Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ludwig

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ludwig, greatly admired German tenor; b. Munich, July 2, 1836; d. Dresden, July 21, 1865. He was the son of the noted painter Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld. After studies with J. Otto in Dresden and at the Leipzig Cons., he was engaged by Eduard Devrient for the Karlsruhe Opera in 1854; became its principal tenor in 1858, then was the leading tenor at the Dresden Court Opera (from 1860). Wagner chose him to create the role of Tristan in Tristan und Isolde (Munich, June 10, 1865); his wife, Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld (née Garrigues), sang Isolde. He was also an outstanding Tannhäuser, and won accolades as an oratorio and lieder artist as well. His death at the age of 29 was widely lamented.

Bibliography

C. Garrigues, Ein ideales Sängerpaar: L. S.v.C. und Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld (Copenhagen, 1937).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Köchel, Ludwig von (b Stein, nr. Krems-on-the- Danube, 1800; d Vienna, 1877). Austrian botanist and mineralogist with immense admiration for music of Mozart. Compiled chronological thematic catalogue—Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis—of Mozart's works, giving each a ‘Köchel number’ (e.g. K488) by which they are now universally identified. First pubd. Leipzig 1862. Various revs. have been pubd., one being by A. Einstein, 1937. 6th edn. 1964.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ludwig (b Munich, 1836; d Dresden, 1865). Ger. tenor. Opera début Karlsruhe 1855. Prin. tenor Karlsruhe 1858–60, Dresden Opera 1860–5. Wagner, having heard him sing Lohengrin, asked him to create role of Tristan at Munich, 1865, with his Danish wife Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld (b Copenhagen, 1825; d Karlsruhe, 1904) as Isolde. Ludwig died 6 weeks after Tristan première and Malvina became singing teacher.

Carolsfeld, Ludwig Schnorr von. See Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ludwig.