Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld (July 2, 1836 – July 21, 1865) was a German "heldentenor" and the first singer of the role of Tristan in Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde".

Biography

Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld was born in Munich, a son of the famous painter Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld. Later, he became a pupil of Kreuzschule in Dresden, home of the "Dresdner Kreuzchor. This may have influenced his decision not to follow the family tradition of becoming a professional painter but to study singing at Leipzig conservatory.

In 1858, he made his début in Karlsruhe. By 1860, he had also sung in Dresden and Munich. He soon gained fame as an intelligent and energetic singer, especially in works by Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi.

In 1860, Schnorr married the Danish soprano Malvina Garrigues who reduced her own appearances on stage to support her husband's more promising career.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria heard the tenor as "Lohengrin" in 1861. This performance is said to have been one of a series that turned the king into an ardent supporter of Richard Wagner.

In 1862, the couple met Wagner himself in Biebrich near Wiesbaden, who asked them to sing passages of his new opera, "Tristan und Isolde", while he accompanied them on the piano. Apparently the composer was very impressed.

After an attempt to debut the opera in Vienna had failed after 77 rehearsals not least because the tenor there was unable to learn the role of Tristan, it was at Wagner's own request that Schnorr von Carolsfeld and his wife were cast as "Tristan" and "Isolde" when King Ludwig II sponsored a new attempt to put the opera on stage in 1865.

The first night took place in Munich on June 10, 1865, and though the opera itself was received controversially - critics called it "indecent" - the singers weren't. This could have been the breakthrough to an international opera career for both Ludwig and Malvine Schnorr, but fate wasn't on their side.

Only six weeks (and three performances of "Tristan") later the singer died in Dresden, only days after his 29th birthday. His mysterious and early death made him a legend and it was often attributed to the enormous exertions required of Wagnerian singing. Today it is generally attributed to typhoid or meningitis.

Ludwig Schnorr was buried next to his father in St. Anna's Cemetery in Dresden.

His widow could not bring herself to continue with her career after her loss and retreated from the stage after the burial.

References

* David Ewen, "Encyclopedia of the Opera".

External links

* [http://www.mild-und-leise.de/German_Frameset.htm www.mild-und-leise.de: Biography of Malvine Schnorr von Carolsfeld]