Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber was born November 18, 1786, in Eutin, Oldenburg, Germany, to a musical and theatrical family. Despite his family frequently moving, his parents made sure to find him teachers each time they settled in a location. He showed an early aptitude for both the piano and composition. He composed songs, short piano works, and a few operas in his teens, though those productions were not very successful. In 1804 he was appointed the musical director at Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). He wrote two symphonies while there. His next notable works were his Grand Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Opus 11, for piano, and the successful opera Abu Hassan, which was produced in 1811. From here, he moved to Munich where he met and befriended Heinrich Bärmann, a clarinetist for whom he wrote Concertino, Op. 26, and two clarinet concerti. These works demonstrate his remarkable orchestration abilities, using different combinations of instruments, and his romantic ideals - the the feeling being more important than the form.
He was quite the proponent of new romantic ideas, writing reviews, criticisms, and even poetry on the subject from 1809 to 1818. He was appointed the opera director in Prague from 1813 to 1816. While there, he worked to put his romantic theories into practice, showing preference for balanced orchestration over hiring musicians simply for their playing reputation; educating his audiences before the shows through introductory articles; and choosing specific works to suit the style he wanted to emphasize.
In 1817, he married Caroline Brandt, a singer, and also started working as the opera director in Dresden. He wanted to establish a German opera tradition in a city where opera was mostly tied to Italian ideas. He took control of every aspect of the productions there, including casting, singers, orchestra, repertoire, lighting, scenery, and production. Because his job was so time-consuming, there was little time left for his own compositions. However, he still composed some of his greatest works during this period of his life, including the last of his piano sonatas, songs, and shorter piano pieces like Invitation to the Dance (1819), and the Konzertstück, Opus 79 (1821).
His most famous work, Der Freischütz, a distinctly German opera, premiered in Berlin in 1821 and was well-received. It's story and orchestration were perfect for his audiences. He would compose two more operas: Euryanthe and Oberon, but they, because of poorly written librettos, didn't find the same success as Der Freischütz. Oberon was actually commissioned to be produced at Covent Garden in London, England, so he attended the performance there. Sadly though, he had been suffering from tuberculosis and he died there on June 5, 1826.
This biography was written from information found on the following websites, which I accessed on July 23, 2016: britannica.com, allmusic.com, and famouscomposers.net.
He was quite the proponent of new romantic ideas, writing reviews, criticisms, and even poetry on the subject from 1809 to 1818. He was appointed the opera director in Prague from 1813 to 1816. While there, he worked to put his romantic theories into practice, showing preference for balanced orchestration over hiring musicians simply for their playing reputation; educating his audiences before the shows through introductory articles; and choosing specific works to suit the style he wanted to emphasize.
In 1817, he married Caroline Brandt, a singer, and also started working as the opera director in Dresden. He wanted to establish a German opera tradition in a city where opera was mostly tied to Italian ideas. He took control of every aspect of the productions there, including casting, singers, orchestra, repertoire, lighting, scenery, and production. Because his job was so time-consuming, there was little time left for his own compositions. However, he still composed some of his greatest works during this period of his life, including the last of his piano sonatas, songs, and shorter piano pieces like Invitation to the Dance (1819), and the Konzertstück, Opus 79 (1821).
His most famous work, Der Freischütz, a distinctly German opera, premiered in Berlin in 1821 and was well-received. It's story and orchestration were perfect for his audiences. He would compose two more operas: Euryanthe and Oberon, but they, because of poorly written librettos, didn't find the same success as Der Freischütz. Oberon was actually commissioned to be produced at Covent Garden in London, England, so he attended the performance there. Sadly though, he had been suffering from tuberculosis and he died there on June 5, 1826.
This biography was written from information found on the following websites, which I accessed on July 23, 2016: britannica.com, allmusic.com, and famouscomposers.net.
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Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 34
Venancio Rius, Clarinet Enrique Palomares, Violin Albert Skuratov, Violin Santiago Cantó, Viola David Barona, Cello |
Der Freischütz Overture
Myung-Whun Chung, conductor Teatro alla Scala October, 2017 (This one is actually in the pit...fun!) |
Country Dance
Jane Singhal, violin
(pianist not listed)
Jane Singhal, violin
(pianist not listed)