The opera of "Preciosa," also a masterpiece, was given shortly after
with great _éclat_, though it failed to inspire the deep enthusiasm
which greeted "Der Freischütz." In 1823, "Euryanthe" was produced in
Berlin--a work on which Weber exhausted all the treasures of his
musical genius. Without the elements of popular success which made his
first great opera such an immediate favourite, it shows the most
finished and scholarly work which Weber ever attained. Its symmetry
and completeness, the elaboration of all the forms, the richness and
variety of the orchestration, bear witness to the long and thoughtful
labour expended on it. It gradually won its way to popular
recognition, and has always remained one of the favourite works of the
German stage.
The opera of "Oberon" was Weber's last great production. The
celebrated poet Wieland composed the poem underlying the libretto,
from the mediæval romance of Huon of Bordeaux. The scenes are laid in
fairy-land, and it may be almost called a German "Midsummer-Night's
Dream," though the story differs widely from the charming phantasy of
our own Shakespeare. The opera of "Oberon" was written for Kemble, of
the Covent Garden theatre, in London, and was produced by Weber under
circumstances of failing health and great mental depression. The
composer pressed every energy to the utmost to meet his engagement,
and it was feared by his friends that he would not live to see it put
on the stage. It did, indeed, prove the song of the dying swan, for he
only lived four months after reaching London. "Oberon" was performed
with immense success under the direction of Sir George Smart, and the
fading days of the author were cheered by the acclamations of the
English public; but the work cost him his life. He died in London,
June 5, 1826. His last words were--"God reward you for all your
kindness to me.--Now let me sleep."
Apart from his dramatic compositions, Weber is known for his many
beautiful overtures and symphonies for the orchestra, and his various
works for the piano, from sonatas to waltzes and minuets. Among his
most pleasing piano-works are the "Invitation to the Waltz," the
"Perpetual Rondo," and the "Polonaise in E major." Many of his songs
rank among the finest German lyrics. He would have been recognised as
an able composer had he not produced great operas; but the superior
excellence of these cast all his other compositions in the shade.
Weber was fortunate in having gifted poets to write his dramas. As
rich as he was in melodic affluence, his creative faculty seems to
have had its tap-root in deep personal feelings and enthusiasms. One
of the most poetic and picturesque of composers, he needed a powerful
exterior suggestion to give his genius wings and fire. The Germany of
his time was alive with patriotic ardour, and the existence of the
nation gathered from its emergencies new strength and force. The heart
of Weber beat strong with the popular life. Romantic and serious in
his taste, his imagination fed on old German tradition and song, and
drew from them its richest food. The whole life of the Fatherland,
with its glow of love for home, its keen sympathies with the
influences of Nature, its fantastic play of thought, its tendency to
embody the primitive forces in weird myths, found in Weber an eloquent
exponent; and we perceive in his music all the colour and vividness of
these influences.
Weber's love of Nature was singularly keen. The woods, the mountains,
the lakes, and the streams, spoke to his soul with voices full of
meaning. He excelled in making these voices speak and sing; and he
may, therefore, be entitled the father of the romantic and descriptive
school in German operatic music. With more breadth and robustness, he
expressed the national feelings of his people, even as Chopin did
those of dying Poland. Weber's motives are generally caught from the
immemorial airs which resound in every village and hamlet, and the
fresh beat of the German heart sends its thrill through almost every
bar of his music. Here is found the ultimate significance of his
art-work, apart from the mere musical beauty of his compositions.
_MENDELSSOHN._