Musical Folk Figure. A respected author and poetess of her day, she is remembered for her association with composer Richard Wagner. Born Agnes Mathilde Luckemeyer, she was married to wealthy merchant Otto von Wesendonck, a fan and patron of Wagner. Mathilde met Wagner in 1852 after her husband had allowed him the use of one of his Zurich homes with the great composer apparently falling for Mathilde, though whether there was a sexual affair or merely a strong friendship remains unclear. Whatever happened, Wagner's first wife Minna intercepted some rather suggestive letters the pair exchanged and blamed Mathilde for the entire matter. (In truth, the Wagners' marriage had been on the rocks for years). In 1857 and 1858 while working on "Die Walkure" Wagner set five of Mathilde's poems to music; the final result, today known as the "Wesendonck Lieder", received its premiere at Mainz on July 30, 1862, and over the years has been performed almost exclusively by female singers. Further, he put "The Ring" aside to work on "Tristan und Isolde", his telling of an ancient Celtic tale of forbidden love in which he used musical themes first developed in the "Wesendonck Lieder". The Wagners broke up for good in the early 1860s but remained married until Minna's 1866 death. Little is recorded of Mathilde's later years; she was portrayed on the silver screen by Valentina Cortese in the 1955 "Magic Fire" and by Marthe Keller in 1983's television miniseries "Wagner". Today, the "Wesendonck Lieder" remains a staple of the concert repertory with several recorded versions available while "Tristan und Isolde" is considered one of opera's greatest works.
Musical Folk Figure. A respected author and poetess of her day, she is remembered for her association with composer Richard Wagner. Born Agnes Mathilde Luckemeyer, she was married to wealthy merchant Otto von Wesendonck, a fan and patron of Wagner. Mathilde met Wagner in 1852 after her husband had allowed him the use of one of his Zurich homes with the great composer apparently falling for Mathilde, though whether there was a sexual affair or merely a strong friendship remains unclear. Whatever happened, Wagner's first wife Minna intercepted some rather suggestive letters the pair exchanged and blamed Mathilde for the entire matter. (In truth, the Wagners' marriage had been on the rocks for years). In 1857 and 1858 while working on "Die Walkure" Wagner set five of Mathilde's poems to music; the final result, today known as the "Wesendonck Lieder", received its premiere at Mainz on July 30, 1862, and over the years has been performed almost exclusively by female singers. Further, he put "The Ring" aside to work on "Tristan und Isolde", his telling of an ancient Celtic tale of forbidden love in which he used musical themes first developed in the "Wesendonck Lieder". The Wagners broke up for good in the early 1860s but remained married until Minna's 1866 death. Little is recorded of Mathilde's later years; she was portrayed on the silver screen by Valentina Cortese in the 1955 "Magic Fire" and by Marthe Keller in 1983's television miniseries "Wagner". Today, the "Wesendonck Lieder" remains a staple of the concert repertory with several recorded versions available while "Tristan und Isolde" is considered one of opera's greatest works.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
Family Members
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See more Wesendonck memorials in:
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