Carl Maria von Weber

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic of the early Romantic period. He was one of the first significant composers of the German Romantic opera, and influenced many later composers such as Marschner, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Liszt. He was also a pioneer of conducting without a piano or violin, and a master of orchestration. Weber was born in Eutin, Holstein (now part of Germany) on 18 November 1786. He was the eldest of the three children of Franz Anton von Weber, a musician and theatre manager, and his second wife Genovefa Weber, a Viennese singer. His father was not an aristocrat but claimed descent from a noble family that was already extinct. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 11 years old. Weber's musical talent was evident from an early age. He learned to play the piano, violin, guitar and horn from his father and various teachers. He also composed his first opera at the age of 12. Weber's father moved the family frequently across Europe in search of musical opportunities. Weber studied with several prominent musicians, such as Michael Haydn in Salzburg, Johann Nepomuk Kalcher in Munich and Georg Joseph Vogler in Darmstadt. He also met influential figures such as Mozart's widow Constanze and her sister Aloysia, who were his father's cousins. Weber composed several operas, symphonies, concertos and chamber works during this period, but most of them are either lost or incomplete. In 1804, Weber became the musical director of the Breslau Opera House (now Wrocław, Poland). He also joined the secret society of the Illuminati, which aimed to promote enlightenment and oppose tyranny. He was arrested in 1810 for his involvement in a financial scandal and fled to Stuttgart. There he met Caroline Brandt, a soprano singer whom he married in 1817. They had two sons: Max Maria von Weber, who became a painter and biographer of his father; and Alexander von Weber, who died in infancy. Weber's career as a composer reached its peak in the 1820s with his operas Der Freischütz (The Free-Shooter), Euryanthe and Oberon. These works are considered landmarks of the German Romantic opera, combining elements of folk tales, magic, supernatural forces and national identity. They also feature innovative use of leitmotifs (musical themes associated with characters or situations), chromatic harmony (using notes outside the main scale) and orchestration (the arrangement of instruments in an ensemble). Weber's operas influenced many later composers such as Wagner, who regarded him as his predecessor. Weber was also a virtuoso pianist and composed several works for the piano and other instruments. He wrote two piano concertos, a concert piece (Konzertstück) and several sonatas and variations. He also composed four sonatas for violin and piano with his brother-in-law Fritz Böttger. Weber had a special affinity for the clarinet and wrote two concertos, a concertino, a quintet and a duo concertante for the instrument. He often collaborated with Heinrich Baermann, a famous clarinetist of his time. Weber was also a respected conductor and music critic. He conducted many operas and concerts in various cities such as Prague, Berlin, Dresden and London. He was one of the first conductors to use a baton (a stick to direct the orchestra) and to stand in front of the orchestra without a piano or violin. He also wrote many articles and reviews on music, advocating for originality, expression and national character in music. Weber suffered from tuberculosis for the last three years of his life. He accepted an offer from the impresario Charles Kemble to compose and conduct two operas for the Covent Garden Theatre in London. He arrived in London in March 1826 and conducted the premiere of Oberon on 12 April. However, his health deteriorated rapidly and he died in his sleep on 5 June 1826 at the age of 39. He was buried in London, but his remains were transferred to Dresden in 1844 on the initiative of Richard Wagner. Weber's music is widely admired for its originality, lyricism, drama and color. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Romantic movement in music and one of the greatest composers of the 19th century.