Biography (read more)

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, pianist, and conductor active in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era, born in Eutin and raised itinerantly across German cities before holding successive opera posts in Breslau, Prague, and, from 1817, Dresden, where he directed the court opera. His principal output centers on opera, notably Der Freischütz (1821), Euryanthe (1823), and Oberon (1826), alongside concertos for clarinet, bassoon, and horn, piano works including Invitation to the Dance, and sacred music. Suffering from tuberculosis, he died in his sleep in London in June 1826 at age 39 while overseeing the premiere of Oberon.

Weber is regarded as a founding figure of German Romantic opera, whose use of the orchestra for atmosphere and supernatural effect, and whose fusion of folk-inflected melody with dramatic storytelling in Der Freischütz, established a model that directly shaped the work of Wagner, Marschner, and later German Romantic composers. His piano and concertante works also influenced Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt, and Der Freischütz in particular remains a cornerstone of the German operatic repertoire.

Compare recordings piece by piece — 1 work of Carl Maria von Weber with more than one performance on the site →

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Repertoire

Oberon Overture (excerpt)
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor: III. Rondo (Live/Opus Klassik 2019)

Performed by Andreas Ottensamer

Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48, J. 204: 3. Rondo. Allegro

Performed by Andreas Ottensamer

Oberon: “Ozean, du Ungeheuer!”

Performed by Annette Dasch