Marie Tayau - Revision history

Brett at 15:03, 23 August 2023

2023-08-23T15:03:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:03, 23 August 2023
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	{{picture\|file=Marie Tayau.jpg\|caption='''Marie Tayau''' (1855-1892)}}		{{picture\|file=Marie Tayau.jpg\|caption='''Marie Tayau''' (1855-1892)}}
	French violinist and violin teacher (b. 12 June 1855 in Pau; d. August 1892 in [[Paris]]), born '''''Marie Augustine Anne Tayau.		French violinist and violin teacher (b. 12 June 1855 {{NS}} in Pau; d. August 1892 in [[Paris]]), born '''''Marie Augustine Anne Tayau'''''.

	==Biography==		==Biography==
	Marie was born in Pau, in the south of France, but spent most of her childhood in La Rochelle, where her mother Adélina-Eulalie-Aude (née Mettez) worked as a music teacher, and in [[Paris]]. Her father, Henri Tayau, was engaged at Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens both as a tenor (he created a number of roles in Offenbach's operettas, including the title role in ''Orphée aux enfers'' [1858]) and as a violinist in the orchestra ~~<ref name="note1"/>~~. It was probably Marie's father who was her first teacher and she showed exceptional talent very early on. At the age of ten she gave her first public performance in La Rochelle and two years later, in 1867, she completed her studies at the [[Paris]] Conservatoire winning first prize at the annual examination. Her teacher at the Conservatoire had been Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888), who also numbered the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) among his pupils ~~<ref name="note2"/~~>.		Marie was born in Pau, in the south of France, but spent most of her childhood in La Rochelle, where her mother Adélina-Eulalie-Aude (née Mettez) worked as a music teacher, and in [[Paris]]. Her father, Henri Tayau, was engaged at Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens both as a tenor (he created a number of roles in Offenbach's operettas, including the title role in ''Orphée aux enfers'' [1858]) and as a violinist in the orchestra. It was probably Marie's father who was her first teacher and she showed exceptional talent very early on. At the age of ten she gave her first public performance in La Rochelle and two years later, in 1867, she completed her studies at the [[Paris]] Conservatoire winning first prize at the annual examination. Her teacher at the Conservatoire had been Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888), who also numbered the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) among his pupils>.

	In April 1869, aged just 13, Tayau gave a solo concert in [[Paris]] and went on to give performances in Bad Ems, La Rochelle and [[London]] (in the summer of 1870). However, from the autumn of 1870 to the end of 1874 her public appearances were far between and limited to France, which suggests that she may have been pursuing further studies in order to perfect her technique ~~<ref name="note3"/>~~. It was not until 1875 that her career as a concert violinist really took off. She appeared as a soloist in several concert series in [[Paris]], including the "Concerts populaires" directed by Jules Pasdeloup (1819–1887), and played in such prestigious venues as the Salle Érard, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cirque d'Hiver and the Cirque des Champs-Elysées. She also toured a number of European cities, giving concerts in [[Brussels]] and Liège in 1879; The Hague, [[Aachen]], [[Antwerp]] and Verviers in 1880; and [[Brussels]] again in 1883. Her repertoire included solo pieces, concertos and chamber works by such composers as [[Haydn]], [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Hummel, [[Weber]], [[Mendelssohn]], [[Schumann]], [[Anton Rubinstein]] and, as will be discussed further below, Tchaikovsky. Already by 1879, a reviewer in the ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' described her as the most brilliant woman violinist of her generation, second only to Wilma Neruda (1838–1911) ~~<ref name="note4"/>~~.		In April 1869, aged just 13, Tayau gave a solo concert in [[Paris]] and went on to give performances in Bad Ems, La Rochelle and [[London]] (in the summer of 1870). However, from the autumn of 1870 to the end of 1874 her public appearances were far between and limited to France, which suggests that she may have been pursuing further studies in order to perfect her technique. It was not until 1875 that her career as a concert violinist really took off. She appeared as a soloist in several concert series in [[Paris]], including the "Concerts populaires" directed by Jules Pasdeloup (1819–1887), and played in such prestigious venues as the Salle Érard, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cirque d'Hiver and the Cirque des Champs-Elysées. She also toured a number of European cities, giving concerts in [[Brussels]] and Liège in 1879; The Hague, [[Aachen]], [[Antwerp]] and Verviers in 1880; and [[Brussels]] again in 1883. Her repertoire included solo pieces, concertos and chamber works by such composers as [[Haydn]], [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Hummel, [[Weber]], [[Mendelssohn]], [[Schumann]], [[Anton Rubinstein]] and, as will be discussed further below, Tchaikovsky. Already by 1879, a reviewer in the ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' described her as the most brilliant woman violinist of her generation, second only to Wilma Neruda (1838–1911).

	Marie Tayau was particularly enterprising in the field of chamber music. Towards the end of 1875 she founded a women's string quartet — the "Quatuor Saint-Cécile" — which gave several recitals over the years, not just of string quartets but also of piano trios, quartets and quintets since a number of women pianists welcomed the opportunity to play with Tayau's ensemble. She championed the works of female composers, including Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918), the eldest daughter of [[Pauline Viardot]]: thus, in 1877, she joined the cellist Charles Lebouc (1822–1893) and [[Pauline Viardot\|Madame Viardot]] at the piano in a performance of a trio by Louise, and at the concerts of the "Sociéte de l'Art moderne", another chamber music ensemble which she set up the following year, Tayau featured other works by her ~~<ref name="note5"/>~~. However, she also took up the cause of a number of contemporary male composers. Benjamin Godard (1849–1895) wrote for her his ''Concerto romantique'', Op. 35, which she premiered on 10 December 1876 at one of Pasdeloup's "Concerts populaires" (which also featured the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'') <ref name="note6"/>. Accompanied by the composer at the piano, Tayau also gave the first performance of [[Gabriel Fauré]]'s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13, at the Salle Pleyel on 27 January 1877 <ref name="note7"/>.		Marie Tayau was particularly enterprising in the field of chamber music. Towards the end of 1875 she founded a women's string quartet — the "Quatuor Saint-Cécile" — which gave several recitals over the years, not just of string quartets but also of piano trios, quartets and quintets since a number of women pianists welcomed the opportunity to play with Tayau's ensemble. She championed the works of female composers, including Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918), the eldest daughter of [[Pauline Viardot]]: thus, in 1877, she joined the cellist Charles Lebouc (1822–1893) and [[Pauline Viardot\|Madame Viardot]] at the piano in a performance of a trio by Louise, and at the concerts of the "Sociéte de l'Art moderne", another chamber music ensemble which she set up the following year, Tayau featured other works by her. However, she also took up the cause of a number of contemporary male composers. Benjamin Godard (1849–1895) wrote for her his ''Concerto romantique'', Op. 35, which she premiered on 10 December 1876 at one of Pasdeloup's "Concerts populaires" (which also featured the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'') <ref name="note6"/>. Accompanied by the composer at the piano, Tayau also gave the first performance of [[Gabriel Fauré]]'s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13, at the Salle Pleyel on 27 January 1877 <ref name="note7"/>.

	Together with her second ensemble, the "Quatuor moderne", Marie Tayau gave the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's [[String Quartet No. 3]] on 15 January 1880. The reviews of this complicated work that appeared in the Parisian press are, as Lucinde Braun has observed, very instructive for the early reception of Tchaikovsky's music in France <ref name="note8"/>. At this concert Tayau also played the ''[[Sérénade mélancolique]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), a piece which, in contrast to the quartet, had already been heard in France (the first performance having been given by [[Stanisław Barcewicz]] (1858–1929) at one of the "Russian Concerts" conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]] during the [[Paris]] World Fair in the summer of 1878) and was received more positively.		Together with her second ensemble, the "Quatuor moderne", Marie Tayau gave the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's [[String Quartet No. 3]] on 15 January 1880. The reviews of this complicated work that appeared in the Parisian press are, as Lucinde Braun has observed, very instructive for the early reception of Tchaikovsky's music in France <ref name="note8"/>. At this concert Tayau also played the ''[[Sérénade mélancolique]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), a piece which, in contrast to the quartet, had already been heard in France (the first performance having been given by [[Stanisław Barcewicz]] (1858–1929) at one of the "Russian Concerts" conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]] during the [[Paris]] World Fair in the summer of 1878) and was received more positively.
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	One letter from Tchaikovsky to Marie Tayau has survived, dating from 1886, and has been translated into English on this website:		One letter from Tchaikovsky to Marie Tayau has survived, dating from 1886, and has been translated into English on this website:
	* '''[[Letter 3010]]''' – 20 July/1 August 1886, from [[Maydanovo]].		* '''[[Letter 3010]]''' – 20 July/1 August 1886, from [[Maydanovo]].
	3 letters from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1886 to 1889, are preserved in the ~~archive of the Tchaikovsky House~~-~~Museum~~ at [[Klin]] <ref name="note20"/>.		3 letters from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1886 to 1889, are preserved in the {{RUS-KLč}} at [[Klin]] (a{{sup\|4}}, Nos. 4239–4241) <ref name="note20"/>.

	~~==External Links==~~
	* [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page=tayau-marie Article by Freia Hoffmann on Marie Tayau] (in German)
	* [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id=taya1855 Article by Silke Wenzel on Marie Tayau] (in German)

	==Bibliography==		==Bibliography==
	* {{bib\|2012/5}} (2012)		* {{bib\|2012/5}} (2012)

			==External Links==
			* [[wikipedia:Marie_Tayau\|Wikipedia]]
			* {{viaf\|316452863}}
			* Article by Freia Hoffmann for the [https://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/tayau-marie Sophie Drinker Institute website]

	==Notes and References==		==Notes and References==
	<references>		<references>
	~~<ref name="note1">See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]</ref>~~		<ref name="note6">See also [[Letter 518]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 5/17 December 1876.</ref>
	~~<ref name="note2">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>~~		<ref name="note7">Fauré's sonata was enthusiastically reviewed by [[Camille Saint-Saëns]]. The novelist [[Ivan Turgenev]], who felt great sympathy for Fauré, had hoped to publish a translation of this review in Russia in order to further the young composer's career and to improve his chances of winning the hand of [[Pauline Viardot]]'s youngest daughter, Marianne, but this was to be in vain.</ref>
	~~<ref name="note3">See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]</ref>~~
	~~<ref name="note4">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>~~
	~~<ref name="note5">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>~~
	<ref name="note6">~~See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau].~~ See also [[Letter 518]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 5/17 December 1876.</ref>
	<ref name="note7">~~See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau] .~~ Fauré's sonata was enthusiastically reviewed by [[Camille Saint-Saëns]]. The novelist [[Ivan Turgenev]], who felt great sympathy for Fauré, had hoped to publish a translation of this review in Russia in order to further the young composer's career and to improve his chances of winning the hand of [[Pauline Viardot]]'s youngest daughter, Marianne, but this was to be in vain.</ref>
	<ref name="note8">See {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 150–156.</ref>		<ref name="note8">See {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 150–156.</ref>
	<ref name="note9">Review in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', 21 May 1880. Quoted in {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 158.</ref>		<ref name="note9">Review in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', 21 May 1880. Quoted in {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 158.</ref>
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	<ref name="note17">See [[Letter 3430]] to [[Félix Mackar]], 6/18 December 1887.</ref>		<ref name="note17">See [[Letter 3430]] to [[Félix Mackar]], 6/18 December 1887.</ref>
	<ref name="note18">See {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 162–163.</ref>		<ref name="note18">See {{bib\|2012/5\|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 162–163.</ref>
	<ref name="note19">''Le Ménestrel'', 28 August 1892. ~~Quoted in Silke Wenzel [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]~~</ref>		<ref name="note19">''Le Ménestrel'', 28 August 1892.</ref>
	<ref name="note20">Only two of these letters have been published (in Russian translation only) in {{bib\|1970/6\|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 171–172.</ref>		<ref name="note20">Only two of these letters have been published (in Russian translation only) in {{bib\|1970/6\|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 171–172.</ref>
	</references>		</references>
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	[[Category:Correspondents\|Tayau, Marie]]		[[Category:Correspondents\|Tayau, Marie]]
	[[Category:Violinists\|Tayau, Marie]]		[[Category:Violinists\|Tayau, Marie]]
			__NOTOC__

Tony: /* Correspondence with Tchaikovsky */ Text replacement - "have survived" to "are preserved" (for consistency)

2022-12-16T19:46:57Z

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky: Text replacement - "have survived" to "are preserved" (for consistency)

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:46, 16 December 2022
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	One letter from Tchaikovsky to Marie Tayau has survived, dating from 1886, and has been translated into English on this website:		One letter from Tchaikovsky to Marie Tayau has survived, dating from 1886, and has been translated into English on this website:
	* '''[[Letter 3010]]''' – 20 July/1 August 1886, from [[Maydanovo]].		* '''[[Letter 3010]]''' – 20 July/1 August 1886, from [[Maydanovo]].
	3 letters from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1886 to 1889, ~~have survived~~ in the archive of the Tchaikovsky House-Museum at [[Klin]] <ref name="note20"/>.		3 letters from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1886 to 1889, are preserved in the archive of the Tchaikovsky House-Museum at [[Klin]] <ref name="note20"/>.

	==External Links==		==External Links==

Tony: /* Tchaikovsky and Tayau */

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Tchaikovsky and Tayau

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	==Tchaikovsky and Tayau==		==Tchaikovsky and Tayau==
	Given that Tayau was showing such an interest in Tchaikovsky's music (as early as 1880 a review of her concert in [[Aachen]] had pointed out that she was studying the [[Violin Concerto]] <ref name="note9"/>), it is not surprising that when the composer's French publisher, [[Félix Mackar]], began, in the autumn of 1885, to make plans for a recital ("audition") that would feature exclusively Tchaikovsky's works, he sought to engage Tayau as one of the soloists. She willingly accepted, and at this recital, which took place in the Salle Érard on 14 January 1886 {{NS}}, she played the ''[[Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34\|Valse-scherzo]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), as well as the three pieces for violin and piano that make up ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' <ref name="note10"/>. [[Mackar]] wrote to Tchaikovsky a few days later: "[i]n Marie Tayau I have found a keenness to perform your music to which I must draw your attention in particular; wherever she performs in future, she will make a point of playing something by Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note11"/>. In his reply, Tchaikovsky duly asked [[Mackar]] to convey his "most ardent compliments to Mlle Marie Tayau" <ref name="note12"/>.		Given that Tayau was showing such an interest in Tchaikovsky's music (as early as 1880 a review of her concert in [[Aachen]] had pointed out that she was studying the [[Violin Concerto]] <ref name="note9"/>), it is not surprising that when the composer's French publisher, [[Félix Mackar]], began in the autumn of 1885 to make plans for a recital ("audition") that would feature exclusively Tchaikovsky's works, he sought to engage Tayau as one of the soloists. She willingly accepted, and at this recital, which took place in the Salle Érard on 14 January 1886 {{NS}}, she played the ''[[Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34\|Valse-scherzo]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), as well as the three pieces for violin and piano that make up ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' <ref name="note10"/>. [[Mackar]] wrote to Tchaikovsky a few days later: "[i]n Marie Tayau I have found a keenness to perform your music to which I must draw your attention in particular; wherever she performs in future, she will make a point of playing something by Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note11"/>. In his reply, Tchaikovsky duly asked [[Mackar]] to convey his "most ardent compliments to Mlle Marie Tayau" <ref name="note12"/>.

	During his month-long stay in [[Paris]] in the summer of 1886, Tchaikovsky went to pay his respects to Marie Tayau on 7/19 June, but she was not in and he could only leave his visiting card. However, when he returned to his hotel that evening he found a bouquet of flowers which Tayau had sent him. He returned the compliment by sending her a bouquet of his own the following day and was finally able to meet her at her house (No. 7, Rue de Navarin) on 9/21 June, as we learn from the composer's diary: "Rode to fit some clothes; to [[Mackar]], to [[Brandukov]]; to Marie Tayau. Visited her for an hour and a half. Charming character" <ref name="note13"/>. As Lucinde Braun has pointed out, it is clear that during this long visit Tchaikovsky and Tayau discussed specific plans for her giving the first performance of the [[Violin Concerto]] in France under his direction at a concert in the coming 1886/87 season <ref name="note14"/>. Accordingly, in the letter which on 12/24 June 1886 she wrote to Tchaikovsky, who had by then left for Russia, she asked him if he would not change his mind, adding that it would make her very unhappy if he were to do so. She explained that she had been looking through the [[Violin Concerto]] again, which had sent her into ever increasing raptures, and that she could not wait to perform it together with Tchaikovsky that winter <ref name="note15"/>. Tchaikovsky, in his reply, assured her that he could not possibly go back on his word, especially considering how much he was indebted to her: "Was it not you after all who was the first to try to propagate my music in [[Paris]]?" <ref name="note16"/>.		During his month-long stay in [[Paris]] in the summer of 1886, Tchaikovsky went to pay his respects to Marie Tayau on 7/19 June, but she was not in and he could only leave his visiting card. However, when he returned to his hotel that evening he found a bouquet of flowers which Tayau had sent him. He returned the compliment by sending her a bouquet of his own the following day and was finally able to meet her at her house (No. 7, Rue de Navarin) on 9/21 June, as we learn from the composer's diary: "Rode to fit some clothes; to [[Mackar]], to [[Brandukov]]; to Marie Tayau. Visited her for an hour and a half. Charming character" <ref name="note13"/>. As Lucinde Braun has pointed out, it is clear that during this long visit Tchaikovsky and Tayau discussed specific plans for her giving the first performance of the [[Violin Concerto]] in France under his direction at a concert in the coming 1886/87 season <ref name="note14"/>. Accordingly, in the letter which on 12/24 June 1886 she wrote to Tchaikovsky, who had by then left for Russia, she asked him if he would not change his mind, adding that it would make her very unhappy if he were to do so. She explained that she had been looking through the [[Violin Concerto]] again, which had sent her into ever-increasing raptures, and that she could not wait to perform it together with Tchaikovsky that winter <ref name="note15"/>. Tchaikovsky, in his reply, assured her that he could not possibly go back on his word, especially considering how much he was indebted to her: "Was it not you after all who was the first to try to propagate my music in [[Paris]]?" <ref name="note16"/>.

	However, these hopes ultimately did not come true. In a letter to Tchaikovsky on 23 November 1886 {{NS}}, whilst mentioning in passing that Marie Tayau was regularly performing his works at her Wednesday soirées, [[Mackar]] wrote that for the second all-Tchaikovsky recital that he was hoping to organize in [[Paris]] that winter he was intending to engage the Belgian violinist [[Martin Pierre Marsick]] (1847–1924), as well as the pianist [[Louis Diémer]]. [[Marsick]] had also been showing great interest in Tchaikovsky's works (albeit somewhat later than Tayau), and he was duly one of the soloists at this second "audition", which took place in the Salle Érard on 24 February 1887 {{NS}}. [[Marsick]] was also keen to give the first performance in [[Paris]] of the [[Violin Concerto]] during the following (1887/88) season, and Tchaikovsky, in a letter to [[Mackar]] of 6/18 December 1887, explained that the Belgian violinist was a more suitable soloist for this work than Tayau. Because he understood that it would deeply hurt her if she found out that he had gone back on his word after all, Tchaikovsky asked his publisher to find a way of presenting the whole affair so that it would seem as if he, [[Mackar]], had taken the decision of engaging [[Marsick]] for the scheduled concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet in March 1888 <ref name="note17"/>. In the end, Tchaikovsky was 'punished' for his duplicity in this matter because, at the insistence of the orchestra's resident conductor, [[Édouard Colonne]], who was against including the [[Violin Concerto]] in the programme, only the first movement of the work was performed (with Marsick as the soloist) at the Châtelet concert conducted by Tchaikovsky on 11 March 1888 {{NS}} <ref name="note18"/>. Tayau, however, did not bear Tchaikovsky any grudge for this betrayal of her hopes and she continued to write to him letters full of admiration and enthusiasm for his music.		However, these hopes ultimately did not come true. In a letter to Tchaikovsky on 23 November 1886 {{NS}}, whilst mentioning in passing that Marie Tayau was regularly performing his works at her Wednesday soirées, [[Mackar]] wrote that for the second all-Tchaikovsky recital that he was hoping to organize in [[Paris]] that winter he was intending to engage the Belgian violinist [[Martin Pierre Marsick]] (1847–1924), as well as the pianist [[Louis Diémer]]. [[Marsick]] had also been showing great interest in Tchaikovsky's works (albeit somewhat later than Tayau), and he was duly one of the soloists at this second "audition", which took place in the Salle Érard on 24 February 1887 {{NS}}. [[Marsick]] was also keen to give the first performance in [[Paris]] of the [[Violin Concerto]] during the following (1887/88) season, and Tchaikovsky, in a letter to [[Mackar]] of 6/18 December 1887, explained that the Belgian violinist was a more suitable soloist for this work than Tayau. Because he understood that it would deeply hurt her if she found out that he had gone back on his word after all, Tchaikovsky asked his publisher to find a way of presenting the whole affair so that it would seem as if he, [[Mackar]], had taken the decision of engaging [[Marsick]] for the scheduled concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet in March 1888 <ref name="note17"/>. In the end, Tchaikovsky was 'punished' for his duplicity in this matter because, at the insistence of the orchestra's resident conductor, [[Édouard Colonne]], who was against including the [[Violin Concerto]] in the programme, only the first movement of the work was performed (with Marsick as the soloist) at the Châtelet concert conducted by Tchaikovsky on 11 March 1888 {{NS}} <ref name="note18"/>. Tayau, however, did not bear Tchaikovsky any grudge for this betrayal of her hopes and she continued to write to him letters full of admiration and enthusiasm for his music.

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Text correction - "brillian" to "brilliant"

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	Marie was born in Pau, in the south of France, but spent most of her childhood in La Rochelle, where her mother Adélina-Eulalie-Aude (née Mettez) worked as a music teacher, and in [[Paris]]. Her father, Henri Tayau, was engaged at Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens both as a tenor (he created a number of roles in Offenbach's operettas, including the title role in ''Orphée aux enfers'' [1858]) and as a violinist in the orchestra <ref name="note1"/>. It was probably Marie's father who was her first teacher and she showed exceptional talent very early on. At the age of ten she gave her first public performance in La Rochelle and two years later, in 1867, she completed her studies at the [[Paris]] Conservatoire winning first prize at the annual examination. Her teacher at the Conservatoire had been Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888), who also numbered the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) among his pupils <ref name="note2"/>.		Marie was born in Pau, in the south of France, but spent most of her childhood in La Rochelle, where her mother Adélina-Eulalie-Aude (née Mettez) worked as a music teacher, and in [[Paris]]. Her father, Henri Tayau, was engaged at Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens both as a tenor (he created a number of roles in Offenbach's operettas, including the title role in ''Orphée aux enfers'' [1858]) and as a violinist in the orchestra <ref name="note1"/>. It was probably Marie's father who was her first teacher and she showed exceptional talent very early on. At the age of ten she gave her first public performance in La Rochelle and two years later, in 1867, she completed her studies at the [[Paris]] Conservatoire winning first prize at the annual examination. Her teacher at the Conservatoire had been Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888), who also numbered the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) among his pupils <ref name="note2"/>.

	In April 1869, aged just 13, Tayau gave a solo concert in [[Paris]] and went on to give performances in Bad Ems, La Rochelle and [[London]] (in the summer of 1870). However, from the autumn of 1870 to the end of 1874 her public appearances were far between and limited to France, which suggests that she may have been pursuing further studies in order to perfect her technique <ref name="note3"/>. It was not until 1875 that her career as a concert violinist really took off. She appeared as a soloist in several concert series in [[Paris]], including the "Concerts populaires" directed by Jules Pasdeloup (1819–1887), and played in such prestigious venues as the Salle Érard, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cirque d'Hiver and the Cirque des Champs-Elysées. She also toured a number of European cities, giving concerts in [[Brussels]] and Liège in 1879; The Hague, [[Aachen]], [[Antwerp]] and Verviers in 1880; and [[Brussels]] again in 1883. Her repertoire included solo pieces, concertos and chamber works by such composers as [[Haydn]], [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Hummel, [[Weber]], [[Mendelssohn]], [[Schumann]], [[Anton Rubinstein]] and, as will be discussed further below, Tchaikovsky. Already by 1879 a reviewer in the ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' described her as the most ~~brillian~~ woman violinist of her generation, second only to Wilma Neruda (1838–1911) <ref name="note4"/>.		In April 1869, aged just 13, Tayau gave a solo concert in [[Paris]] and went on to give performances in Bad Ems, La Rochelle and [[London]] (in the summer of 1870). However, from the autumn of 1870 to the end of 1874 her public appearances were far between and limited to France, which suggests that she may have been pursuing further studies in order to perfect her technique <ref name="note3"/>. It was not until 1875 that her career as a concert violinist really took off. She appeared as a soloist in several concert series in [[Paris]], including the "Concerts populaires" directed by Jules Pasdeloup (1819–1887), and played in such prestigious venues as the Salle Érard, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cirque d'Hiver and the Cirque des Champs-Elysées. She also toured a number of European cities, giving concerts in [[Brussels]] and Liège in 1879; The Hague, [[Aachen]], [[Antwerp]] and Verviers in 1880; and [[Brussels]] again in 1883. Her repertoire included solo pieces, concertos and chamber works by such composers as [[Haydn]], [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Hummel, [[Weber]], [[Mendelssohn]], [[Schumann]], [[Anton Rubinstein]] and, as will be discussed further below, Tchaikovsky. Already by 1879, a reviewer in the ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' described her as the most brilliant woman violinist of her generation, second only to Wilma Neruda (1838–1911) <ref name="note4"/>.

	Marie Tayau was particularly enterprising in the field of chamber music. Towards the end of 1875 she founded a women's string quartet — the "Quatuor Saint-Cécile" — which gave several recitals over the years, not just of string quartets but also of piano trios, quartets and quintets since a number of women pianists welcomed the opportunity to play with Tayau's ensemble. She championed the works of female composers, including Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918), the eldest daughter of [[Pauline Viardot]]: thus, in 1877, she joined the cellist Charles Lebouc (1822–1893) and [[Pauline Viardot\|Madame Viardot]] at the piano in a performance of a trio by Louise, and at the concerts of the "Sociéte de l'Art moderne", another chamber music ensemble which she set up the following year, Tayau featured other works by her <ref name="note5"/>. However, she also took up the cause of a number of contemporary male composers. Benjamin Godard (1849–1895) wrote for her his ''Concerto romantique'', Op. 35, which she premiered on 10 December 1876 at one of Pasdeloup's "Concerts populaires" (which also featured the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'') <ref name="note6"/>. Accompanied by the composer at the piano, Tayau also gave the first performance of [[Gabriel Fauré]]'s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13, at the Salle Pleyel on 27 January 1877 <ref name="note7"/>.		Marie Tayau was particularly enterprising in the field of chamber music. Towards the end of 1875 she founded a women's string quartet — the "Quatuor Saint-Cécile" — which gave several recitals over the years, not just of string quartets but also of piano trios, quartets and quintets since a number of women pianists welcomed the opportunity to play with Tayau's ensemble. She championed the works of female composers, including Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918), the eldest daughter of [[Pauline Viardot]]: thus, in 1877, she joined the cellist Charles Lebouc (1822–1893) and [[Pauline Viardot\|Madame Viardot]] at the piano in a performance of a trio by Louise, and at the concerts of the "Sociéte de l'Art moderne", another chamber music ensemble which she set up the following year, Tayau featured other works by her <ref name="note5"/>. However, she also took up the cause of a number of contemporary male composers. Benjamin Godard (1849–1895) wrote for her his ''Concerto romantique'', Op. 35, which she premiered on 10 December 1876 at one of Pasdeloup's "Concerts populaires" (which also featured the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'') <ref name="note6"/>. Accompanied by the composer at the piano, Tayau also gave the first performance of [[Gabriel Fauré]]'s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13, at the Salle Pleyel on 27 January 1877 <ref name="note7"/>.

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Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

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{{picture|file=Marie Tayau.jpg|caption='''Marie Tayau''' (1855-1892)}}
French violinist and violin teacher (b. 12 June 1855 in Pau; d. August 1892 in [[Paris]]), born '''''Marie Augustine Anne Tayau.

==Biography==
Marie was born in Pau, in the south of France, but spent most of her childhood in La Rochelle, where her mother Adélina-Eulalie-Aude (née Mettez) worked as a music teacher, and in [[Paris]]. Her father, Henri Tayau, was engaged at Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens both as a tenor (he created a number of roles in Offenbach's operettas, including the title role in ''Orphée aux enfers'' [1858]) and as a violinist in the orchestra <ref name="note1"/>. It was probably Marie's father who was her first teacher and she showed exceptional talent very early on. At the age of ten she gave her first public performance in La Rochelle and two years later, in 1867, she completed her studies at the [[Paris]] Conservatoire winning first prize at the annual examination. Her teacher at the Conservatoire had been Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888), who also numbered the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) among his pupils <ref name="note2"/>.

In April 1869, aged just 13, Tayau gave a solo concert in [[Paris]] and went on to give performances in Bad Ems, La Rochelle and [[London]] (in the summer of 1870). However, from the autumn of 1870 to the end of 1874 her public appearances were far between and limited to France, which suggests that she may have been pursuing further studies in order to perfect her technique <ref name="note3"/>. It was not until 1875 that her career as a concert violinist really took off. She appeared as a soloist in several concert series in [[Paris]], including the "Concerts populaires" directed by Jules Pasdeloup (1819–1887), and played in such prestigious venues as the Salle Érard, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cirque d'Hiver and the Cirque des Champs-Elysées. She also toured a number of European cities, giving concerts in [[Brussels]] and Liège in 1879; The Hague, [[Aachen]], [[Antwerp]] and Verviers in 1880; and [[Brussels]] again in 1883. Her repertoire included solo pieces, concertos and chamber works by such composers as [[Haydn]], [[Mozart]], [[Beethoven]], Hummel, [[Weber]], [[Mendelssohn]], [[Schumann]], [[Anton Rubinstein]] and, as will be discussed further below, Tchaikovsky. Already by 1879 a reviewer in the ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' described her as the most brillian woman violinist of her generation, second only to Wilma Neruda (1838–1911) <ref name="note4"/>.

Marie Tayau was particularly enterprising in the field of chamber music. Towards the end of 1875 she founded a women's string quartet — the "Quatuor Saint-Cécile" — which gave several recitals over the years, not just of string quartets but also of piano trios, quartets and quintets since a number of women pianists welcomed the opportunity to play with Tayau's ensemble. She championed the works of female composers, including Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918), the eldest daughter of [[Pauline Viardot]]: thus, in 1877, she joined the cellist Charles Lebouc (1822–1893) and [[Pauline Viardot|Madame Viardot]] at the piano in a performance of a trio by Louise, and at the concerts of the "Sociéte de l'Art moderne", another chamber music ensemble which she set up the following year, Tayau featured other works by her <ref name="note5"/>. However, she also took up the cause of a number of contemporary male composers. Benjamin Godard (1849–1895) wrote for her his ''Concerto romantique'', Op. 35, which she premiered on 10 December 1876 at one of Pasdeloup's "Concerts populaires" (which also featured the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'') <ref name="note6"/>. Accompanied by the composer at the piano, Tayau also gave the first performance of [[Gabriel Fauré]]'s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13, at the Salle Pleyel on 27 January 1877 <ref name="note7"/>.

Together with her second ensemble, the "Quatuor moderne", Marie Tayau gave the first performance in France of Tchaikovsky's [[String Quartet No. 3]] on 15 January 1880. The reviews of this complicated work that appeared in the Parisian press are, as Lucinde Braun has observed, very instructive for the early reception of Tchaikovsky's music in France <ref name="note8"/>. At this concert Tayau also played the ''[[Sérénade mélancolique]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), a piece which, in contrast to the quartet, had already been heard in France (the first performance having been given by [[Stanisław Barcewicz]] (1858–1929) at one of the "Russian Concerts" conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]] during the [[Paris]] World Fair in the summer of 1878) and was received more positively.

==Tchaikovsky and Tayau==
Given that Tayau was showing such an interest in Tchaikovsky's music (as early as 1880 a review of her concert in [[Aachen]] had pointed out that she was studying the [[Violin Concerto]] <ref name="note9"/>), it is not surprising that when the composer's French publisher, [[Félix Mackar]], began, in the autumn of 1885, to make plans for a recital ("audition") that would feature exclusively Tchaikovsky's works, he sought to engage Tayau as one of the soloists. She willingly accepted, and at this recital, which took place in the Salle Érard on 14 January 1886 {{NS}}, she played the ''[[Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34|Valse-scherzo]]'' (in the version for violin and piano), as well as the three pieces for violin and piano that make up ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' <ref name="note10"/>. [[Mackar]] wrote to Tchaikovsky a few days later: "[i]n Marie Tayau I have found a keenness to perform your music to which I must draw your attention in particular; wherever she performs in future, she will make a point of playing something by Tchaikovsky" <ref name="note11"/>. In his reply, Tchaikovsky duly asked [[Mackar]] to convey his "most ardent compliments to Mlle Marie Tayau" <ref name="note12"/>.

During his month-long stay in [[Paris]] in the summer of 1886, Tchaikovsky went to pay his respects to Marie Tayau on 7/19 June, but she was not in and he could only leave his visiting card. However, when he returned to his hotel that evening he found a bouquet of flowers which Tayau had sent him. He returned the compliment by sending her a bouquet of his own the following day and was finally able to meet her at her house (No. 7, Rue de Navarin) on 9/21 June, as we learn from the composer's diary: "Rode to fit some clothes; to [[Mackar]], to [[Brandukov]]; to Marie Tayau. Visited her for an hour and a half. Charming character" <ref name="note13"/>. As Lucinde Braun has pointed out, it is clear that during this long visit Tchaikovsky and Tayau discussed specific plans for her giving the first performance of the [[Violin Concerto]] in France under his direction at a concert in the coming 1886/87 season <ref name="note14"/>. Accordingly, in the letter which on 12/24 June 1886 she wrote to Tchaikovsky, who had by then left for Russia, she asked him if he would not change his mind, adding that it would make her very unhappy if he were to do so. She explained that she had been looking through the [[Violin Concerto]] again, which had sent her into ever increasing raptures, and that she could not wait to perform it together with Tchaikovsky that winter <ref name="note15"/>. Tchaikovsky, in his reply, assured her that he could not possibly go back on his word, especially considering how much he was indebted to her: "Was it not you after all who was the first to try to propagate my music in [[Paris]]?" <ref name="note16"/>.

However, these hopes ultimately did not come true. In a letter to Tchaikovsky on 23 November 1886 {{NS}}, whilst mentioning in passing that Marie Tayau was regularly performing his works at her Wednesday soirées, [[Mackar]] wrote that for the second all-Tchaikovsky recital that he was hoping to organize in [[Paris]] that winter he was intending to engage the Belgian violinist [[Martin Pierre Marsick]] (1847–1924), as well as the pianist [[Louis Diémer]]. [[Marsick]] had also been showing great interest in Tchaikovsky's works (albeit somewhat later than Tayau), and he was duly one of the soloists at this second "audition", which took place in the Salle Érard on 24 February 1887 {{NS}}. [[Marsick]] was also keen to give the first performance in [[Paris]] of the [[Violin Concerto]] during the following (1887/88) season, and Tchaikovsky, in a letter to [[Mackar]] of 6/18 December 1887, explained that the Belgian violinist was a more suitable soloist for this work than Tayau. Because he understood that it would deeply hurt her if she found out that he had gone back on his word after all, Tchaikovsky asked his publisher to find a way of presenting the whole affair so that it would seem as if he, [[Mackar]], had taken the decision of engaging [[Marsick]] for the scheduled concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet in March 1888 <ref name="note17"/>. In the end, Tchaikovsky was 'punished' for his duplicity in this matter because, at the insistence of the orchestra's resident conductor, [[Édouard Colonne]], who was against including the [[Violin Concerto]] in the programme, only the first movement of the work was performed (with Marsick as the soloist) at the Châtelet concert conducted by Tchaikovsky on 11 March 1888 {{NS}} <ref name="note18"/>. Tayau, however, did not bear Tchaikovsky any grudge for this betrayal of her hopes and she continued to write to him letters full of admiration and enthusiasm for his music.

From around 1886 Marie Tayau had in fact stopped giving regular concerts so as to be able to concentrate on her teaching at the "École Normale de Musique" in [[Paris]]. She was apparently much sought after as a violin teacher. She died in late August 1892, aged just 37. The obituary which appeared in ''Le Ménestrel'' concluded with the following words: "Mlle Marie Tayau will be sorely missed, for this worthy artiste had a splendid heart" <ref name="note19"/>.

==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
One letter from Tchaikovsky to Marie Tayau has survived, dating from 1886, and has been translated into English on this website:
* '''[[Letter 3010]]''' – 20 July/1 August 1886, from [[Maydanovo]].
3 letters from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1886 to 1889, have survived in the archive of the Tchaikovsky House-Museum at [[Klin]] <ref name="note20"/>.

==External Links==
* [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page=tayau-marie Article by Freia Hoffmann on Marie Tayau] (in German)
* [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id=taya1855 Article by Silke Wenzel on Marie Tayau] (in German)

==Bibliography==
* {{bib|2012/5}} (2012)

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note2">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note3">See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note4">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note5">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note6">See Silke Wenzel, [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]. See also [[Letter 518]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 5/17 December 1876.</ref>
<ref name="note7">See Freia Hoffmann, [http://www.sophie-drinker-institut.de/cms/index.php?page{{=}}tayau-marie Marie Tayau] . Fauré's sonata was enthusiastically reviewed by [[Camille Saint-Saëns]]. The novelist [[Ivan Turgenev]], who felt great sympathy for Fauré, had hoped to publish a translation of this review in Russia in order to further the young composer's career and to improve his chances of winning the hand of [[Pauline Viardot]]'s youngest daughter, Marianne, but this was to be in vain.</ref>
<ref name="note8">See {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 150–156.</ref>
<ref name="note9">Review in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', 21 May 1880. Quoted in {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 158.</ref>
<ref name="note10">See {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 157.</ref>
<ref name="note11">Letter from [[Félix Mackar]] to Tchaikovsky, 20 January 1886 {{NS}}. Quoted here from {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 157.</ref>
<ref name="note12">See [[Letter 2854]] to [[Félix Mackar]], 14/26 January 1886.</ref>
<ref name="note13">Quoted from {{bib|1945/34|The Diaries of Tchaikovsky}} (1945), p. 87. The spelling of Tayau's name in Lakond's translation ("Fayan") is based on the incorrect reading of this name by the editors of {{bib|1923/23|Дневники П. И. Чайковского}} (1923), p. 75. It has been corrected in the above quotation.</ref>
<ref name="note14">See {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 159.</ref>
<ref name="note15">Letter from Marie Tayau to Tchaikovsky, 24 June 1886 {{NS}}. Quoted from {{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 171–172, where it has been published in Russian translation only.</ref>
<ref name="note16">[[Letter 3010]] to Marie Tayau, 20 July/1 August 1886. The publication of this letter in {{bib|1971/89|П. И. Чайковский: Полное собрание сочинений ; том XIII}} (1971), p. 410, was based on a photocopy and is not entirely accurate. It has recently been published on the basis of a high-quality scan of the original provided by the Pierpont Morgan Library in [[New York]] in {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 159–160.</ref>
<ref name="note17">See [[Letter 3430]] to [[Félix Mackar]], 6/18 December 1887.</ref>
<ref name="note18">See {{bib|2012/5|Die französische Geigerin Marie Tayau als Čajkovskij-Interpretin}} (2012), p. 162–163.</ref>
<ref name="note19">''Le Ménestrel'', 28 August 1892. Quoted in Silke Wenzel [http://mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php?id{{=}}taya1855 Marie Tayau]</ref>
<ref name="note20">Only two of these letters have been published (in Russian translation only) in {{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 171–172.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:People|Tayau, Marie]]
[[Category:Correspondents|Tayau, Marie]]
[[Category:Violinists|Tayau, Marie]]