Carl Maria (Friedrich Ernst Freiherr) von Weber (November 18, 1786 in Eutin/Germany
- June 5, 1826 in London) was a German composer and key figure in the early
Romantic period. He is considered to be the founder of German Romantic
opera. He experienced a restless and fidgety youth. Mozart's youth traveled pale against that.
Von Weber started with piano lessons in 1792, and, in 1797, musical theory with the great Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). The first composition Six Fughetten has been published in 1798.
Invitation to a dance (1819) and the Concert for piano and orchestra (1821) became concessions of arising "program music", the difference to "absolute music".
A child prodigy, and touring piano virtuoso as a boy, Weber grew
up in a musical family. From an early age, he had a fascination for
opera. His major operas are Der Freischütz (1821), Euryanthe (1823), and Oberon (1826). Weber died in London of consumption less than two months after the premiere of Oberon. When his body was finally returned to Germany for burial, the eulogy was delivered by Richard Wagner.
