This is Wagner’s sanctuary
Text/photo by Tang Ruofu
Like ancient Chinese literati, Wagner loved to travel. In an era when transportation basically relied on horse-drawn carriages, he traveled extensively in Italy, Switzerland and France, not only finding creative inspiration, but also receiving a lot of love and invitations to conduct. Among them, Switzerland, especially Lucerne, witnessed the most successful chapter in Wagner's life. There, Wagner had a successful career and family.
Switzerland begins a career in exile
Switzerland’s lakes and mountains are among the best. The French, German and Italian-speaking areas, together with idealists from neighboring countries, form an area surrounded by France, Germany, Austria and Italy. Surrounded by Feng Shui treasures.
Many people stop by Switzerland because of its scenery, but Wagner’s original intention of visiting Switzerland may not be so romantic. In 1848, the revolution broke out across the European continent, and the war raged for a long time. Wagner, who was in Dresden, sided with the revolutionaries and participated in the uprising in May 1849. After the uprising failed, Wagner was also wanted and became an "important prisoner" in Dresden's Saxony. With the mediation of his friend and senior Liszt, Wagner traveled to Switzerland with a fake passport and began his exile.
In Switzerland, Wagner and his wife Minna took a break in Zurich, where they wrote articles reviewing their revolutionary experiences and wrote monographs such as "Art and Revolution", "Artworks of the Future" and "Opera and Drama". In addition, he also befriended the wealthy businessman Otto Weissendonk and his family. Out of admiration for Wagner, Otto set aside a piece of land in his garden in 1852 to build a country villa for Wagner for the Wagner family.
During those days of close intimacy with the Weisendonck family, Wagner became the teacher of Otto's wife Mathilde. His passionate love (some say unrequited love) for Mathilde was so powerful that the composer temporarily put aside the creation of the four-part drama "The Ring of the Nibelung" and instead devoted himself to the epoch-making "The Ring of the Nibelung", which celebrates love. Working on Tristan and Isolde. Regarding that vigorous relationship, Wagner also specially wrote a suite of five songs, "Weisendonk Lied", as a pocket watch.
In 1858, Wagner moved to Venice, Italy. Although the composer's love for the sunshine and passion of the Mediterranean was reflected in his nine trips to Italy, during which he also briefly transited to Paris and returned to Germany, the wealthy Switzerland was still his home. Soon he returned to Switzerland.
Working hard on the shores of Lake Lucerne
In March 1859, Wagner came to Lucerne and lived on the shores of Lake Lucerne, close to the Swiss Palace where the Central Railway Station and the wharf are now. Hotel (Schweizerhof), in order to complete the love opera "Tristan and Isolde" that he has been working on for a long time. For the first two months, he lived in a balcony suite on the third floor of the main building, but because he thought the carriages and pedestrians on the main street below the balcony were too noisy, he moved to room 207 in the south building. The rooms on the second floor are much smaller than the suites, but quieter. With the help of the waiter, Wagner decorated the room to his liking.
The Swiss Palace Hotel is a five-star luxury hotel with a long history. It was renovated in 2008, but it still retains its antique atmosphere. It is now the designated reception hotel for big-name musicians at the Lucerne Music Festival. one. The hotel's strategic location is within easy reach of transportation hubs, pedestrian streets and Church Bridge. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, you can still enjoy a cup of fragrant handmade coffee in the luxuriously decorated lobby on weekdays for less than the price of a cup of Starbucks. By the way, you can sit on the spacious sofa and imagine the cultural celebrities who have stopped in the hotel.
In the summer of 1878, the American writer Mark Twain stayed here for ten days. The following is the scenery outside the window he wrote: "Lucerne is a charming place. The city begins at the end of the water. , the hotels are lined up in rows, extending to two or three hills, and there are a lot of people. It seems chaotic but the scenery is pleasant. What comes to mind are mostly the deep red brick walls of the houses, dotted slanted windows, towering spires, and ancient arches scattered around. It is built along the wall, and there is an old town square reinforced with hard stones. "In addition, Mark Twain also mentioned that there are two rows of low street trees in front of the hotel, and behind the trees is the beautiful Lake Lucerne, with the snow caps of the mountains in the distance. vaguely visible.
If you want to further experience Wagner’s life experience, you may wish to stay in a hotel. In January 2018, I stayed here for a few nights.
In the lake view room in the main building facing Lake Lucerne, if you open the window, you will see the lake and mountains in the distance, and the busy traffic below. The scene is exactly the same as described by American writers. In order to emphasize the deep connection between the hotel and music, the electronic keyhole in the room is made into the shape of a musical note, and the prompt sound when the card is swiped to open the door is also a world-famous song.
I believe that music fans staying at the hotel care more about its proud history. In August 1859, Wagner completed the creation of "Tristan und Isolde" in the hotel. The hotel archives vividly record the entire creative process: "In order to maintain a quiet creative environment, the hotel doorman blocked the side door to the next room with a mattress, and the hotel prohibited children from playing on the second floor. On nearby peaks such as Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, Wagner drew inspiration from nature, and in the hotel garden he also admired an exhibition of landscapes by the painter Jacob Joseph Zerge. Liszt sent a 24-year-old young composer named Felix. Dresek and Wagner kept company, and the two walked, rode, and talked together. One morning in August, the two originally made an appointment to go to Mount Pilatus, but Wagner sat in front of the piano for six hours. At this time, there was a knock on the door from Dresecker. Wagner said that he was about to finish writing the opera. Dresecker, dressed in riding clothes, sat aside and witnessed history. At 4:30 in the afternoon, Wagner finished. "Tristan and Isolde." In June 1865, King Ludwig II of Bavaria facilitated the premiere of this play in Munich, with the conductor Hans von Bülow. Wagner's creation and family entered a new era with this play.
Integrating mountains and rivers into music
Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll" is an extremely rare chamber music work. It has a peaceful melody and a tranquil atmosphere. The band is known for its unique compositions. The full title of the work is "The Tribushian Pastoral Containing Birdsong and Golden Sunrise, a gift from Cosima's Wagner as a symphonic birthday greeting." The full title shows the huge amount of information.
Wagner met Liszt’s daughter Cosima as early as in Zurich, when her husband was the conductor Bülow. In April 1866, Wagner returned to Lucerne and moved to Tribuschen, half an hour's bus ride away from Lucerne, and moved into a three-story country house. The villa is located on a hill, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with a huge 30,000-square-meter lawn facing the lake and water behind it. During the 6 years of living here, Cosima visited many times, and finally decided to move here with her family. After giving birth to their son Siegfried, they got married. The church where they got married was St. Matthew's Church in Switzerland. Next door to the Palace Hotel.
"Siegfried Madrigal" is a piece of music composed by Wagner for the birth of his beloved son. In the early morning of December 25, 1870, this piece of music was played by 13 musicians who were scattered on the stairs of the villa. Cosima watched the premiere of this piece on the landing of the stairs.
Today, visitors can "visit" the scene more than a hundred years ago on the corner platform of the stairs like Cosima. The former residence where Wagner lived for 6 years has been converted into the Wagner Museum. Take multiple bus lines from Lucerne Central Station and get off at Valtegg Station. Follow the signs along the way and walk for about ten minutes to get there. On the downhill road, the first thing that comes into view is a white villa and a bustling coffee shop under the main entrance. On one side is a huge stone sculpture of Wagner's head.
The exhibition hall on the first floor is a regular exhibition, displaying the special French Ellard grand piano that Wagner played at that time. On this piano, he completed "Meistersinger of Nuremberg" on October 24, 1867. There are also a number of brass instruments related to Wagner, as well as the manuscripts or photocopies of a series of German works written by him in Zurich, as well as many oil paintings showing his life. Climb up the wide red-carpeted staircase where "Pastoral" was first performed. The second floor is a special exhibition area, and the theme changes every year.
I have visited Tribushin many times, and my favorite special exhibition is the "Anime Wagner" special exhibition launched from 2017 to 2018. The curator used animation to present the eccentric side of the composer's life, and condensed his life into a 40-page comic book "Wagner." The comic book, with text by Andreas Warrig and drawings by Flavia Scuderi, provides an interesting look into Vaslav's life.
In addition, coloring cards and drawing boards specially prepared for children, as well as picture books on the ten-step method of drawing Wagner's head, turn the heavy topic of music into an interactive game for parents and children.
From 1866 to 1872, Wagner lived in Tribushen, a place full of birds and flowers, and completed the "Siegfried Idyll". The melody later appeared many times in the tetrad, and he also began to compose. "Twilight of the Gods". Like Wotan, he swam among the mountains and rivers of Lucerne. There is reason to believe that Mount Pilatus turned into the Valkyrie Mountain and Valhalla in "The Ring", and the lush green shades of Lucerne turned into "Siegfer". Reed's forest.
His children with his ex-wife, Cosima and Buluo's children, and his children with Cosima all live under the same roof. The two big families formed after their separation are happy and even more attractive. Visited Ludwig II, Nietzsche and his father-in-law Liszt.
Switzerland was not only Wagner’s haven, but also witnessed the heyday of the composer’s creation. In 1872, with a firm ideal and unparalleled belief in his own theater, Wagner moved his family back to Germany from Switzerland and started Bayreuth's glory.