Download WEBER Overture to Der Freischütz

WEBER
Overture to Der Freischütz
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 1786 – 5 June 1826) was a German
composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic
school. Weber's operas Der Freischütz, Euryanthe and Oberon greatly influenced the development of
the Romantic opera in Germany. Der Freischütz in particular came to be regarded as the first German
"nationalist" opera. His operas influenced the work of later opera composers, especially in Germany,
such as Marschner, Meyerbeer and Wagner, as well as several nationalist 19th-century composers such
as the Russian Glinka. Even 20th century composers as diverse as Debussy, Stravinsky, Mahler and
Hindemith paid homage to Weber. Interestingly, because of a hip disease, Weber became a capable
singer and pianist before he learned to walk at the age of four. One of his first posts was director of the
Breslau opera, an unsuccessful tenure with Weber leaving in a fit of frustration. Despite this first
setback, Weber went on to direct operas in Prague, Berlin and Dresden. In Dresden Weber worked to
establish the supremacy of German opera over the omnipresent Italian opera. In 1826 Weber visited
London on an invitation from the Royal Opera. To the great dismay of the people of Dresden, Weber
died and was interred in London. Eighteen years later the Dresden people brought Weber’s remains
back to his adopted city for a proper “German” ceremony; Richard Wagner composed Trauermusik
(mourning music) for the procession and delivered the eulogy.
Der Freischütz (usually translated as The Marksman) is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three
acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind. Its unearthly portrayal of the
supernatural in the famous Wolf's Glen scene (the finale of Act 2) has been described as "the most
expressive rendering of the gruesome that is to be found in a musical score". The reception of Der
Freischütz surpassed Weber's own hopes and it quickly became an international success, with
productions in many German cities as well as Britain and France. The plot is based on the German folk
legend of the Freischütz and many of its tunes were inspired by German folk music, leading to its
consideration as the first German Romantic opera. In the folk story, the devil grants a marksman seven
magic bullets which will hit without fail whatever object he wishes. In the tales, six of the bullets are
made subservient to the marksman’s will, but the seventh continues to be controlled by the devil
himself. In Weber’s tale, Max is the marksman, who hopes to use the magic bullets to gain the hand of
Agathe in marriage. Unaware of the seventh bullet’s true allegiance, Max nearly kills her and it is only
because of his love for Agathe that she is saved and the true culprit (who gave Max the bullets) killed
instead.