Karl Weber’s birthday present - staging of the first surviving opera in Germany

FRYBERG. Karl Weber’s opera Mute Forest Girl on the stage of the oldest city theater two centuries later.

The Dumb Forest Girl (Das stumme Waldmädchen) returned to Freiberg after a two-hundred-year hiatus in November 2015 to the theater founded in 1790. The musical score of Carl Maria von Weber (Carl Maria von Weber) was provided by the Mariinsky Theater Library, which for many years kept a single copy. The history of Das Waldmädchen, as well as the biography of Weber himself, are quite remarkable. Young Karl could well have repeated Mozart’s early rise, if his father were just as consistent not only in the desire to make his son a child prodigy. The violinist, bandmaster, director of the theater group, constantly traveling with performances in Germany, could not give his son a normal education. At different times, his stepbrothers became stepbrother Fridolin, Johann Kalcher, Michael Haydn (brother of Joseph Haydn), and Abbot Georg Vogler.

Poor health and lack of systematic training could not prevent the development of the talent of a young musician. At age 12, the first opera was written, lost during the fire. Chamber compositions and piano sonatas appeared one after another. The second opera, Das Waldmädchen, was very successful. Her production was successful not only in Germany, but also in other countries, including Russia. The opera was brought to St. Petersburg by her librettist Karl von Steinsberg, which allowed her to be preserved for posterity. The original of the score was destroyed after processing it into the heroic Sylvanas. Before the “Free shooter” and “Oberon” a little more than 20 years remained.

The word "dumb" in the name of the opera turned out to be prophetic. Weber’s diverse talents at one point in time intersected at one dramatic point. Karl inherited a magnificent voice from his mother-singer and often performed solo concerts. His other passion was art: oil painting, the creation of lithographs, engraving. Weber’s father decided to correct the financial situation of the family during his life in Breslau by making copper engravings. For these purposes, he kept acid in the bottle in the house. By fateful accident, Karl Maria took a sip from her, deciding that there was wine inside. Timely assistance provided saved a life, but not a voice. Subsequently, he could talk only in a whisper.

And with Mozart, whose likeness Karl was to become, their family nevertheless became related. His cousin Constance in 1782 became the wife of Wolfgang Amadeus.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru