Narrating the Song of Olenina's Life

Chapter IV (1903-1908) describes her brilliant international career as a singer. It is devoted mainly to the description and analysis of her unique style of singing, which is based on a thorough understanding of the words; forgetting one's own artistic idiosyncrasies and allowing the text to convey the music the composer intended, when-inspired by the chosen words-he reproduced them musically. In this chapter we find perhaps the only intrusion by the author when he proclaims that Olenina d'Alheim was the first true chamber singer in Russia. Chapter V covers the years 1908 to 1918 spent in Russia. This chapter, the second longest, describes in detail the tremendous success Olenina and her husband had in organizing "The House of the Song" (Dom pesni) where students would learn about her theories and the method of singing chamber music. Here would also gather singers, artists and interested individuals to discuss music, plan musical and pedagogical activities that would engage the widest public-- including children, the youth, and the disadvantaged layers of the population (both the d'Alheims had a highly developed sense of social responsibility)-and propagate contemporary Russian music. These activities, however, faced constant financial difficulties because Olenina, who considered money to be the spoiler of a true artist, refused to sing at concerts put together by impresarios for whom financial success was of utmost priority. Chapter VI (1918-1959) is the longest in the book. It covers the departure from the Soviet Union that occurred mainly because of financial constraints, which made it impossible to continue the work of "The House of the Song." The lack of interest by the Soviet authorities also contributed to this decision. The musical Paris, where they were able to settle as French citizens, had evolved during their absence and forgotten the d'Alheims. Pierre fell ill; progressive paralysis-which resulted from the syphilis he acquired in his youth-led finally to insanity. He died in 1922. In many ways, Pierre d'Alheim had been Olenina's mentor. A writer of some talent and an excellent speaker, he supported Maria in all her endeavours. His articles in French journals and newspapers were, probably, more instrumental than she was in introducing Musorgsky's music to the wider Western public. Pierre shared with Maria all her interests, as well as her "progressive" political leanings. After d'Alheim's death Olenina's singing career practically ended, despit