Florence Easton: Grandchild of Viardot & Garcia

To the Musical Courier: It gave me a great deal of pleasure to read the wonderful article about Pauline Viardot-García in a recent issue of the Musical Courier.

My teacher, Madame Schoen-René, studied with Viardot for twenty-five years, first as a singer and later as a teacher; and from 1897 until the summer before he died, Madam Schoen-René studied with Viardot's brother, Manuel García, as a teacher of male voices. One of Schoen-René's most treasured possessions is a letter from Viardot (which I have seen), saying: "You are not only one of my most beloved pupils, but you are absolutely competent to teach, mine and my brother Manuel García's method of singing. Your pupils may call themselves our grandchildren." Madam Viardot wrote many very lovely songs most of which Schoen-René studied and sang with her. I have studied some of these songs with Schoen-René this summer and will sing them in America during the coming season. I am very proud to be able to call myself a grandchild of Viardot and García.

Sincerely, Florence Easton, Berlin, August, 1921

—The Musical Courier, Volume 83, September 1, 1921: 37.