Cosima Wagner
Encyclopedia
Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner, née
de Flavigny, from 1844 known as Cosima Liszt; (24 December 18371 April 1930) was the daughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt
. She was first married to pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow
, but became famous as the second wife of the German composer Richard Wagner
and, after his death, as director of the Bayreuth Festival
for 31 years.
Asteroid
644 Cosima
is named in her honour.
on Lake Como
Italy, to the Countess Marie d'Agoult
, a longtime mistress of Franz Liszt
. Cosima was their second child. Her birthday was 24 December (as shown on her baptismal registration in the Como Cathedral archives) but was usually celebrated on the 25th, which has led to confusion among biographers.
Cosima's parents separated when she was barely two years old, and with her brother and sister, Cosima was left in the care of Liszt's mother, Anna Liszt, in Paris
. However when Liszt took up with Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein
in 1847, the princess arranged for her own 72-year old governess
, Madame Patersi de Fossombroni, to instruct the children. Cosima thereafter rarely saw her mother, who began a literary career under the pseudonym Daniel Stern
; and Liszt himself was busy travelling throughout Europe
, furthering his career as a virtuoso
pianist
. Cosima and her siblings were essentially brought up as orphans: at one period Liszt did not see his children for 9 years. It is thought that both Wittgenstein and Fossombroni influenced the development of Cosima's personality, instilling in her a submissive and restrained character. In October 1853 when she was almost 16, during one of Liszt's visits to Paris, Cosima first met Richard Wagner
. Cosima was described at that time by Marie Hohenlohe, Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein's daughter, who was the same age as Cosima:
, who had been one of Liszt's pupils since 1851. When von Bülow fainted after conducting the overture
to Tannhäuser
to a hostile audience in October 1855 it was Cosima who tended him. After this event they announced their engagement. On August 18, 1857, Cosima married von Bülow: she was 20 years old, he 27. During their honeymoon
they travelled around Europe, and stopped in Zurich
to see Wagner, who was working on Tristan und Isolde
; Wagner was 24 years her senior and still married to Minna Planer
. They witnessed at first hand the deterioration of Wagner's marriage to his first wife Minna
, following his relationship with Mathilde Wesendonck
.
During the early part of her marriage to Hans, from 1858 to 1862,Cosima set up a writing room at home and contributed to the Revue Germanique, an indication of her literary ambitions, and a portent of her future role as Wagner's scribe
. She also became part of Berlin
's social establishment, organising soirees for journalists, artist and politicians while Hans was constantly touring throughout Europe.
Cosima's marriage was not happy. Hans was a distant figure, more devoted to her father Liszt than to Cosima. In addition Cosima had to deal with Hans' depressions, insecurity and poor health. In August 1858 she asked the son of one of Wagner's sponsors, a man named Karl Ritter (who was himself also trapped in a loveless marriage), to help her commit suicide. They both took a boat out on to Lake Geneva
, where Cosima declared that she would drown herself, only desisting when Ritter threatened to follow suit should she do so. Cosima was also greatly affected when her younger brother Daniel died of consumption in 1859 at the age of 20: she nursed him through his last illness, and when Cosima's first child was born in 1859 she named her Daniela in his memory. In 1863 her second child was born, Blandine: named after Cosima's late sister.
(which was dictated to Cosima later) here they proclaimed their love for each other:
However it was not until June 1864, when King Ludwig II of Bavaria
settled all Wagner's debts and sponsored his future works, that Cosima and Wagner met again. Wagner was living at Haus Pellet, near Lake Starnberg when Cosima and her children arrived. Hans did not arrive until a week later, by which time Wagner and Cosima were lovers. Cosima became pregnant by Wagner almost immediately with a daughter, Isolde, who was born on 10 April 1865. When Wagner moved to Munich in October 1864, Cosima set herself up as his "secretary", moving von Bülow and her children to a nearby house, but spending most of her time at Wagner's. This created a scandal which, together with Wagner's efforts to interfere in Bavarian politics, resulted in Wagner's expulsion from Munich.
In 1866 Wagner set up house in a villa at Tribschen
, paid for by King Ludwig, on the shore of Lake Lucerne
, Switzerland. Wagner's first wife, who had been separated from him for many years, died of a heart condition in January 1866. Cosima followed Wagner to Tribschen in April of that year, stirring up more speculation in the Munich press about the nature of their relationship, which was heightened further by Cosima's becoming pregnant that summer. Wagner and Cosima even prevailed on Ludwig to sign a declaration in the press that they were not having an affair. Wagner's second daughter Eva was born in February 1867, and Cosima returned to live with von Bülow in Munich in April. Following the premiere of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
in June 1868, under the baton
of von Bülow, Wagner and Cosima left Munich in September for a holiday in Italy. During this holiday, Cosima wrote to von Bülow that she wanted a divorce. She was now again pregnant with Wagner's third child, their only son, Siegfried Wagner
. In November 1868 Cosima moved in permanently with Wagner at Tribschen, along with their children, Isolde and Eva. Although often racked with guilt about her treatment of von Bülow, she never again lived with him, and remained Wagner's companion until his death in 1883.
In June 1869 Cosima gave birth to Siegfried, and von Bülow could no longer pretend that his marriage could be saved. He wrote to Wagner "It must be so." However Cosima's Catholicism was a stronger bar to divorce, and her father Franz Liszt was now deeply involved in the Church, having taken minor orders. It was only after Cosima converted to Protestantism
that she and von Bülow were divorced on 18 July 1870. Cosima and Wagner were finally married on 25 August 1870 in Lucerne
.
On 25 December of that year (the day she usually celebrated her birthday, although it actually fell the day before), Cosima woke to the sound of music. She recorded the events in her diary:
This was the memorable first performance of the chamber piece which was later renamed the Siegfried Idyll
.
From 1869 to 1883, Cosima kept a detailed diary
of daily life with Wagner, which was later published. In addition, Cosima helped Wagner write his autobiography Mein Leben, which he dictated to her. Cosima's diary frequently reveals the level of devotion she felt for Wagner, and the resentment she felt toward her parents. Her diary entry for March 23, 1871 reads: "I read old letters from my father, which show me once again that I had neither a father nor a mother. Richard has been everything to me, he alone has loved me." Cosima's diaries also reveal that she shared, in concentrated form, her husband's aversion to Judaism.
At Wagner's side she saw the construction of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre, the establishment of the Bayreuth Festival
, the first performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen
and, finally the 1882 Festival where Parsifal
was premiered. During this time Wagner's health was failing, and Cosima often had to tend his many ailments, including his worsening heart condition. The end came on 13 February 1883, when Wagner had a final heart attack while they were in Venice
. His son Siegfried
remembered the occasion of Wagner's death and Cosima's reaction:
The last entry in Cosima's diary dates from the evening before his death, and she wrote no more of it after his death. Cosima sat with Wagner's body for 25 hours, she then refused to eat for over four days. It was only a telegram from Hans von Bülow that revived her:"Soeur, Il faut vivre." Cosima had her hair cut off and sewn into a cushion
which was placed on Wagner's body. After the burial
service Cosima was found lying on the coffin
in the open grave
and only came out when Siegfried went to fetch her.
Cosima directed the Bayreuth Festival
until 1906, when following an Adams-Stokes attack, she retired for health reasons. During her regime a total of 15 festivals took place. In addition to revivals of Parsifal
, she gradually introduced the other nine operas which make up what has become known as the Bayreuth canon
and increased the total number of performances each year to 20. During her tenure, she insisted that the staging of the 1876 premiere performances of the Ring Cycle be strictly adhered to. Her son, Siegfried, carried on this rigid "Bayreuth style" until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, when the Festival stopped operating. When the Festival re-opened in 1924, it continued under the direction of Siegfried.
Cosima died on April 1 1930 at the age of 92 in Bayreuth. Her body lies beside that of Richard Wagner in the garden at Wahnfried
.
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
de Flavigny, from 1844 known as Cosima Liszt; (24 December 18371 April 1930) was the daughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. She was first married to pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
, but became famous as the second wife of the German composer 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...
and, after his death, as director of the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
for 31 years.
Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
644 Cosima
644 Cosima
-External links:*...
is named in her honour.
Childhood
She was born out of wedlock, at BellagioBellagio
Bellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
on Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
Italy, to the Countess Marie d'Agoult
Marie d'Agoult
Marie Catherine Sophie de Flavigny, Vicomtesse de Flavigny , was a French author, known also by her married name and title, Marie, Comtesse d'Agoult, and by her pen name, Daniel Stern....
, a longtime mistress of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. Cosima was their second child. Her birthday was 24 December (as shown on her baptismal registration in the Como Cathedral archives) but was usually celebrated on the 25th, which has led to confusion among biographers.
Cosima's parents separated when she was barely two years old, and with her brother and sister, Cosima was left in the care of Liszt's mother, Anna Liszt, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. However when Liszt took up with Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein
Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was a Polish noblewoman who pursued a 40-year liaison/relationship with Franz Liszt. She was also an amateur journalist and essayist and it is conjectured that she did much of the actual writing of several of Liszt's publications, especially his Life of Chopin...
in 1847, the princess arranged for her own 72-year old governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
, Madame Patersi de Fossombroni, to instruct the children. Cosima thereafter rarely saw her mother, who began a literary career under the pseudonym Daniel Stern
Marie d'Agoult
Marie Catherine Sophie de Flavigny, Vicomtesse de Flavigny , was a French author, known also by her married name and title, Marie, Comtesse d'Agoult, and by her pen name, Daniel Stern....
; and Liszt himself was busy travelling throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, furthering his career as a virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. Cosima and her siblings were essentially brought up as orphans: at one period Liszt did not see his children for 9 years. It is thought that both Wittgenstein and Fossombroni influenced the development of Cosima's personality, instilling in her a submissive and restrained character. In October 1853 when she was almost 16, during one of Liszt's visits to Paris, Cosima first met 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...
. Cosima was described at that time by Marie Hohenlohe, Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein's daughter, who was the same age as Cosima:
"Poor Cosima...was in the throes of adolescence - tall, angular and fair-skinned with a large mouth and long nose, the very image of her father. Only her long golden hair was of rare lustre and great beauty. And her poor child's heart seethed with all the fury of a volcano. Dark passion and boundless vanity pulsated through her veins."
Marriage to von Bülow
In 1855 Cosima began taking piano lessons from the piano virtuoso, teacher and orchestral conductor Hans von BülowHans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
, who had been one of Liszt's pupils since 1851. When von Bülow fainted after conducting the overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
to Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
to a hostile audience in October 1855 it was Cosima who tended him. After this event they announced their engagement. On August 18, 1857, Cosima married von Bülow: she was 20 years old, he 27. During their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
they travelled around Europe, and stopped in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
to see Wagner, who was working on 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...
; Wagner was 24 years her senior and still married to Minna Planer
Minna Planer
Christine Wilhelmine "Minna" Planer was a German actress and the first wife of composer Richard Wagner to whom she was married for 30 years, although for the last 10 years they often lived apart. Seduced at an early age by an Army officer, she had an illegitimate daughter, who was brought up as...
. They witnessed at first hand the deterioration of Wagner's marriage to his first wife Minna
Minna Planer
Christine Wilhelmine "Minna" Planer was a German actress and the first wife of composer Richard Wagner to whom she was married for 30 years, although for the last 10 years they often lived apart. Seduced at an early age by an Army officer, she had an illegitimate daughter, who was brought up as...
, following his relationship with Mathilde Wesendonck
Mathilde Wesendonck
Mathilde Wesendonck was a German poet and author. She is best known as the friend and possibly mistress of Richard Wagner, who set five songs to her words, called the Wesendonck Lieder.-Biography:...
.
During the early part of her marriage to Hans, from 1858 to 1862,Cosima set up a writing room at home and contributed to the Revue Germanique, an indication of her literary ambitions, and a portent of her future role as Wagner's scribe
Scribe
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
. She also became part of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
's social establishment, organising soirees for journalists, artist and politicians while Hans was constantly touring throughout Europe.
Cosima's marriage was not happy. Hans was a distant figure, more devoted to her father Liszt than to Cosima. In addition Cosima had to deal with Hans' depressions, insecurity and poor health. In August 1858 she asked the son of one of Wagner's sponsors, a man named Karl Ritter (who was himself also trapped in a loveless marriage), to help her commit suicide. They both took a boat out on to Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
, where Cosima declared that she would drown herself, only desisting when Ritter threatened to follow suit should she do so. Cosima was also greatly affected when her younger brother Daniel died of consumption in 1859 at the age of 20: she nursed him through his last illness, and when Cosima's first child was born in 1859 she named her Daniela in his memory. In 1863 her second child was born, Blandine: named after Cosima's late sister.
Richard Wagner
In November 1863, Wagner visited Cosima and von Bülow in Berlin, where Hans was giving a concert. While von Bülow was rehearsing, Wagner and Cosima took a carriage ride through Berlin. According to Wagner's autobiography Mein LebenMein Leben (Wagner)
Mein Leben is the title given by the composer Richard Wagner to his autobiography, covering the years from his birth in 1813 to 1864.-Origins:Wagner began dictating Mein Leben to his wife Cosima on 17 July 1865 in Munich...
(which was dictated to Cosima later) here they proclaimed their love for each other:
"We fell silent and all joking ceased. We gazed mutely into each other's eyes and an intense longing for the fullest avowal of the truth forced us to a confession, requiring no words whatever, or the incommensurable misfortune that weighed upon us. With tears and sobs we sealed a vow to belong to each other alone."
However it was not until June 1864, when King Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
settled all Wagner's debts and sponsored his future works, that Cosima and Wagner met again. Wagner was living at Haus Pellet, near Lake Starnberg when Cosima and her children arrived. Hans did not arrive until a week later, by which time Wagner and Cosima were lovers. Cosima became pregnant by Wagner almost immediately with a daughter, Isolde, who was born on 10 April 1865. When Wagner moved to Munich in October 1864, Cosima set herself up as his "secretary", moving von Bülow and her children to a nearby house, but spending most of her time at Wagner's. This created a scandal which, together with Wagner's efforts to interfere in Bavarian politics, resulted in Wagner's expulsion from Munich.
Tribschen
Tribschen is a suburb of Lucerne, in the Canton of Lucerne in central Switzerland.Tribschen is best known today as the home of the German composer Richard Wagner from 30 March 1866 to 22 April 1872. When Wagner was obliged to leave Munich in March 1866, he moved to a spacious villa in Tribschen on...
, paid for by King Ludwig, on the shore of Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...
, Switzerland. Wagner's first wife, who had been separated from him for many years, died of a heart condition in January 1866. Cosima followed Wagner to Tribschen in April of that year, stirring up more speculation in the Munich press about the nature of their relationship, which was heightened further by Cosima's becoming pregnant that summer. Wagner and Cosima even prevailed on Ludwig to sign a declaration in the press that they were not having an affair. Wagner's second daughter Eva was born in February 1867, and Cosima returned to live with von Bülow in Munich in April. Following the premiere of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
in June 1868, under the baton
Baton (conducting)
A baton is a stick that is used by conductors primarily to exaggerate and enhance the manual and bodily movements associated with directing an ensemble of musicians. They are generally made of a light wood, fiberglass or carbon fiber which is tapered to a grip shaped like a pear, drop, cylinder...
of von Bülow, Wagner and Cosima left Munich in September for a holiday in Italy. During this holiday, Cosima wrote to von Bülow that she wanted a divorce. She was now again pregnant with Wagner's third child, their only son, Siegfried Wagner
Siegfried Wagner
Siegfried Wagner was a German composer and conductor, the son of Richard Wagner. He was an opera composer and the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.-Life:...
. In November 1868 Cosima moved in permanently with Wagner at Tribschen, along with their children, Isolde and Eva. Although often racked with guilt about her treatment of von Bülow, she never again lived with him, and remained Wagner's companion until his death in 1883.
In June 1869 Cosima gave birth to Siegfried, and von Bülow could no longer pretend that his marriage could be saved. He wrote to Wagner "It must be so." However Cosima's Catholicism was a stronger bar to divorce, and her father Franz Liszt was now deeply involved in the Church, having taken minor orders. It was only after Cosima converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
that she and von Bülow were divorced on 18 July 1870. Cosima and Wagner were finally married on 25 August 1870 in Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
.
On 25 December of that year (the day she usually celebrated her birthday, although it actually fell the day before), Cosima woke to the sound of music. She recorded the events in her diary:
"When I woke up I heard a sound, it grew ever louder, I could no longer imagine myself in a dream, music was sounding, and what music! After it had died away Richard came in to me with the five children and put into my hands the score of his "Symphonic Birthday Greeting." I was in tears, but so, too was the whole household; Richard had set up an orchestra on the stairs and thus consecrated our Tribschen forever! The Tribschen Idyll - thus the work is called!"
This was the memorable first performance of the chamber piece which was later renamed the Siegfried Idyll
Siegfried Idyll
The Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner is a symphonic poem for chamber orchestra, lasting approximately twenty minutes.-Background:Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869...
.
From 1869 to 1883, Cosima kept a detailed diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
of daily life with Wagner, which was later published. In addition, Cosima helped Wagner write his autobiography Mein Leben, which he dictated to her. Cosima's diary frequently reveals the level of devotion she felt for Wagner, and the resentment she felt toward her parents. Her diary entry for March 23, 1871 reads: "I read old letters from my father, which show me once again that I had neither a father nor a mother. Richard has been everything to me, he alone has loved me." Cosima's diaries also reveal that she shared, in concentrated form, her husband's aversion to Judaism.
At Wagner's side she saw the construction of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre, the establishment of the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
, the first performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
and, finally the 1882 Festival where Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
was premiered. During this time Wagner's health was failing, and Cosima often had to tend his many ailments, including his worsening heart condition. The end came on 13 February 1883, when Wagner had a final heart attack while they were in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. His son Siegfried
Siegfried Wagner
Siegfried Wagner was a German composer and conductor, the son of Richard Wagner. He was an opera composer and the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.-Life:...
remembered the occasion of Wagner's death and Cosima's reaction:
"The chambermaid brought the news that my father had been taken ill. I shall never forget the sight of my mother rushing out through the door. It expressed the force of the most passionate anguish, and she ran into the half-open door so hard that it almost broke."
The last entry in Cosima's diary dates from the evening before his death, and she wrote no more of it after his death. Cosima sat with Wagner's body for 25 hours, she then refused to eat for over four days. It was only a telegram from Hans von Bülow that revived her:"Soeur, Il faut vivre." Cosima had her hair cut off and sewn into a cushion
Cushion
A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch...
which was placed on Wagner's body. After the burial
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
service Cosima was found lying on the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
in the open grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
and only came out when Siegfried went to fetch her.
The First Lady of Bayreuth
Despite Wagner's death the Bayreuth Festival nevertheless continued in the summer of 1883 with 12 performances of Parsifal, given by the same artists and assistants who had worked with the composer on the 1882 premiere; but with no overall authoritative figure in charge, problems arose. In 1884 Cosima emerged from her self-imposed seclusion to direct rehearsals; at first simply by means of written notes despatched to the artists. Despite many objections to her supposed lack of qualifications for the task, she continued to govern the festivals for the next 23 years and she undoubtedly saved Wagner's vision from fading into obscurity.Cosima directed the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
until 1906, when following an Adams-Stokes attack, she retired for health reasons. During her regime a total of 15 festivals took place. In addition to revivals of Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
, she gradually introduced the other nine operas which make up what has become known as the Bayreuth canon
Bayreuth canon
The Bayreuth canon consists of those operas by the German composer Richard Wagner which have been performed at the Bayreuth Festival. The festival, which is dedicated to the staging of these works, was founded by Wagner in 1876 in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth, and has continued under the...
and increased the total number of performances each year to 20. During her tenure, she insisted that the staging of the 1876 premiere performances of the Ring Cycle be strictly adhered to. Her son, Siegfried, carried on this rigid "Bayreuth style" until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, when the Festival stopped operating. When the Festival re-opened in 1924, it continued under the direction of Siegfried.
Cosima died on April 1 1930 at the age of 92 in Bayreuth. Her body lies beside that of Richard Wagner in the garden at Wahnfried
Wahnfried
Wahnfried may refer to:*Wahnfried, Richard Wagner's villa in Bayreuth*Richard Wahnfried , the long-time alias for German composer and musician Klaus Schulze...
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Further reading
- George R. Marek: Cosima Wagner. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. ISBN 0-06-012704-X
- Grove Encyclopedia of Music
- Carr, JonathanJonathan Carr (writer)Jonathan Carr was a British journalist and author, who lived and worked primarily in Germany.He was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire....
: The Wagner Clan: The Saga of Germany's Most Illustrious and Infamous Family. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007. ISBN 0871139758 - "Siegfried IdyllSiegfried IdyllThe Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner is a symphonic poem for chamber orchestra, lasting approximately twenty minutes.-Background:Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869...
." The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd ed. rev. Ed. Michael KennedyMichael Kennedy (music critic)Dr. George Michael Sinclair Kennedy CBE is an English biographer, journalist and writer on classical music. He joined the Daily Telegraph at the age of 15 in 1941, and began writing music criticism for it in 1948...
. Oxford Music Online. 19 Mar. 2009. - Hilmes, Oliver: Cosima Wagner: the lady of Bayreuth. Yale University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-300-15215-9. (translated from German by Stewart Spencer)
- Oliver Hilmes: Cosimas Kinder. Triumph und Tragödie der Wagner-Dynastie. Siedler Verlag, München 2009, ISBN 978-3-88680-899-1.