King Ludwig and the Artists of the Stage and Canvas
A French journalist who saw Ludwig II. in his youth, has said: "His
beauty belongs to the romantic type. His dark eyes are dreamy and full
of enthusiasm. His handsome face, elegant personality, and dignified
bearing at once win admiration and sympathy. He is in possession of
all the graces of youth, its illusions and enthusiasm; but at the
same time he offers an example of that need for change which belongs
to youth. His subjects look upon him as a fool. They are mistaken:
he is only foolish on one point--namely, where music is in question."
The King passionately loved Wagner's operas. Concerts, on the other
hand, he seldom attended, but he often invited opera singers of both
sexes to sing at his castles. Shortly after his accession an actor by
the name of Emil Rohde was engaged by the Munich Hof Theater, and won
in a high degree his Majesty's approval as Don Carlos, Ferdinand in
Schiller's Kabale und Liebe, Max Piccolomini, and Mortimer. Rohde was
one of the first artists in whom Ludwig showed particular interest. At
the beginning of his sojourn in the Bavarian capital he was often
summoned to the Palace. After the first unabridged performance of
Schiller's Wilhelm Tell the King sent him the following autograph
letter:--
"Dear Rohde,
"You have surpassed all my expectations. I shall always remember
with the greatest delight the beautiful hours which we passed
together this winter. Yes, you must come again!
"I remain always your very gracious King,
"Ludwig."
The invitations, however, were not repeated. Ludwig came to have
other interests and other favourites.
The tenor, Franz Ignaz Nachbaur, was showered with proofs of
favour. He had begun his career as a chorus singer, but a Swiss art
mæcena had caused him to be educated under Lamperti at Milan. In
1868 he received an invitation to appear as Walther von Stolzing in
the Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He was not, as a matter of fact, a
very intelligent singer; but he surpassed all his colleagues by his
exceedingly handsome exterior, and by the pure tenor tones of his
voice. Ludwig appointed him chamber singer. After every new rôle he
sent him handsome presents, among other things a Lohengrin equipment
of wrought silver, and a number of diamond pins and rings. Nachbaur,
who was in the habit of exhibiting them with childlike delight,
was in consequence given the soubriquet of "Brilliant Nazzi."
In addition to Wagner's musical works, the King took pleasure in
hearing Lortzing's, Kreutzer's, Verdi's, and Halévy's operas. The
day after he had been present for the first time at Halévy's opera,
Guido et Guivera, he sent for Nachbaur, and, to the astonishment of
the artist, though he had never set eyes on the music, sang through the
whole of the great aria. When he had finished, he said: "Will you now
be good enough to sing the air for me? I should like to know if I have
sung it right." On one occasion, when Nachbaur was ill, Ludwig wrote
to him: "Take care of yourself. Do it for your family's sake and to
preserve your divine voice. Do it, too, for my sake. I ask it of you,
I, the King, who otherwise am not wont to ask." On another occasion
he wrote to him: "We are both opposed to all that is meretricious
and bad, and we glow with holy enthusiasm for everything that is
lofty and pure. We will, therefore, all our lives be faithful and
sincere friends." The singer Vogel, likewise, often received commands
to wait upon his Majesty at a certain hour of the night. He had to
sing an air to him, and was thereafter driven back to his home. The
King had been a fine rider, and as a young man he had ridden straight
and undaunted on his favourite horse. This horse he now presented to
the opera singer Frau Vogel. Every time she appeared as Brunhilde in
Wagner's Götterdämmerung she rode it when she made her daring leaps
into the flames. During a performance when Possart and Frau Ramlo
exchanged rings, the King sent them two diamond rings, which they
were instructed to wear on the stage and keep in remembrance of him.
He spared indeed neither gifts nor distinctions in the case of actors
and singers who won his favour. Gold watches and chains, brilliants,
bracelets, brooches were sent to them from the Kaiserloge as signs
of approval. During the latter years of his life, however, he showed
more reserve in his intercourse with artists, and also, on the whole,
spoke less often with persons with whom he was not already acquainted.
Towards the painters to whom he gave orders he was likewise, as
a rule, very friendly. With regard to these also, as where scenic
art was concerned, he inexorably demanded that everything must be
reproduced with historical faithfulness. An error of etiquette in
a picture he blamed as severely as if it had been committed in his
presence. Heinrich von Pechmann had been commissioned to paint a
picture representing the Lever de Marie de Antoinette. Although the
general effect of the composition was very pleasing, the King returned
it with the message that "ladies-in-waiting did not fan themselves,
nor did they converse with the gentlemen of the court in the Queen's
presence." Moreover, he wished to see among those depicted the composer
Gluck, who was at that time attached to the French court. The artist
Ille had been commanded by Ludwig to paint five large pictures with
subjects from the legend of "Lohengrin," which it was intended should
be hung at Hohenschwangau. "The King would be glad to see the Emperor's
carriage altered," wrote Ludwig's secretary to him on the subject;
"but he will not, however, make it a command against your artistic
convictions. Unless rendered impossible by technical difficulties or
the text of the poem, the King would also like to see the morning or
evening sun shining upon the Archangel Michael. Furthermore, I am to
ask you to consider whether the swan's head is not too large, and
if its breast, which is resting on the water, is not too weak? The
King has, I may explain, from his earliest youth been familiar with
the appearance of these birds." Ille made the required alterations,
and received a fine diamond ring as an expression of the King's
satisfaction.
Ludwig spent many hours daily in the study of literature, and
invariably took books with him on his mountain excursions. When he
travelled, a trunk was filled with a careful selection of works from
his favourite authors. As Crown Prince he had had no opportunity of
receiving instruction at a college or of acquiring information and
experience by sojourns in foreign lands; but by self-study he became
at an early age a well-informed man. He thoroughly studied countless
scientific works; and when he felt himself drawn towards an author
he read everything that writer had produced. Nor was the author's
personality and private life indifferent to him. If the latter was
still alive the King would give orders that information should be
procured for him as to his pecuniary and other conditions; and were
he poor, Ludwig would very often afford him generous assistance in
the most unostentatious manner.