Ds Mirore 211.
London Dec. 15th, 1826 Pub.ᵈ by J. Linibird, 143 Strand. Printed et Pub.ᵈ by Engelmann Graf Coindeta Cᵒ. 66 St. Martins Lane Strand.
It was when Romanticism became militant that it fired the heart of Weber and enlisted him as a soldier. In Berlin Brentano offered him the subject of "Tannhäuser" for treatment. He had considered the story of "Der Freischütz" as far back as 1810. He was not ready for such work until he had fought the fight for a German operatic institution in Prague and in Dresden. In one respect the conditions were more favorable in the Bohemian capital than in the Saxon. In the former it was chiefly indifference and ignorance with which he had to contend; in the latter the patriotic fires which might have been helpful were buried under the ashes of hatred of Prussia. The splendid Teutonism of Weber was tolerated with ill grace, and the intrigues of his associate Morlacchi, at the head of the Italian opera, were permitted to make fourfold more difficult the stupendous task of building up a German opera in a city that had always been dominated by Italian influences in art. It was four years before Weber could take the step which to us looks like an appeal from the Saxon court to the German people. The case was that of "Der Freischütz" against the Italian régime, and it was tried and won on June 18, 1821, in the new opera house in Berlin.
The Italian régime was maintained in Dresden through the efforts of the conductor of the Italian Opera, Morlacchi, the concert-master Polledro, the church composer Schubert, and Count von Einsiedel, Cabinet Minister. The efforts of these men placed innumerable obstacles in Weber's path and their influence heaped humiliations upon him. Confidence alone in the ultimate success of his efforts to regenerate the lyric drama sustained him in his trials. Against the merely sensuous charm of suave melody and lovely singing he opposed truthfulness of feeling and conscientious endeavor for the attainment of a perfect ensemble. Here his powers of organization, trained by his experience in Prague, his perfect knowledge of the stage imbibed with his mother's milk, and his unquenchable zeal gave him amazing puissance. Thoroughness was his watchword. He put aside the old custom of conducting while seated at the pianoforte and appeared before his players with a bâton. He was an inspiration, not a figure-head. His mind and his emotions dominated theirs and were published in the performance. He raised the standard of the chorus, stimulated the actors, inspected the stage-furnishings and costumes and stamped harmony of feeling, harmony of understanding, harmony of efforts upon the first work undertaken—a performance of Méhul's "Joseph in Egypt." Nor did he confine his educational efforts to the people of the theatre. He continued in Dresden the plan first put into practice by him in Prague of printing articles about new operas in the newspapers to stimulate public appreciation of their characteristics and beauties. For a while the work of organization checked his creative energies, but when his duties touching new music for court or church functions gave him the opportunity he wrote with undiminished energy. His masses in E-flat and G were thus called forth, and his "Jubilee Cantata," the overture to which, composed later, is now a universal possession.
The year which gave him his wife also gave him the opera book with the composition of which it was destined he should crown his career as a National composer. Apel's "Gespensterbuch" had fallen into his hands seven years before, and he had marked the story of "Der Freischütz" for treatment. His mind reverted to it again in the spring of 1817. Friederich Kind agreed to write the book and placed it complete in his hands on March 1st, nine days after he had undertaken the commission. Weber's enthusiasm was great, but circumstances prevented him from devoting much time to the composition of the opera. He wrote the first of its music in July, 1817, but did not complete it till May 13, 1820. It was in his mind during all this period, however, and would doubtless have been finished much earlier had he received an order to write an opera from the Saxon court. In this expectation he was disappointed, and the honor of having encouraged the production of the most national opera ever written went to Berlin, where the patriotism which had been warmed by Weber's settings of Körner's songs was still ablaze and where Count Brühl's plans were discussing to bring him to the Prussian capital as Capellmeister. The opera was given under circumstances that produced intense excitement in the minds of Weber's friends. It was felt that the patriotic interest which the name and presence of Körner's collaborator aroused would not alone suffice to achieve a real triumph for a work of art. The sympathies of the musical areopagus of Berlin were not with Weber or his work,—neither before nor after the first performance; but Weber spoke to the popular heart and its quick responsive throb lifted him at once to the crest of the wave which soon deluged all Germany. The overture had to be repeated to still the applause that followed its first performance, and when the curtain fell on the last scene a new chapter in German art had been opened.
THE OLD MARKET SQUARE IN DRESDEN—From a photograph.
The house bearing sign on roof "RENNER" bears this inscription—"Hier schrieb 1819—C. M. von Weber—Der Freischütz."—(Here C. M. von Weber wrote 1819 "Der Freischütz.")