Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
Encyclopedia
Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (February 8, 1819March 9, 1887) was a Polish
noblewoman who pursued a 40-year liaison/relationship with Franz Liszt
. She was also an amateur journalist and essayist and it is conjectured that she did much of the actual writing of several of Liszt's publications, especially his Life of Chopin
. She pursued an enormous correspondence with Liszt and many others which is of vital historical interest. She admired and encouraged Hector Berlioz
, as is clear from their extensive correspondence. Berlioz dedicated Les Troyens
to Princess Carolyne. She was portrayed by Capucine
in the 1960 film Song Without End
.
), one of her parents' many estates in eastern Poland, then a province of the Russian Empire
. On April 26, 1836, she married an officer in the Russian service, Prince Nikolaus zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg (1812–1864; son of Peter Wittgenstein
) a member of an ancient Baltic German
noble house. They had an only daughter, Marie Pauline Antoinette (1837–1920) who later married Prince Konstantin zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst.
Princess Carolyne met Franz Liszt
in 1847, during one of his musical tours in Russia. She had then been estranged from her husband for some time. The Roman Catholic Princess and Liszt began living together at Weimar from 1848. She eventually wished to marry Liszt and regularise their situation, but since she was still married and her husband was still alive, she had to convince the Roman Catholic authorities that her marriage to him had been invalid. After an intricate process, she was temporarily successful (September 1860). It was planned that the couple would marry in Rome, on Liszt's 50th birthday, October 22, 1861. Liszt arrived in Rome the previous day, only to find the Princess unable to marry him. It appears that both her husband and the Tsar of Russia had managed to quash permission for the marriage at the Vatican. The Russian government also impounded her several estates (she owned thousands of serfs), which made her later marriage to Liszt, or anybody, unfeasible. Furthermore, the scandal would have seriously harmed her daughter's marriageability—clearly the main reason why the Prince put an end to the scheduled marriage.
Subsequently, her relationship to Liszt became one of platonic companionship, especially after he had received minor orders in the Catholic Church and become an abbé. She was devastated by Liszt's death and survived him only a very few months. She died in Rome on March 9, 1887.
A posthumous publication was: La vie chretienne au milieu du monde et en notre siècle. Entretiens pratiques recueillis et publiés par Henri Lasserre, Paris 1895
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
noblewoman who pursued a 40-year liaison/relationship with Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. She was also an amateur journalist and essayist and it is conjectured that she did much of the actual writing of several of Liszt's publications, especially his Life of Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
. She pursued an enormous correspondence with Liszt and many others which is of vital historical interest. She admired and encouraged Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
, as is clear from their extensive correspondence. Berlioz dedicated Les Troyens
Les Troyens
Les Troyens is a French opera in five acts by Hector Berlioz. The libretto was written by Berlioz himself, based on Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid...
to Princess Carolyne. She was portrayed by Capucine
Capucine
Capucine was a French actress and fashion model best known for her comedic roles in The Pink Panther and What's New Pussycat? . She appeared in 36 films and 17 television productions between 1948 and 1990...
in the 1960 film Song Without End
Song Without End
Song Without End, subtitled The Story of Franz Liszt is a biographical film romance made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Charles Vidor, who died during the shooting of the picture and was replaced by George Cukor. It was produced by William Goetz from a screenplay by Oscar Millard,...
.
Biography
Karolina Elżbieta Iwanowska was born at Woronińce (today Voronivtsi (Воронівці), UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), one of her parents' many estates in eastern Poland, then a province of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. On April 26, 1836, she married an officer in the Russian service, Prince Nikolaus zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg (1812–1864; son of Peter Wittgenstein
Peter Wittgenstein
Ludwig Adolph Peter, Prince Wittgenstein was a Russian Field Marshal distinguished for his services in the Napoleonic wars.-Life:...
) a member of an ancient Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
noble house. They had an only daughter, Marie Pauline Antoinette (1837–1920) who later married Prince Konstantin zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst.
Princess Carolyne met Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
in 1847, during one of his musical tours in Russia. She had then been estranged from her husband for some time. The Roman Catholic Princess and Liszt began living together at Weimar from 1848. She eventually wished to marry Liszt and regularise their situation, but since she was still married and her husband was still alive, she had to convince the Roman Catholic authorities that her marriage to him had been invalid. After an intricate process, she was temporarily successful (September 1860). It was planned that the couple would marry in Rome, on Liszt's 50th birthday, October 22, 1861. Liszt arrived in Rome the previous day, only to find the Princess unable to marry him. It appears that both her husband and the Tsar of Russia had managed to quash permission for the marriage at the Vatican. The Russian government also impounded her several estates (she owned thousands of serfs), which made her later marriage to Liszt, or anybody, unfeasible. Furthermore, the scandal would have seriously harmed her daughter's marriageability—clearly the main reason why the Prince put an end to the scheduled marriage.
Subsequently, her relationship to Liszt became one of platonic companionship, especially after he had received minor orders in the Catholic Church and become an abbé. She was devastated by Liszt's death and survived him only a very few months. She died in Rome on March 9, 1887.
Works
Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was a writer but her works were mostly privately printed: the chief of these was: Des causes intérieures de la faiblesse extérieure de l'Église, 24 vols. This book was placed on the Index Librorum ProhibitorumIndex Librorum Prohibitorum
The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a list of publications prohibited by the Catholic Church. A first version was promulgated by Pope Paul IV in 1559, and a revised and somewhat relaxed form was authorized at the Council of Trent...
A posthumous publication was: La vie chretienne au milieu du monde et en notre siècle. Entretiens pratiques recueillis et publiés par Henri Lasserre, Paris 1895
Further reading
- Francesco Barberio, Liszt e la Principessa de Sayn-Wittgenstein, Roma: Unione Editrice 1912.
- Hector BerliozHector BerliozHector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
, Lettres à la princesse, Paris: L'Herne 2001 (correspondence with the princess Sayn-Wittgenstein) .- Briefe von Hector Berlioz an die Fürstin Caroline Sayn-Wittgenstein (hrsg. v. La Mara), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel 1903.
- Ideale Freundschaft und romantische Liebe. Briefe an die Fürstin Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein und Frau Estelle Fornier (hrsg. v. La Mara; = Literarische Werke, Bd. 5), a.d. Frz. v. Gertrud Savić, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel 1903.
- Marcel Herwegh, Au Soir des dieux ; Des derniers reflets Wagneriens à la mort de Liszt , Paris: Peyronnet 1933.
- La Mara (i.e. Marie Lipsius, Hrsg.), Franz Liszt's Briefe an die Fürstin Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel 1899
- La Mara (i.e. Marie Lipsius, Hrsg.), Aus der Glanzzeit der Weimarer Altenburg. Bilder und Briefe aus dem Leben dem Fürstin Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel 1906.
- La Mara (i.e. Marie Lipsius, Hrsg.), An der Schwelle des Jenseits. Letzte Erinnerungen an die Fürstin Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, die Freundin Liszts, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel 1925.
- Émile OllivierÉmile OllivierOlivier Émile Ollivier was a French statesman. Although a republican, he served as a cabinet minister under Emperor Napoleon III and led the process of turning his regime into a "liberal Empire".-Early life and career:Émile Ollivier was born in Marseille...
, Correspondance. Emile Ollivier et Carolyne de Sayn-Wittgenstein, Paris: Presse univérsitaire 1984. - Sammlung von Handzeichnungen aus dem Besitze der Fürstin Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein (1819-1889), München: Emil Hirsch, Antiquariat, 1922.
- Adelheid von Schorn (Hrsg.), Zwei Menschenalter. Erinnerungen und Briefe, Berlin: S. Fischer 1901.