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Frederick the Great discussion post 12
Every time I am amazed and enchanted that this is still going on! Truly DW is the Earthly Paradise!
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rheinsberg :)
All the good stuff continues to be archived at
rheinsberg :)
Re: The Lehndorff Report: 1777 - B
The Singer's Tale
Having read Lehndorff's diaries in which Mara doesn't described with any positive qualities other than his musical abilities and his good looks, Gertrud-Elisabeth's description of him as passionate but the perfect gentleman is, shall we say, a contrast, and knowing Mara will waste all her money, too, and drink like a fish I'm more inclined to believe Lehndorff, but I do believe her on Mara being charming, and the Rashomon effect of hearing the same story froma completely different perspective is fascinating. Remember, Mara/Schmeling first became a thing during Ulrike's visit at Rheinsberg:
There was supposed to be an evening concert, and the gentlemen of the court had made the suggestion to let it take place in the garden pavillon; Mara resented this fiercely, went to the Prince and said: "These gentlemen might enjoy themselves coming and going through the concert, but it will show no regard for the first singer of the realm!" I did not know about any of this. When I later took a stroll with Mara, we encountered the Prince. He said to me: "I heard you wouldn't have liked to sing in the pavillon, so I have ordered for the concert to take place inside the palace."
I wanted to reply to this, but Mara intervened and replied: "Mademoiselle doesn't know anything about this, I was the one who didn't think it was fitting." The Prince, who otherwise always called him "du", said: "Well, well, don't be rude" (using the Sie-form), and I tried to leave as not to witness the ending of this conversation. The concert took place in the palace, the Prince was extraordinarily kind to his favourite, and his court was angry about this.
Mara insisting that courtiers shouldn't come and go during a concert is actually a very sympathetic trait, and very believable. It's the rest that makes me raise a cynical eyebrow. Here's how she introduces her later husband to the narrative: After the Carneval 1774, I met the young famous violincellist Mara. He had returned from Paris where his master, Prince Heinrich of Prussia, the King's third brother, who was a great admirer of the French theatre had sent him in order to study with the famous Le Quin. He was a beautiful, well educated man, full of talent and excellent manners. This was only natural, as he'd been living in the Prince's household ever since he was fourteen. (When AW had died and Heinrich had taken over the musicians from AW's household.) It wasn't surprising, then, that I prefered such a man to all others when he was trying to win my heart. When he had played for the Prince for the first time after his return, the Prince - like anyone else in the audience - had been so delighted about his passionate performance that he provided him with a new budget, large rooms in the palace, kitchen and cellar at his service, wardrobe, carriage - in short, if he hadn't had caused jealousy before, he surely did thereafter.
So Ulrike's lengthy state visit with Rheinsberg finale happens. When the Queen left, she gave me a beautiful Crystal de Rochau watch, and a tobbaco box laid in gold, while Mara received a diamond ring of great worth. We all returned to Berlin, where Mara didn't leave me any time to think of anything other than him. In the morning at 9 am, he sent me a messenger to learn how I'd slept, at 10 a billet d'amour arrived, at 11 fresh fruits or flowers, and at 12 o'clock, he came himself. Through him, I made the aquaintance of his teacher, famous contrapunctist Joh. Ph. Kirnberger, he was kind enough to teach me in generalbasso, and without effort, I learned more in an hour from him than I had in 10 hours from others.
This musical idyll gets first interrupted by Dad (who is still around but gets paid off for good at this point), and then:
The Prince wasn't too keen on his favourites marrying - though, as I mentioned once, they all did, or were already married when they became his favourites - as he thought that the closeness usually faded, since husbands felt more love for their wives than for their lord. (Mara)assured me that he would never sacrifice his love to me for the Prince's favour; he was simply concerned that as soon as he wasn't in the Prince's service anymore, all those envious of him would seek to harm him, and as it turned out he was right to fear this; also, that if I became his wife as I had given him reason to hope I would and then would leave Berlin with him, the King, whose subject he was, might not permit him to leave.
These ponderings made me very sad. I, who had grown up in England where I had heard of nothing but liberty, and who was still seeking the laurels on my head, should waste my life as a prisoner between love and violence? I lost all my joy, I remained mostly at home, and Mara was always with me; this was interpreted as if we were plotting, which I did not think of, since I regarded myself as a free woman in any case as soon as my contract had expired. Meanwhile, the Prince was travelling, and the courtiers, having him for themselves, probably did not miss the opportunity to tell him that I supposedly was planning to leave Berlin and that Mara would come with me.
The Prince returned, and after a short conversation, he released Mara from his service. As one might imagine, there was much gossip, and his enemies used their opportunity. At last, rumor reached the King that I was intending to leave for Italy in Mara's company, that Mara had persuaded me to this because he had been dismissed, in short - the King, who had not liked a single one of the Prince's favourites, and didn't want to lose me, was glad for the opportunity to discipline the dismissed favourite somewhat. One evening, when Mara was with me, Polizeimeister B. (...) arrived with 12 men, in order to arrest Mara; one can imagine my shock. (..)
Mara is off to Marienburg, writes earnest letters, and our heroine pleads with Fritz. I asked the King to free him and promised to stay. When Mara arrived at Marienburg, the commandant told him: "I'm happy to tell you you're a free man." Shortly after his return, we rwere married, in the morning in my apartment by a Catholic priest, as Mara was a Catholic, and in the afternoon by a Calvinist clergymen, with the most noble citizens of the city as our witnesses.
Meanwhile, Lehndorff's account of the same story, as a reminder: Another matter which amazed me was that Prince Heinrich finally decided to fire the infamous Mara, who had such influence on him. He was the son of a local poor musician and was educated as a boy through the benevolence of the late Prince of Prussia who financed his study of music, at which he soon made great progress. After the death of this prince, Prince Heinrich took him into his service. Despite Mara playing pranks all the time, but Prince Heinrich in consideration of his great talents was lenient. Mara possesses a vivacious, passionate temper, and not fourteen days passed without him arguing with the Prince who nonetheless treated him leniently, which spoiled him completely. Four years ago, he already left the Prince once already and went to Paris, and the Prince not only paid for his journey but allowed him to come back upon his return. Last winter, Mara left him again, and in order to win him back, the Prince had to concede him the greatest privileges. Thus Mara was allowed to get as many meals as he wanted and for as many people as he wanted from the kitchen, he had a courtly equipage, he had a large apartment in the Prince's town residence, in which he was allowed to install Fräulein Schmeling, our first singer, of whom he is enamored. This still wasn't enough for him, and he behaved so badly that the prince finally sent him away.
Re: The Singer's Tale
"He did not play like a King but very good, had a strong, full tone and much technique.") Considering how things ended with her and Fritz, she has no reason to praise his ability unduly, so I believe her assessment.
*nods* That's great.
Mara insisting that courtiers shouldn't come and go during a concert is actually a very sympathetic trait, and very believable.
Yes! And it really is kind of disheartening as a musician. So, good job in that case, Mara.
He was a beautiful, well educated man, full of talent and excellent manners.
I mean... I can believe this too. These can all coexist with all the terrible dysfunctional things we also know about him.
In the morning at 9 am, he sent me a messenger to learn how I'd slept, at 10 a billet d'amour arrived, at 11 fresh fruits or flowers, and at 12 o'clock, he came himself. Through him, I made the aquaintance of his teacher, famous contrapunctist Joh. Ph. Kirnberger, he was kind enough to teach me in generalbasso, and without effort, I learned more in an hour from him than I had in 10 hours from others.
I mean... on one hand I'm like "you know, if someone did that to me I would call him a stalker," and on the other hand I think it's totally charming how she's like "but actually the really great part was that I got a good music teacher out of it!"
Meanwhile, Lehndorff's account of the same story, as a reminder
ahahaha, thank you for this compare and contrast. LOL.
Re: The Singer's Tale
Yes, same here. It's even more noticable in the complete text, since I was of course having to cut passages.
ahahaha, thank you for this compare and contrast. LOL.
Mind you, Lehndorff to her was probably one of those jealous courtiers, and from a certain pov (tm Obi-Wan Kenobi), she's not wrong. But going by how things ended with her and Mara years later, Lehndorff's own obvious bias nothwithstanding, he had a point....