Nationality:
German
Born:
Eutin,
November 18th/19th
1876
Died:
London,
5th
June 1826
Type
of music: German
romantic opera, Clarinet music
Main
works: Der
Freischutz (1821), Oberon (1826), 2 Clarinet concertos, Clarinet
Quintet (1814), Aufforderung zum Tanz (1819)
Weber's
musical education began at a young age when he took lessons from
Joseph Haydn's brother, Michael, in Salzburg. He
then went on to study in Vienna and by the time he was 14 years old,
he had written his first opera.
He
spent over 10 years working in courts and theatres in Germany and
during this time wrote a lot of his instrumental pieces, he was then
appointed the director of the Prague opera in 1813.
In
1816 Weber was appointed as the Kapellmeister at Dresden court. His
focus in the coming years would be to establish a style of German
opera that would see him become an early figurehead in the
nationalist movement. 1821 saw the premiere of this most notable
opera, 'Der Freischutz', which was based on a story from German
folklore.
The
operas that proceeded 'Der Freischutz' did not achieve quite the same
success. When
'Euryanthe' opened in Vienna in 1823 it only saw 20 performances. His
opera 'Oberon' was commissioned by the Royal Opera house in London,
and even though his health was failing, he managed to conduct the
performance in April of 1826. Weber
died in London in the June of the same year.
Weber's
legacy proved important for the early work of Richard Wagner which was
composed in the same German romantic style.
“Weber,
who seems to whisper in my earr like a familiar spirit, inhabiting a
happy sphere where he awaits to console me” - Berlioz
Spotify
link for the Classical Cafe playlist:
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