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Cover of *Märchen u. Märchen Spiele* by Mathilde Wesendonck (published: Düsseldorf, 1864)

Agnes Mathilde Wesendonck (née Luckemeyer; 23 December 1828 – 31 August 1902) was a German poet and author. The words of five of her verses were the basis of Richard Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder; the composer was infatuated with her, and his wife Minna blamed Mathilde for the break-up of their marriage.

Biography

Agnes Mathilde Luckemeyer was born in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal) in the Rhineland of Germany in 1828. In 1848^[1] she married the silk merchant Otto Wesendonck. Otto was a great admirer of Wagner's music, and after he and Mathilde met the composer in Zurich in 1852, he placed a cottage on his estate at Wagner's disposal. By 1857, Wagner had become infatuated with Mathilde. It is not known whether she returned his affections to the same degree, or if the affair - if there was one - was ever consummated. Nevertheless, the episode inspired Wagner to put aside his work on Der Ring des Nibelungen (which would not be resumed for the next twelve years) and begin work on Tristan und Isolde.

In 1858, Wagner's wife Minna intercepted a romantic letter from Wagner to Mathilde. After the resulting confrontation, Wagner left Zürich alone, for Venice. Minna went to Dresden to stay with her family. She wrote to Mathilde before departing for Dresden:

"I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my husband from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness."^[2]

In her autobiographical reminiscences Mathilde later wrote about Wagner's stay in Zürich, but made no mention of troubles with Minna.

In 1866 Mathilde met with Johannes Brahms in Zürich and enabled him to study some of Wagner's manuscripts.^[3]

Mathilde Wesendonck died in Altmünster (Austria) in 1902, and she is buried at the Alter Friedhof with the Wesendonck family in Bonn, Germany.

Selected works

Gedichte, Volkslieder, Legenden, Sagen (ca. 1864)
Märchen u. Märchen Spiele (1864)
Natur-Mythen: Mai 1865 (1865)
Genovefa: Trauerspiel in 3 Aufzügen (1866)
Gudrun. Schauspiel in 5 Akten (1868), online at Internet Archive
Deutsches Kinderbuch in Wort und Bild (1869)
Friedrich der Grosse: dramatische Bilder nach Franz Kugler (1871)
Edith, oder, Die Schlacht bei Hastings: ein Trauerspiel (1872)
Gedichte, Volksweisen, Legenden und Sagen (1874)
Der Baldur-Mythos (1875)
Odysseus: ein dramatisches Gedicht in zwei Theilen und einem Vorspiel (1878)
Alte und neue Kinder-Lieder und Reime (1890)
Alkestis: Schauspiel in vier Aufz�gen. (1891)

In film

Mathilde Wesendonck was portrayed by Valentina Cortese in the 1955 film Magic Fire, and by Marthe Keller in the 1983 film Wagner.

References

Notes

^ Vazsonyi, Nicholas, ed. (2013). The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107004252. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
^ Burck, John N, Letters of Richard Wagner - The Burrell Collection, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1950, page 374.
^ Musgrave (2000), p. 56.

Sources

Musgrave, Michael (2000). A Brahms Reader. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300068042.

External links

Media related to Mathilde Wesendonck at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Vazsonyi, Nicholas, ed. (2013). The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107004252. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

[2] Burck, John N, Letters of Richard Wagner - The Burrell Collection, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1950, page 374.

[3] Musgrave (2000), p. 56.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|German poet}}
 [[Image:Mathilde Wesendonck by Karl Ferdinand Sohn, 1850.jpg|thumb|Mathilde Wesendonck (1850) by [[Karl Ferdinand Sohn]], in the StadtMuseum Bonn]]
 [[Image:Zuerich Villa Wesendonck.jpg|thumb|The villa of Otto and Mathilde Wesendonck in [[Zurich]], Switzerland]]
 [[Image:WesendonckMaerchen.jpg|thumb|Cover of ''Märchen u. Märchen Spiele'' by Mathilde Wesendonck (published: Düsseldorf, 1864)]]
 [[Image:120909 Karin Musik Wagner Wesendonck Grab Vergoldung Enthuellung (201).JPG|thumb|Grave of Mathilde Wesendonck and family in [[Bonn]], Germany]]
-'''Mathilde Wesendonck''' (23 December 1828{{spaced ndash}}31 August 1902) was a [[Germany|German]] poet and author. She is best known as the friend and possible [[paramour]] of [[Richard Wagner]], who set five songs to her words, called the ''[[Wesendonck Lieder]]''.
+'''Agnes Mathilde Wesendonck''' (née '''Luckemeyer'''; 23 December 1828{{spaced ndash}}31 August 1902) was a German poet and author. The words of five of her verses were the basis of  [[Richard Wagner]]'s ''[[Wesendonck Lieder]]''; the composer was infatuated with her, and his wife [[Minna Planer|Minna]] blamed Mathilde for the break-up of their marriage.
 ==Biography==
-'''Agnes Mathilde Luckemeyer''' was born in [[Elberfeld]] (now part of [[Wuppertal]]) in the [[Rhineland]] of Germany in 1828. In 1848<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vazsonyi|first1=Nicholas (Editor)|title=The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107004252|url=/proxy/https://books.google.com.au/books?id=-6-kAgAAQBAJ&q=luckemyer|accessdate=10 June 2015}}</ref> she married the silk merchant [[Otto Wesendonck]] (sometimes erroneously seen as ''von'' Wesendonck).  Otto was a great admirer of Wagner's music, and after he and Mathilde met the composer in [[Zurich]] in 1852, he placed a cottage on his estate at Wagner's disposal. By 1857, Wagner had become infatuated with Mathilde.  It is not known whether she returned his affections to the same degree, or if the affair - if there was one - was ever consummated.  Nevertheless, the episode inspired Wagner to put aside his work on ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' (which would not be resumed for the next twelve years) and begin work on ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]''.
+Agnes Mathilde Luckemeyer was born in [[Elberfeld]] (now part of [[Wuppertal]]) in the [[Rhineland]] of Germany in 1828. In 1848<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Vazsonyi|editor-first1=Nicholas |title=The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107004252|url=/proxy/https://books.google.com/books?id=-6-kAgAAQBAJ&q=luckemyer|access-date=10 June 2015}}</ref> she married the silk merchant Otto Wesendonck.  Otto was a great admirer of Wagner's music, and after he and Mathilde met the composer in [[Zurich]] in 1852, he placed a cottage on his estate at Wagner's disposal. By 1857, Wagner had become infatuated with Mathilde.  It is not known whether she returned his affections to the same degree, or if the affair - if there was one - was ever consummated.  Nevertheless, the episode inspired Wagner to put aside his work on ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' (which would not be resumed for the next twelve years) and begin work on ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]''.
-In 1858, Wagner’s wife [[Minna Planer|Minna]] intercepted a romantic letter from Wagner to Mathilde. After the resulting confrontation, Wagner left Zürich alone, for [[Venice]]. Minna went to Dresden to stay with her family. She wrote to Mathilde before departing for Dresden: <blockquote>''"I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my husband from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness."''<ref>Burck, John N, ''Letters of Richard Wagner - The Burrell Collection'', The Macmillan Company, New York, 1950, page 374.</ref></blockquote> In her autobiographical reminiscences Mathilde later wrote about Wagner's stay in Zürich, but made no mention of troubles with Minna.
+In 1858, Wagner's wife [[Minna Planer|Minna]] intercepted a romantic letter from Wagner to Mathilde. After the resulting confrontation, Wagner left Zürich alone, for [[Venice]]. Minna went to Dresden to stay with her family. She wrote to Mathilde before departing for Dresden: <blockquote>''"I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my husband from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness."''<ref>Burck, John N, ''Letters of Richard Wagner - The Burrell Collection'', The Macmillan Company, New York, 1950, page 374.</ref></blockquote> In her autobiographical reminiscences Mathilde later wrote about Wagner's stay in Zürich, but made no mention of troubles with Minna.
-In 1866 Mathilde met with [[Johannes Brahms]] in Zürich and enabled hm to study some of Wagner's manuscripts.<ref>Musgrave (2000), p. 56.</ref>
+In 1866 Mathilde met with [[Johannes Brahms]] in Zürich and enabled him to study some of Wagner's manuscripts.<ref>Musgrave (2000), p. 56.</ref>
-Mathilde Wesendonck died in [[Altmünster]] ([[Austria]]) in 1902, and she is buried at the Alten Friedhof with the Wesendonck family in [[Bonn]], Germany.
+Mathilde Wesendonck died in [[Altmünster]] ([[Austria]]) in 1902, and she is buried at the Alter Friedhof with the Wesendonck family in [[Bonn]], Germany.
 ==Selected works==
@@ Line 19: / Line 20: @@
 * ''Natur-Mythen: Mai 1865'' (1865)
 * ''Genovefa: Trauerspiel in 3 Aufzügen'' (1866)
-* ''Gudrun. Schauspiel in 5 Akten'' (1868), [https://books.google.com/books?id=9FU7AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=de&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false online at Google Books]
+* ''Gudrun. Schauspiel in 5 Akten'' (1868), [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9FU7AAAAcAAJ online at Internet Archive]
 * ''Deutsches Kinderbuch in Wort und Bild'' (1869)
 * ''[[Frederick the Great|Friedrich der Grosse]]: dramatische Bilder nach Franz Kugler'' (1871)
@@ Line 29: / Line 30: @@
 * ''Alkestis: Schauspiel in vier Aufzügen.'' (1891)
-==Popular culture==
+==In film==
 Mathilde Wesendonck was portrayed by [[Valentina Cortese]] in the 1955 film ''[[Magic Fire]]'', and by [[Marthe Keller]] in the 1983 film ''[[Wagner (film)|Wagner]]''.
-Her legacy as assumed lover of Richard Wagner lives on with reference to her in [[Rhett Miller]]'s song ''Our Love'' from the album ''[[The Instigator]]''.
 ==References==
@@ Line 39: / Line 38: @@
 ;Sources
-* Musgrave, Michael (2000). ''A Brahms Reader.'' New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300068042.
+* Musgrave, Michael (2000). ''A Brahms Reader.'' New Haven and London: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0300068042}}.
 ==External links==
+{{Commonscatinline}}
-*{{worldcat id|id=lccn-n83-188372}}
 {{Authority control}}
@@ Line 49: / Line 47: @@
 [[Category:1828 births]]
 [[Category:1902 deaths]]
-[[Category:People from Wuppertal]]
+[[Category:Writers from Wuppertal]]
-[[Category:People from the Rhine Province]]
+[[Category:Writers from the Rhine Province]]
 [[Category:Richard Wagner]]
 [[Category:German women poets]]
+[[Category:19th-century women writers]]

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