Think of a voice that captivated audiences worldwide. That voice belonged to Ludwig Wüllner. We are standing at his final resting place in the Parkfriedhof Lichterfelde. It is an honorary grave of the city of Berlin.
Ludwig Wüllner was not just a singer. He was a multifaceted artist. Born in 1858, he excelled as a concert tenor, opera singer, actor, and narrator. His versatility made him one of the most important stage performers of his time. Wüllner’s father was the composer Franz Wüllner.
He initially pursued German studies. Wüllner earned a doctorate in philology. Yet, the stage called to him. He studied voice, composition, and piano. In 1888, Wüllner sang the tenor part in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. His father conducted the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.
His acting career began in 1889 at the Meiningen Court Theatre. Duke Georg II awarded him the title “Herzoglich Meiningischer Hofschauspieler”. Wüllner performed at prestigious theaters. These included Deutsches Theater Berlin and the Vienna Burgtheater.
In 1896, Wüllner made his operatic debut. He sang the title role in Wagner’s Tannhäuser in Weimar. However, he was best known as a Lieder singer. Wüllner collaborated with musical giants. Johannes Brahms and Richard Strauss were among them. He was admired for his clear diction. His dramatic presentation was also impressive. People called him the “Kammersänger of the German people”.
Max Reger dedicated one of his songs to Wüllner in 1899. He also performed in Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius”. Concert tours took him to England and the US. Elgar dedicated “The Wind at Dawn” to him in 1907. In 1910, Wüllner sang the American premiere of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder. Mahler himself conducted.
Wüllner was also a gifted narrator. He recited poems, ballads, and monologues. He had a fondness for the melodrama form. A notable performance was “Das Hexenlied”. Max von Schillings composed the music. In 1933, a recording of this work was made. Wüllner was 74 years old. The Berlin Philharmonic was conducted by Schillings. It was just before Schillings’ death. Recordings exist of Wüllner’s unique speaking style.
Wüllner died in Kiel in 1938 at the age of 79. He was buried here in the Parkfriedhof Lichterfelde. His grave was an honorary grave of Berlin until 2014. As we stand here, remember Ludwig Wüllner. He was a voice that resonated far beyond this place. He was an artist who left an indelible mark on the world of music and theater.