Malvina Garrigues
Encyclopedia
Malvina Garrigues, later Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld (7 December 18258 February 1904) was a Danish-born German operatic soprano. She and her husband Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
created the title roles in Richard Wagner
's Tristan und Isolde
in 1865. Her given name also appears as Malwina and Malwine.
, Denmark
, the daughter of the Brazilian consul there and his French wife. She studied in Paris with Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García
. She made her debut in Giacomo Meyerbeer
's Robert le diable
in Breslau in 1841, where she sang until 1849. From 1849 to 1853 she worked at the ducal Hoftheater at Coburg
, and in Gotha
and Hamburg
. In 1854 she was engaged by the Karlsruhe
Opera, where she met Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
, who was ten years her junior. They appeared there together in such operas as Les Huguenots
. They became engaged in 1857 and married in April 1860. The same year they were engaged by the Dresden
Court Opera.
After conducting 70 rehearsals of his Tristan und Isolde
in Vienna
and still finding the singers wanting, Richard Wagner
turned to Malvina and Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld to create the roles. The premiere was set for 15 May 1865 in Munich
, but had to be postponed to 10 June owing to Malvina's hoarseness.
After Ludwig's sudden and untimely death at the age of 29 on 21 July 1865, only six weeks after the premiere, Malvina sank into a deep depression and never sang again. She took up spiritualism
, and was influenced by one of her mediumistic pupils to believe she was destined to marry Wagner. This caused her to be deeply jealous of Cosima von Bülow
, who was living openly with Wagner at Triebschen, and she tried to create a rift between them.
She later taught singing at Frankfurt; her pupils included Heinrich Gudehus and Rosalie Miller.
Malvina Garrigues Schnorr von Carolsfeld also wrote a small number of songs dedicated to Jenny Lind
, to texts by Heinrich Heine
and Lord Byron. She published some poetry by herself and her husband.
She died in Karlsruhe in 1904, aged 78, was cremated in Heidelberg
, and her ashes are located in Dresden.
She has recently become the subject of a one-woman stage show, O, Malvina!, created by Dame Gwyneth Jones, who also played her in the 1983 television mini-series Wagner
.
Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld was a German Heldentenor and the creator of the role of Tristan in Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde...
created the title roles in Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in 1865. Her given name also appears as Malwina and Malwine.
Biography
Eugenia Malvina Garrigues was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the daughter of the Brazilian consul there and his French wife. She studied in Paris with Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García
Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García
Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García , was a Spanish singer, music educator, and vocal pedagogue.-Biography:García was born on 17 March 1805 in the town of Zafra in Badajoz Province, Spain. His father was singer and teacher Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García...
. She made her debut in Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
's Robert le diable
Robert le diable (opera)
Robert le diable is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, often regarded as the first grand opera. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Casimir Delavigne and has little connection to the medieval legend of Robert the Devil. Originally planned as a three-act opéra comique, "Meyerbeer persuaded...
in Breslau in 1841, where she sang until 1849. From 1849 to 1853 she worked at the ducal Hoftheater at Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
, and in Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. In 1854 she was engaged by the Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
Opera, where she met Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld was a German Heldentenor and the creator of the role of Tristan in Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde...
, who was ten years her junior. They appeared there together in such operas as Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
. They became engaged in 1857 and married in April 1860. The same year they were engaged by the Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
Court Opera.
After conducting 70 rehearsals of his Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and still finding the singers wanting, Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
turned to Malvina and Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld to create the roles. The premiere was set for 15 May 1865 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, but had to be postponed to 10 June owing to Malvina's hoarseness.
After Ludwig's sudden and untimely death at the age of 29 on 21 July 1865, only six weeks after the premiere, Malvina sank into a deep depression and never sang again. She took up spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
, and was influenced by one of her mediumistic pupils to believe she was destined to marry Wagner. This caused her to be deeply jealous of Cosima von Bülow
Cosima Wagner
Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner, née de Flavigny, from 1844 known as Cosima Liszt; was the daughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt...
, who was living openly with Wagner at Triebschen, and she tried to create a rift between them.
She later taught singing at Frankfurt; her pupils included Heinrich Gudehus and Rosalie Miller.
Malvina Garrigues Schnorr von Carolsfeld also wrote a small number of songs dedicated to Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
, to texts by Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
and Lord Byron. She published some poetry by herself and her husband.
She died in Karlsruhe in 1904, aged 78, was cremated in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, and her ashes are located in Dresden.
She has recently become the subject of a one-woman stage show, O, Malvina!, created by Dame Gwyneth Jones, who also played her in the 1983 television mini-series Wagner
Wagner (mini-series)
Wagner is a 1983 film on the life of Richard Wagner. The title role was played by Richard Burton, who said it was the role he was born to play...
.