Athénaïs Paulian’s Airs and Variations, op. 1

This article reproduces Airs et Variations, op. 1, by Athénaïs Paulian (Bonn: Simrock, c. 1829), with a brief historical commentary and notes on performance. The commentary includes notes on Paulian's role in the Parisian guitar scene of Sor, Aguado, de Fossa, and others; the Italian soprano Angelia Catalani; and the popularity of the aria "Das klinget so herrlich," from Mozart's Singspiel Die Zauberflöte. Notes This article is one of a series of seven celebrating the work of Matanya Ophee (1932–2017) on the ninetieth anniversary of his birth. Written between 1982 and 1991, these articles first appeared in early issues of the GFA’s magazine Soundboard. The writings in this series are really columns—short introductions to scores, which are also reproduced here as they appeared in the original magazines. Ophee’s long-form research appears in various places, but an important anthology is his Essays on Guitar History (Columbus, OH: Orphee, 2016). An introduction to the present series, surveying Ophee’s contribution to Soundboard, is provided by Stanley Yates. Below are links to each article in the series: Introduction Matanya Ophee’s Contributions to Soundboard Magazine: A Retrospective, by Stanley Yates Articles A Rondo Allegro by François Molino Carlos Pedrell’s Al atardecer en los jardines de Arlaja Rudolph Süss’s Lyrische Suite no. 1, op. 23 J.N. Bobrowicz’s Grand Polonaise, op. 24 Rudolph Süss’s Lyrische Suite no. 2, op. 24 Elsa Just’s Ständchen for Guitar Trio Athénaïs Paulian’s Airs and Variations, op. 1