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[[Image:Weber.jpg|left|140px]]

[[Image:Weber.jpg|left|140px]]

'''Carl Maria von Weber''' (1786-1826), [[German]] composer, is considered to be the first writer of romantic opera, and the founder of a national German style of opera that would find its greatest expression in the music-dramas of [[Richard Wagner]].

'''Carl Maria von Weber''' (1786-1826), [[German]] composer, is considered to be the first writer of romantic opera, and the founder of a national German style of opera that moved away from the [[French]] and [[Italian]] styles of the day and would find its greatest expression in the music-dramas of [[Richard Wagner]].

He first studied under [[Joseph Haydn]]’s brother, Michael, and elsewhere, and worked in various places in [[Germany]] before settling in [[Prague]] as opera director. His 1811 opera “''Abu Hassan''” had met with some success. In Prague, he reorganised the company in practical ways and in its program to reflect his developing German musical nationalism.nationalism. He was appointed ''kapellmeister'' at [[Dresden]] in 1817 and, three years later, his most popular work “''Der Freishütz''”, was performed in [[Berlin]] to critical and popular acclaim.

He first studied under [[Joseph Haydn]]’s brother, Michael, and elsewhere, and worked in various places in [[Germany]] before settling in [[Prague]] as opera director. His 1811 opera “''Abu Hassan''” had met with some success. In [[Prague]], he reorganised the company in practical ways and in its program to reflect his developing German musical nationalism.nationalism. He was appointed ''kapellmeister'' at [[Dresden]] in 1817 and, three years later, his most popular work “''Der Freishütz''”, was performed in [[Berlin]] to critical and popular acclaim.

“''Der Freishütz''” was a German tale, sung in German, with German costume and stage settings, with German folk elements in its tunes, and thoroughly romantic in its musical forms and its treatment of the supernatural elements in the story. Its success was international (including in [[New York]] in 1825) and led to commissions from [[Vienna]] for “''Euryanthe''” (1823) and [[London]] for “''Oberon''”. Both were successes and remain so today.  

“''Der Freishütz''” was a German tale, sung in German, with German costume and stage settings, with German folk elements in its tunes, and thoroughly romantic in its musical forms and its treatment of the supernatural elements in the story. Its success was international (including in [[New York]] in 1825) and led to commissions from [[Vienna]] for “''Euryanthe''” (1823) and [[London]] for “''Oberon''”. Both were successes and remain so today.