Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born inFrankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed hermusical talent early, being an excellent pianist andcomposer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna andFrankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musicalstudies by her mother who brought her children up tobe trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art andmusic. Frédéric Chopin was a frequent performer at thesalon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffittein Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies,including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who wouldhave taken lessons from him during one of herfrequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild’s international lifestyle results in a richand varied collection of songs; the genre of songprovided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild’s thoroughunderstanding of languages with sympathetic yetastute settings of French, German and English texts. In1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hallé toldLouisa de Rothschild that ‘no-one can have any idea ofyour cousin’s rare and delightful talent; hercompositions are charming, full of tender grace andsparkling originality.’ She was asked by many leading singers tocompose for them, including Christine Nillson, SelmaKurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vousn’avez rien à me dire, was written for her friend AdelinaPatti, who often sang this as an encore and made arecording of it in 1905.
- ISMN: 9790708167570 (M708167570)
