The Garcías at Pére-Lachaise

Last summer, I visited the tomb of Manuel García I (1775-1832) at Pére-Lachaise, Paris, which can be found right across the path from the tomb of his daughter-in-law Eugenie (née Mayer) García.

Whether this was by design or not is not clear. Eugenie's tomb is inscribed with "Madam García," cleaving in death close to the founder of the vocal technique that made her famous. Manuel García II (1805-1806) underwent a separation from Eugenie Mayer García in 1848 for reasons that I have not be able to determine—though García’s niece Heritte Viardot-García hints towards infidelity on the part of Eugenie in her memoire. Leaving Paris for London that year, Manuel spent the rest of his life in London and remarried after Eugenie died in 1880, having two daughters with his student Beata.

Manuel Garcá’s method of singing did not die with him. Contact my studio in New York City for voice lessons as as well as lessons online.