Photo : Conservatoire Nadia et Lili Boulanger - crée avec l'aide de Microsoft IA (Copilot)
Nohant, Land of Artists
What do the letters of artists tell us? As part of the Poland-France Season 2027, Conservatory students invite the public to discover the intimacy of George Sand and Frédéric Chopin through their correspondence, enriched by the works of Chopin and Pauline Viardot. A sensitive dialogue between words and music.
Bibliothèque Drouot (Paris 9th)
Part of the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory Events programme
About
For nearly ten years, George Sand and Frédéric Chopin shared a history of love, creation, and artistic life. From Paris to Nohant, their letters recount the intimacy of an extraordinary couple: their travels, romantic outbursts, anxieties, illnesses, and the daily life of creation.
Between 1838 and 1847, Chopin found in Nohant an environment particularly conducive to his work. George Sand's home became a true artistic hearth where writers, painters, and musicians crossed paths. Among them was Pauline Viardot, a close friend of George Sand and a major figure in European musical life.
Here, the correspondence becomes theatrical material:
Daphné Laffite and Jean Charpentier, students from the theater class, give voice to the letters of George Sand and Chopin. Alongside them, piano students from the class of
Yumeto Suenaga perform the works of Chopin and Pauline Viardot, extending this epistolary dialogue through music. Chopin and Viardot themselves maintained a close artistic relationship: they notably played four-hand piano pieces together, and Chopin admired the melodies of the singer and composer.
A meeting between literature, theater, and music, designed to reveal not just a love story, but the birth of an artistic world, as part of the Poland-France Season 2027.
Coordination: Elsa Saladin-Benattar
Our take on this event
Experience the intense bond between George Sand and Frédéric Chopin through a performance that brings their personal letters to life. This evocative blend of theatre and music captures the creative energy of a legendary artistic circle at the peak of the Romantic era.
Experience the creative intimacy of George Sand and Frédéric Chopin at Nohant, terre d'artistes, hosted at the Bibliothèque Drouot in the 9th arrondissement. From 1838 to 1847, the Nohant estate served as a vibrant hub for writers and musicians. This free event features theatrical readings of their correspondence by students Daphné Laffite and Jean Charpentier, paired with piano performances by students of Yumeto Suenaga. Join us for this tribute within the Saison Pologne-France 2027 on March 19, 2027, at 18:00 or March 26, 2027, at 19:00 to explore their extraordinary artistic dialogue.
Bibliothèque Drouot hosts Nohant, terre d'artistes, a unique performance blending literature, theater, and music to celebrate the creative bond between George Sand and Frédéric Chopin. Coordinated by Elsa Saladin-Benattar for the Saison Pologne-France 2027, the program examines a decade of letters that document the couple's professional and personal life between Paris and Nohant.
Theatrical students Daphné Laffite and Jean Charpentier bring the correspondence to life, giving voice to the couple's intense intellectual journey. Their performance is complemented by piano students from Yumeto Suenaga’s class, who perform works by Chopin and Pauline Viardot. This selection highlights the artistic synergy between the two composers, who often performed piano duets and shared a profound mutual respect for their respective talents.
Two free performances are scheduled at 11 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris. You can attend on Friday, March 19, 2027, from 18:00 to 19:30, or on Friday, March 26, 2027, from 19:00 to 20:30. This event invites you to step back into the 19th century and witness the flourishing of an artistic world that brought together the most prominent writers and musicians of the era.
