination of the pupil, Étienne Méhul (1763-1817), one of the five inspectors of the Paris Conservatoire, wrote next to Virginie’s name: ‘The most talented to become a great pianist.’

At the Conservatoire, Virginie Morel first studied with Louis Adam; a year later, she confirmed Méhul’s opinion when she won first prize for piano. For the next two years, she was a tutor in Louis Adam’s class. Her training was supplemented by private lessons in harmony with Muzio Clementi, Johan Nepomuk Hummel and Antoine Reicha.

During the French Restoration, she was employed as a pianist by the Duchess of Berry, to whom she gave piano lessons. Virginie Morel then published her first scores, in particular her Trois Duettini for piano and violin were dedicated to the Duchess.

The Duchess of Berry arranged the marriage of Virginie, who, as an illegitimate child, needed help in organising her wedding. Mit einer großen Mitgift von 100.000 Francs vermählte die Herzogin Virginie mit einem hochrangigen Militäroffizier, der später Baron du Verger wurde.

The marriage kept Virginie away from Parisian musical life for a long time: her husband was chief of staff in the African army, which is why they had to move to Algeria for around ten years. Erst nach seiner Pensionierung kehrten sie in das Familienschloss zurück. So konnte Virginie Morel du Verger ihre musikalischen Aktivitäten wieder aufnehmen und ihre Lehr- und Kompositionstätigkeit fortsetzen: Sie schrieb Klaviersonaten und Kammermusik, Walzer und acht melodische Etüden sowie drei Duette für Violine und Klavier.

The ‘Eight Melodic Studies’ were published in 1857 ( Huit Études ‘mélodiques’) by Baroness Verger (Virginie Morel) and dedicated to her contemporary, also a composer and piano teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, Louise Farrenc (1804-1875).

It is assumed that although the general title ‘Studies’ and the dedication to the teacher seem to categorise the collection as a pedagogical work, the qualification ‘melodic’ added by the composer was intended to attract greater attention. Although these eight short pieces were fraught with various difficulties, they were intended for performance in salons, no doubt as a demonstration of the expressive abilities of both the performer and the composer.

The opera composer and music critic Ernest Reyer (1823-1909), who wrote a ‘Musical Review’ in Le Courrier de Paris, praised the score of the Eight Melodic Studies and emphasised its importance (1857).

Reyer continued: ‘The art world still remembers Miss Morel’s successes. And since the gifted pianist had become a noble lady, she remained true to her art and to the only traditions she had accepted, namely those of the great masters. Every page of the work conveys a sense of masculinity and experience: the feminine grace is hidden in the titles that the composer gave to the individual melodies: Lullaby (La berceuse), Insecurity (L’incertezza), Barcarolle, The Butterfly (Le papillon), etc. These fresh poetic reflections are preceded by a beautiful introduction in which both parts, equally interesting and eventful, reveal the masterful touch of a hand that never loses control.’

Virginie Morel, Baroness du Verger, died on 17 December 1869 at her husband’s estate, the Château du Verger in Seiches-sur-le-Loir.

Source Wiki: https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginie_Morel-du_Verger