Emma and Claude Debussy : the biography of a relationship
Opstad, Gillian2022
Books
The singer Emma Bardac (1862-1934) has often been presented as a woman who ensnared Claude Debussy (1862-1918) because she wanted to be associated with his fame and to live a life of luxury. Indeed, in many biographies and composer-related studies of Debussy, the only mentions that she receives are brief and derogatory. Here Emma Bardac and her relationship with the composer take centre stage. The book traces Emma's Jewish ancestry and her background, the significant role of her wealthy uncle Osiris, her marriage at 17 to the wealthy Jewish banker Sigismond Bardac, her affair with Gabriel Fauré and her liaison with and subsequent marriage to Debussy. As Gillian Opstad shows, the pressure and stifling effects of domestic life on Debussy's attitude to his composing were considerable. The financial consequences of their partnership were disastrous, and their circle of close friends was small.
Main title:
Emma and Claude Debussy : the biography of a relationship / Gillian Opstad.
Author:
Opstad, Gillian, author
Imprint:
Martlesham : The Boydell Press, 2022.
Collation:
408 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm
ISBN:
9781783276585 (hbk. :)
Dewey class:
780.922
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
2253769