King Ludwig II of Bavaria became an enthusiastic patron of Richard Wagner in 1864, funding his debts and allowing him to focus on composition. Their relationship was intense but turbulent, as Wagner demanded more support while Ludwig struggled with political pressures. They eventually had a falling out in 1865 when Wagner was banished, but reconciled in 1872 when Ludwig funded Wagner's festival theater at Bayreuth. Their partnership helped establish Bayreuth as the center of Wagner's music, though Ludwig was deeply saddened by Wagner's death in 1883.

1. Wagner and
the King
Ainee
Jeong

2. King Ludwig aka…
• Ludwig Otto
Friedrich
Wilhelm
• King Ludwig II of
Bavaria
• “Mad King
Ludwig”
• “The Swan King”

3. A Little About
Ludwig
• Born in 1845
• Died in 1886
• Reigned from 1864 - 1886
• Preceded by father
Maximilian II
• Succeeded by younger

4. Early Exposition to
Wagner’s Work
• 13 years old:
Former
governess
writes to him
describing a
performance
of Wagner’s
Lohengrin.

5. Meanwhile,
Wagner…
• Had an enormous debt that
had been built up since the
failure of his opera Das
Liebesverbot in the early
1830s.
• Had to move around to
escape creditors.
• Became involved in a
German nationalist
movement.
• Had both successes and
failures with his various

6. “Will such a prince
be found?”
• 1863: Wagner publishes the
poem of Der Ring des
Nibelungen, which included a
preface that called for a
“princely patron.”
• March 1864: Ludwig II
assumes the throne after his
father’s death.

7. King Ludwig,
Prince Charming
• Ludwig
immediately paid
off all of
Wagner’s debts.
• Provided Wagner
with a villa on
Lake Starnberg
and then with a
house in Munich.

8. Ludwig:
A Rocky
Relationship
Wagner took
full advantage
of King
Ludwig’s
patronage and
financial
support.
King Ludwig
demanded

9. The “Honeymoon”
Phase
• Wagner became King Ludwig’s
constant companion and
confidante.
• Wagner was so cherished by
King Ludwig, that the king began
to neglect his political
responsibilities.
• For some time, Wagner gained
the reputation of being

10. Disagreements
and The WAGNER
LUDWIG
Ring
• Wanted a large, • Wanted a
grand theater temporary
in Munich. theater in the
• Wanted to country.
produce • Became set on
Meistersinger
Bayreuth for
and The Ring in
Munich. theater
specifically for
• Wanted

11. Political Issues
LUDWIG WAGNER
• Detachment • Scandal
from arouse
political because of
power affair with
brought Cosima von
about Bülow,
changes in putting him

12. The (kind of)
“Break-up” to
• In 1865, King Ludwig forced
send Wagner away; Wagner
banished from Bavaria to
Switzerland.
• Spent 7 years in Switzerland
and finished Die Meistersinger
(1867), Siegfried (1871), and Die
GÖtterdämmerung (1872) there.
• King Ludwig and Wagner
continued to keep in contact

13. The “Make-up”
• 1872: Wagner returned to
Bavaria carry out his dream
of the Bayreuth
Festspielhaus.
• 1873: with financial help
from King Ludwig, the
theater was finished.
• 1876: first Bayreuth Festival

14. A Rollercoaster
Until the End
• King Ludwig
and Wagner
had one last
disagreement
over a
performance
of the
prelude of
• However, in Ludwig was
Parsifal King
devastated by Wagner’s death in
late 1880,
1883,did not
and and ordered that each piano in