Ludwig and the Artistes of the Stage--Josephine Schefzky
His subjects began to give up the hope of seeing their King a
husband. Several political parties, however, hoped that they might
be able to influence him through a mistress. Their expectations were
disappointed also in this. After the breaking-off of his engagement,
the fair sex played but a small part in the King's life. He seems
to have looked upon women with the same eyes as the poet Holberg,
who in one of his letters writes that he regards them as "pretty
pictures"--to be looked at, but not to be touched! Those who knew
Ludwig are entirely agreed that he never felt real love for any woman,
not even for his betrothed wife, though at one time he appeared to
do so. To Richard Wagner, he said at one of their first meetings:
"You do not like women either, do you? They are such bores!"
Ludwig's indifference did not, however, prevent him from feeling
friendship for several women. [16] His artistic interests, moreover,
brought him into contact with others of them; and in his youth he
often summoned actresses and women-singers to his palaces in order
that they might recite and sing to him. He astonished them by his
remarkable memory, for if they left out but a single word he would
immediately supply it. Not infrequently he would himself take a part in
a dialogue, and his gifts of elocution are said to have been charming.
Some of his experiences with the artistes whom he invited to his
palaces can hardly have contributed to increase his respect for
women. The fêted actress, Frau von Bulyowska, declaimed before him
at Hohenschwangau fragments of Schiller's dramas. For some time he
delighted in Mary Queen of Scots; he had her engraved, he had her
painted, he had her acted at the theatre. The aforesaid actress,
who had taken the part of Mary Stuart, had to stand as model to the
court painter, who made sketches of her for use in a painting of that
unfortunate Queen. Frau von Bulyowska thought this was the outcome
of an interest on Ludwig's side in her person; and she unreservedly
avowed her intention of seducing the young Monarch, and of playing
the rôle of a Madame de Pompadour at his court.
One day, when visiting him on the Roseninsel, she appeared in a costume
which was evidently calculated to show her outward charms in the most
advantageous light. Her efforts were wasted; the King's near-sighted
eyes did not even appear to see what she was like. His Master of the
Horse who accompanied her, however, understood her intentions. The
next time she was received at the Palace in Munich, which had been
recently restored. The King complied with his visitor's wish to
see his private apartments. When they entered his bed-chamber the
actress made a tender attack upon his person. Ludwig freed himself
from her embrace, rang the bell for a servant, and called out:
"Frau von Bulyowska desires her carriage!"
She was not invited by him again. Another actress lost his favour
because, on a first visit to one of his palaces, she was looking so
attentively at his paintings that she did not hear him enter the room,
and consequently neglected to curtsey with deference.
Mathilde Mallinger, the singer, was, on account of her magnificent
voice, for a short time the recipient of his favours; but her ignorance
of the forms of the great world soon repelled him. When one day she
asked for an audience, his Majesty answered that he "only knew a court
singer, Mathilde Mallinger, but no lady of that name; and therefore
was unable to grant her an audience."
No artiste was for so long a time or so high in his favour as Josephine
Schefzky, one of the chief Wagner singers of her day. She was the
daughter of a court official, and it was to members of the house of
Wittelsbach that she owed the means for her artistic education. Already
before her appearance Ludwig interested himself in this future star
within the realms of song. Her studies completed, she was engaged by
the Royal Opera of Munich; and after some years was appointed court
singer. The King was usually present at the opera when she appeared,
and she had often, moreover, the honour of singing privately before
him, both in his capital and when he was living at one or other of
his pleasure palaces. He had caused to be arranged in the Throne Room
building of the Residenz a winter garden, to which he had direct access
from his private apartments. Besides magnificent groups of exotics,
the garden contained a grotto, with a little cascade, and a pool deep
and broad enough for him to row on in a boat, the latter being formed
like a swan. Dressed as Lohengrin he lived here in the world of fancy,
for a few moments forgetting everything that oppressed his mind.
His favourite singers sang fragments of Wagner's operas to him
from behind groups of palms. Here Josephine Schefzky sang often. He
permitted her to sail with him in his golden boat, and when one day
she had sung the love-song from Tristan und Isolde, he suddenly struck
up the air from Rigoletto: "La donna è mobile." This artiste, too,
was vain enough to believe that he was in love with her. Many of the
inhabitants of Munich expressed in fairly explicit terms their belief
that a liaison existed between them. In reality, however, he was only
her protector, who enjoyed her magnificent singing. So high a place in
his esteem as that she was credited with, it may fairly be asserted was
never hers. To his daily entourage he was in the habit of announcing
her visits in the following words: "To-day the goose Schefzky shall
come and sing again." One night she sang to him on the artificial lake
in the winter garden. The boat was small. An incautious movement on
her part caused it to careen. The King scrambled out of the pool with
ease, though wet through. "Pull her out of the water," he called to
a lacquey, as he disappeared rapidly into his own apartments.
Despite this occurrence, Josephine Schefzky continued to be in his
favour, and was singled out for this by his Majesty more often than
any other artiste. At his country residences she was received and
entertained almost like a royal guest. Ludwig directed that some
especially delectable viand or wine, from his kitchens or cellar,
should go back with her every time she returned to Munich from
Hohenschwangau or Berg. The servants, who saw that their master
esteemed her, were at great trouble to curry favour with her in their
own behalf. The royal carriage which took her away was invariably
stuffed with hams, delicate sausages and patés, with champagne and
Rhine wine, so that people at the railway station might have supposed
that the departing lady was about to journey to a place where there
was a famine. On one occasion the royal carriage even broke down
under the weight of the gifts.
Josephine Schefzky was permitted to give the King presents on his
birthday. He received them with evident pleasure, but only on the
condition that the sum she had expended on them should be refunded to
her out of the privy purse. On an occasion of the kind she had asked to
be allowed the honour of giving him a tablecloth. The permission was
granted. Ludwig expressed in appreciative words his admiration of the
singer's good taste, and sent her an amiable letter of thanks. There
had been at this time a change in the personnel administering the
privy purse. At the head of it there was now a near relative of the
shopkeeper where Fräulein Schefzky had purchased her tablecloth; he
had by chance heard how much she had paid for it. The lady made her
appearance some days later, and demanded a larger sum than the gift
had cost her. The official greatly wished his master to become aware
of her avarice, and after some circumlocution informed Ludwig how
the artiste had enriched herself by means of his present. Generous
as he was the King would probably have forgiven the deception, but
he was angered when he heard that Fräulein Schefzky was in the habit
of asking for money from the privy purse in the following words:
"I have spoken to him about it!" His vanity and self-esteem could
not bear his person being spoken of without due respect. This him,
with which in her broad South-German accent she denoted his Majesty,
sealed her fall.
In an autograph letter her protector of many years informed her that
she was dismissed from the court opera of Munich, and that her salary
for the unexpired time of her engagement would be paid to her at
once. The title "Royal Bavarian Court Singer," was taken away from her.
Herewith the connection was severed. Several years later, however,
she was permitted to enter once more into correspondence with Ludwig.