Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld (Munich, 1836 – Dresden, 1865) was one of the most admired German tenors of the second half of the nineteenth century, and his name is linked to Richard Wagner through the role he played in the premiere of Tristan und Isolde. He was the son of the painter Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld and trained with Julius Otto and at the Leipzig Conservatory.

He began his career while still a student, when Eduard Devrient engaged him for the Court Opera in Karlsruhe in 1854. By 1858 he was the company's leading tenor. That same year he became engaged to the soprano Malvina Garrigues, whom he married in April 1860; shortly afterwards the couple moved to Dresden, where he excelled in lieder, oratorio and opera, above all as Tannhäuser and Lohengrin.

In 1862, in Biebrich, the two of them sang Tristan und Isolde for Wagner, who was deeply moved and praised the tenor's artistic sensitivity. Schnorr had studied the role of Tristan, but his own fears and those of his wife about its demands led him to abandon it. At the Munich premiere on 10 June 1865, the couple played a decisive part alongside Hans von Bülow, despite a delay caused by Malvina's hoarseness. Shortly afterwards he fell ill with a severe feverish chill, widely attributed to the strain of those performances. His last public appearance was in Munich as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, on 9 July 1865. After returning to Dresden he suffered an attack of what he called wandering gout, which developed into delirium; he died on 21 July, and on his deathbed he sang and repeatedly called out for Wagner.

Chroniclers describe him as a stocky man of great physical strength, with a baritone colour in a tenor voice. His fluid line, his portamento and a elegiac, somewhat veiled timbre were prized. Wagner considered him inferior to Tichatschek as a voice, but far superior in dramatic capacity and intelligence. Schnorr also composed some music and wrote poetry.

Malvina Garrigues (Copenhagen, 1825 – Karlsruhe, 1904), daughter of the Brazilian consul in Copenhagen, was a soprano of powerful and brilliant voice. She trained in Paris with Manuel García and sang in several German cities. After her husband's death she could not sustain her career, fell into depression and became interested in spiritualism. Late in life she taught in Frankfurt, where among her pupils was Gudehus. She composed songs and published a volume of poems.