Happy Birthday Carl Maria von Weber

Today, November 18, 2022, would be the 236th birthday of the German composer/conductor/musician, Carl Maria von Weber.

“This from Brittanica-bio: Carl Maria von Weber: “… born Nov. 18, 1786 in Eutin, Germany, died June 5, 1826 in London, England, German composer and opera director during the transition from Classical to Romantic music, noted especially for his operas Der Freischütz (1821); Euryanthe (1823), and Oberon (1826). Der Freischütz, the most immediately and widely popular German opera that had been written to date, established German Romantic opera.”

Also from the von Weber bio: “The clarinet remained, with the horn, one of the favorite instruments of a composer whose ear for new sounds and new combinations of instruments was to make him one of the greatest orchestraters in the history of music. Weber was also one of music’s great piano virtuosos.”

“…In all, he [Carl Maria von Weber] was to write six clarinet works for [clarinet virtuoso Heinrich] Bärmann.”

Carl Maria von Weber was appointed opera director at Prague in 1813 and as director of the German opera in Dresden in 1817.

” [von Weber] traveled to London for the premiere [of his opera Oberon] in 1826. Barely able to walk [as he suffered from tuberculosis], he was sustained by the kindness of his host, Sir George Smart, and by the longing to get home again to his family. Oberon was a success and Weber was feted, but his health was declining fast. Shortly before he was due to start the journey back to Germany, he was found dead in his room.”

We have been blessed to some beautiful melodic music, especially from von Weber’s operas/overtures and other symphonic orchestrations, piano, and clarinet works.

On this Carl Maria von Weber’s 236th birthday, please turn up the volume and enjoy some of his melodic music:

Clarinet Concerto #1 in F minor: