Carl Maria von Weber: biography, interesting facts, creativity

Carl Maria von Weber

"A talented person is talented in everything" - this expression can rightly be attributed to Karl Weber. He was not only a famous writer, performer and conductor, but also showed outstanding organizational skills and leadership talent. Were it not for Weber the musician, we would surely know Weber the writer or Weber the painter today, since in these areas of art he too proved to be very successful. But the love of music inherited from her parents determined the course of life of Karl Maria.

A brief biography of Carl Maria von Weber and many interesting facts about the composer read on our page.

Weber's brief biography

The head of the family, in which Karl Maria Friedrich von Weber was born, Franz Anton Weber, was married a second time and had a total of ten children. He served in the infantry, but so carried away by the music that he left the service for the post of conductor and entrepreneur of the theater troupe, associated with constant tours and crossings. Karl was born on December 18, 1786 in the German city of Eitin, and during his childhood years he traveled with his parents to a significant part of the cities of Germany. His father, who played many instruments, and his mother-singer paid special attention to the development of his musical abilities, and in every new, albeit temporary, place of residence found for him the best teachers.

From the biography of Weber, we learn that after the death of his mother, Karl and his father, who had high hopes for his son’s musical abilities, moved to the sister of Franz Anton in Munich. The efforts of his family and the unique abilities of Charles soon bore fruit: at the age of ten he tried himself in composition, and in 1798 he created the first full-fledged works. Weber's mentors at that time were I. Wallishaus, I. Calher. Unfortunately, the debut work entitled "The Power of Love and Wine" was lost.

In 1799, the opera Lesnaya Polyana was created, and the following year Karl stops in Salzburg, where he again takes lessons from Michael Haydn, brother of the famous composer. His positive evaluation of the first experiences of Karl gave the young man faith in their own strength, and soon a few more works appeared, including the opera Peter Schmoll and his neighbors. So without waiting for her production, Weber and his father go on a concert tour, during which Karl amazes the audience with his virtuoso playing, which is the result of long sessions.

In 1803, Karl Weber moved to Vienna. Musical studies continued under the direction of Abbot Vogler, who paid special attention to the study of the theory of music, bringing the musical mastery of the young Weber to perfection. After a year of hard work, Vogler gave the 17-year-old musician a ticket to adulthood: on his recommendation, Karl was accepted as a conductor in the opera house in Breslau.

Theater in the life of the composer

Working in opera houses, first in Breslau, and then in Prague, Weber discovered new facets of his talent. He was an excellent conductor, but, besides this, he also showed himself to be a reformer of musical and theatrical traditions. From the first days, Weber began to put into practice his own ideas about how the musicians should be placed in the orchestra. He placed them by type of instrument, which at that time was quite bold, but already in the 19th century it became customary for all opera houses. In addition, Weber actively intervened in the process of rehearsals, demanding separate classes for learning new parties and master runs. The innovations of the young bandmaster met with misunderstanding on the part of experienced musicians, but Weber had the confidence and strength to defend his point of view.

Life and work in Breslavl forced to get into big debts, from which the composer ran into another tour. Thanks to a happy occasion, he gets the post of musical director of the castle Karlsruhe in the duchy of Württemberg. In this short period, the composer creates symphonies and concertina for trumpet. The new place of service, the Duke’s personal secretary, was not the best solution. Weber only aggravated his financial situation with new debts, and was soon expelled from Württemberg. Weber's wanderings continued, he visited Mannheim, Heidelberg, Darmstadt. In Frankfurt, the opera Silvana was staged. It was a fairly successful period - in every city Karl was expected to be universally recognized, and he continued to tour for several years, until he received an offer to become the head of the theater in Prague. However, Weber was not able to fully enjoy the freedom granted to him in productions: in January 1812 he was overtaken by lung disease, and since then his condition has only worsened.

The segment of life that Weber associated with the theater largely determined the main features of his further creative activity, shaped the taste and style of the composer. It was a very fruitful time, which gave many significant works to world art.

The last period of life

According to Weber’s biography in 1817, Karl holds the position of conductor in the Dresden Opera House. Here his reformist moods faced more serious resistance, since at that time Italian traditions occupied a dominant place in the opera. Weber came to promote German opera by talented German artists. Overcoming the dissatisfaction of even the court circles, Weber nevertheless gathered a new troupe, and successfully staged several bright performances.

In the Dresden period, Weber creates his best works that glorify him. This is an operaFree shooter"," Troy Pinto "," Euryanthe. "The first one marked the beginning of a new period in the development of German opera as a whole, and its premiere, held on June 18, 1821, made Weber a national hero.

The Euryant, written and staged in 1823, did not receive high praise from the public, although it was no less a bright point of Weber's work.

In 1826, Weber creates the opera Oberon. But it was not the fruit of a creative impulse, but a cold calculation: the composer foresaw his quick demise, and wrote it to leave the family a livelihood. The premiere of "Oberon" Weber visited already being seriously ill. He died on June 5, 1826.

Interesting Facts

• Karl Weber was a relative of Mozart himself: his cousin, his father's niece, married a great composer. It was the example of Mozart that prompted Franz Weber to raise one of his children as an outstanding musician, to which he dedicated his whole life.

• If Weber were not engaged in music, it is likely that the world would still hear about him as an artist: in his youth, Karl demonstrated outstanding ability to painting.
• The opera The Power of Love and Wine, created by a 12-year-old composer, has been lost forever: by a strange coincidence, in the house of Weber the cabinet in which Karl kept his work burned down. Desperate, the young man took it as a certain promise from above that he should not play music. However, the subsequent successful productions of his operas convinced Karl of the opposite, and he ceased to believe in any "heavenly signs" for ever.
• The composer’s father, who considered helping his son to be the main business of his life, almost became the culprit of the musician’s untimely death. In order to somehow pay off with numerous debts, Franz took up engraving. One day Karl, without checking the contents of the bottle, took a decent sip of acid. Fortunately, there was a close friend of the musician who called the doctor. Acid managed to burn his throat, and Weber lost his beautiful voice forever, speaking only in a whisper.

• Weber had strained relations with the composer Rossini, whose fame was also gaining momentum at the time. Carl did not miss the opportunity to let go of the barrage against Rossini, and even on his own portrait in engraving he ordered to write: "Weber expresses the will of God, Beethoven - Beethoven's will, and Rossini - the will of the Viennese
• Karl Weber always loved animals, and in his own home there were always a few beloved pets: a cat, a dog, a monkey, and many birds, including the crow. On one of the birthdays of the composer, Carolina Brandt prepared a surprise for her husband: all the animals were dressed in funny carnival costumes, and early in the morning they started up the musician in the room. Weber was happy, like a child, for a time having forgotten about all the troubles and even about the disease that was at that moment in the acute stage.
• The composer was distinguished by self-love, reaching the point that he himself wrote critical notes about his works and sent them to Parisian journals anonymously or under pseudonyms. Articles were published, Weber was talked about, but no one guessed that it was the musician himself who creates glory for himself.

Personal life

From his youth, Karl Weber easily conquered women's hearts: a series of his turbulent novels originated in the Breslavl Opera. But only one woman became his true love for life. During the preparation for the premiere of the opera "Silvana", the musician met Caroline Brandt, the performer of the main part. The outbreak of feelings inspired the composer to create new works, and Caroline began to accompany her lover in all his tours. Their novel was not without loud quarrels - Karl was still popular with theatrical divas, and could not always resist the passion.

Not the most pleasant circumstances contributed to the final reunion with Caroline: after another complication, Weber went to a spa treatment. Separation and frequent correspondence renewed feelings. In November 1816, Karl made a proposal to Caroline, and the high society found out about their engagement. A new stage in personal relationships creates a new creative breakthrough. In a short time, Weber writes several wonderful musical compositions for various instruments.

Biography Weber says that the wedding with Caroline Brandt took place a year after the engagement, when Karl found his place in Dresden. Caroline's pregnancy was not resolved in the best way: the newborn girl died, not even a year. At this time, Karl himself almost fell. Heavy events drove the composer into a deep depression, he barely had time to complete the royal orders, and his wife's health left much to be desired. The miscarriage that occurred in 1820 again shook the composer’s already fragile health and the well-being of his family. Subsequently, Caroline still recovered and bore Weber four children, three of whom Weber, without false modesty, gave names that are consonant with his and his wife's name.

Weber music in movies

• "45 years" (2015);
• "Mr. Robot" (2015);
• "1+1" (2011);
• "Underground Empire" (2010);
• Raymond's Export (2010);
• Skins (2008);
• "Game Plan" (2007);
• "The diaries of Vaclav Nijinsky" (2001);
• "Star Status" (2000);
• Illustration "Sponge Bob Square Pants" (1999);
• "Reception" (1997);
• Poison Ivy 2 (1996);
• The Magic Shooter (1994);
• “Second Screen” (1993);
• "Red squirrel" (1993);
• The Final (1990);
• "White Palace" (1990);
• "Happy times" (1952).

The value of Weber in the history of world classical music is quite large. In addition to remarkable talent and diligence, this man also had a strong character, because he alone managed to reform the theater orchestra, canceling the age-old traditions and overcoming the resistance of authoritative artists of that time. Weber laid the foundations of romanticism in music, brought the German national opera to a new level, became an example and an idol for future composers. His death at a young age interrupted a series of brilliant works, possibly depriving the musical world of more than one beautiful example of a romantic opera.