Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst, Freiherr von Weber
(November 18, 1786 in Eutin, Holstein – June 5, 1826 in London, England) was a German
composer,
conductor,
pianist,
critic,
one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school.
Weber's works, especially his operas Der Freischutz, Euryanthe and Oberon greatly influenced the development of the Romantic opera in Germany.
He was also an innovative composer of instrumental music. His compositions for the Clarinet, which include two concertos, a concertino, a quintet and a duo concertante, are regularly performed, while his piano music - including four sonatas, two concertos and the Konzertstuck (Concert Piece) in F minor - influenced composers such as Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelsohn. The Konzertstuck provided a new model for the one-movement concerto in several contrasting sections (such as Liszt's, who often played the work), and was acknowledged by Igor Stravinsky as the model for his Capriccio for piano and orchestra.
Weber's contribution to vocal and choral music is also significant. His body of Catholic religious music was highly popular in 19th century Germany, and he composed one of the earliest song-cycles, Die Temperamente beim Verluste der Geliebten.
Weber's orchestration has also been highly praised and emulated by later generations of composers - Hector Berlioz referred to him several times in his Treatise on Orchestration while Claude Debussy remarked that the sound of the Weber orchestra was obtained through the scrutiny of the soul of each instrument.
His operas influenced the work of later composers such as Heinrich Marschner, Giacomo Meyerbeer and Richard Wagner,
and homage has been paid him by 20th century composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler (who completed Weber's unfinished comic opera Die drei Pintos and made revisions of Euryanthe and Oberon) and Paul Hindemith (composer of the popular Symphonic Metamorphoses of Themes of Weber).
Weber also wrote music journalism and was interested in folksong, and learned lithography to engrave his own works.
Works sorted by Opus Number
1 - 6 Fughettas, J. 1-6
2 - 6 Variations in C on an Original Theme, J. 7
3 - 6 petites pices faciles, J. 9-14
4 - 12 allemandes, J. 15-26
5 - 8 Variations on a theme from Vogler’s Castor and Pollux, J. 40
6 - 6 Variations in C on a theme from Vogler’s Samori, J. 43
7 - 7 Variations on "Vien qu, Dorina bella," J. 53
8 - Opera, Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn, J. 8
9 - Thme original vari, J. 55
10- 6 pieces for pf 4h, J. 81-6
10 -6 Violin Sonatas, J. 99-104
11 -Pf. Conc. 1 in C, J. 98
12 -Momento capriccioso in Bb, J. 56
13 -5 Songs & a Canon, J. 91, 96, 52, 72, 97, 35
14 -Cantata, "Der erste Ton," J. 58
15 -6 Songs, J. 73, 63, 74, 68, 67, 57
16 -Aria, "Il momento s’avvicina," J. 93
17 -?
18 -Pf. Quartet in Bb, J. 76
19 -Symphony 1 in C, J. 50
20 -Grand pot-pourri, J. 64
21 -Grande polonaise in Eb, J. 59
22 -?
23 -4 Songs & 2 Choruses, J. 62, 70, 117, 130, 136, 133
24 -Pf. Sonata 1 in C, J. 138
25 -4 Songs for voice & guitar, J. 140, 110, 112, 137, 113
26 -Clar. Concertino in Eb, J. 109
27 -Overture, "Der Beherrscher der Geister" ("Ruler of the Spirits"), J. 122
28 -7 Variations on "A peine au sortir de l’enfance," J. 141
29 -3 Songs, J. 108, 124, 120
30 -6 Songs, J. 42, 161, 157, 160, 159, 156
31 -3 Duets, J. 107, 123, 125
32 -Pf. Conc. 2 in Eb, J. 155
33 -7 Variations on a theme from Silvana, J. 128
34 -Clar. Quintet, J. 182
35 -Andante e Rondo ungarese in c, J. 79
36 -Cantata, "In seiner Ordnung schafft der Herr," J. 154
37 -Incidental music, Turandot, J. 75
38 -?
39 -Pf. Sonata 2 in Ab, J. 199
40 -9 Variations, J. 179
41 -"Leyer und Schwert" (cycle of 4 songs), J. 174-7
42 -"Leyer und Schwert" (6 male choruses), J. 168-73
43 -Songs, "Bei der Musik des Prinzen Louis Ferdinand von Preussen," J. 205
44 -Cantata, "Kampf und Sieg," J. 190
45 -Horn Concertino in e, J. 188
46 -Song cycle, "Die Temperamente beim Verluste der Geliebten," J. 200-3
47 -6 Songs, J. 197, 198, 189, 192, 196, 166
48 -Grand duo concertant, J. 204
49 -Pf. Sonata 3 in d, J. 206
50 -Aria, "Misera me!" J. 121
51 -Aria, "Non paventar mia vita," J. 181
52 -Scena, "Ah, se Edmondo," J. 178
53a-Aria, "Signor, se padre sei," J. 142
53b-Chorus, "Zwei Krnze zum Annen-Tage," J. 218
54 -5 Songs & 2 Duets, J. 232, 209, 212, 208, 211, 233, 231
55 -7 Variations in C on a Gypsy Song, J.219
56 -Scena & aria, "Was sag ich?" J. 239
57 -?
58 -Jubel-Kantate, J. 244
59 -Jubel-Ouverture in E, J. 245
60 -8 pieces for pf 4h, J. 236, 242, 248, 253-4, 264-6
61 -Chorus, "Natur und Liebe," J. 241
62 -Rondo brillante, J. 252
63 -Trio in g for pf, vc, fl, J. 259
64 -6 Songs, a Duet, & a Chorus, J. 234, 210, 235, 230, 255, 247, 249, 258
65 -Invitation to the Dance, J. 260
66 -6 Songs, J. 217, 238, 48, 134, 65, 213
67 -?
68 -6 Partsongs, J. 132, 263, 262, 285, 261, 284
69 -?
70 -Pf. Sonata 4 in e, J. 287
71 -6 Songs, J. 256, 243, 267, 28, 229, 105
72 -Polacca brillante, J. 268
73 -Clar. Conc. 1 in f, J. 114
74 -Clar. Conc. 2 in Eb, J. 118
75 -Bassoon Conc. in F, J. 127
75a-Missa sancta 1 in Eb, J. 224
76 -Missa sancta 2 in G, J. 251
77 -Opera, Der Freischtz, J. 277
78 -Incidental music, Preciosa, J. 279
79 -Konzertstck in f (pf, orch), J. 282
80 -6 Songs, J. 281, 269, 270, 274, 275, 278
81 -Opera, Euryanthe, J. 291
W e b e r' s L O S T O p e r a s
Little has been known about Weber’s early opera Das Waldmüdchen (1800) , except that it was an unusual opera with a mute title character, written when Weber was only thirteen years old.
Most of the score to Das Waldmüdchen,
like the score to Weber’s first juvenile opera Die Macht der Liebe und des Weins (1798–99),
was believed to have disappeared in the early nineteenth century.
Only two score fragments of the music to Das Waldmüdchen, Weber’s first publicly-performed stage work, were known to have survived.
There was no indication why the thirteen-year-old boy had composed the score, nor was there reliable information in English sources about Weber’s librettist Steinsberg.
Little to nothing was known of the caliber of the cast that first performed the opera, including any of their former accomplishments or any subsequent activities.
