Wagner’s Autograph Manuscripts
Posted by Jess Dayuno on June 24th, 2008
Photo Credit: squarepants2004j/auntyhuia
These autograph manuscripts includes final versions for Wesendock Lieder, most commonly known as the Five Songs for a Female Voice, and two-subtitled “Studie zu Tristan u. Isolde. These 1858 manuscripts fetched a price of 534,650 GBP at an auction at Sotheby’s.
Richard Wagner was a famous German composer and conductor. His late stage operas are considered as the most influential masterpieces that helped advanced the art of opera. Music experts would say that from all his compositions and writing, it was Tristan and Isolde who they consider his greatest work.
The Wesendock Lieder are the five poems by the beautiful young poetess Mathilde Wesendock. He worked on these songs while working on Tristan und Isolde so both works are linked with each other as well as the lives of both the poetess and the composer.
Mathilde Wesendock is married to one of Wagner’s generous patrons, Otto Wesendock. Wagner was even given an adjoining villa. He was in love with his patron’s wife as was indicated in the autograph score of Die Walkure.