Bemerkungen über den künstlerischen Wert von “Oberon” und “Der Freischütz” von Carl Maria von Weber anlässlich einer Benefizvorstellung des “Oberon” am 17. Juni, London Juli 1826

NOTES ON THE MONTH.

Weber.- On occasion of the death of this composer, the proprietors of Covent Garden issued a notice that, "anxious to give his survivors, (that is to say, all the rest of this breathing world) the advantage of the benefit intended for Weber, his last Opera of Oberon should be performed on Saturday June 17." This notice is abundantly absurd – but we quote it less for the sake of amusing our readers, than of expressing our regret, that the house was not by any means full; so that Weber’s wife and family, who are evidently meant by the singular phrase of "his survivors," we fear will have gained nothing by the exhibition. The fact is, that Weber was greatly overrated before his arrival in this country, and he was as undeservedly greatly under-rated‡ before his death in it: people, however unreasonably, always expect a man of talent in all cases to surpass his last work, and if he falls below the level of his first, the disappointment is proportionate, and the recoil certain and powerful. The Oberon of Weber turned out a signal failure, and was, after a few unsuccessful repetitions, withdrawn from the stage. The music was found to be common-place in the extreme – as insufferable as Bishop’s worst, or Braham’s best. Even the Freischütz was a secondary opera, and utterly unworthy to be ranked in the same class with even the middling operas of Rossini, to say nothing of the loftier efforts of his muse. As to Oberon, it is just as much beneath even Weber’s secondary operas, as they are inferior to the Freischütz. This gradation of failures has given rise to numerous stories, and among the rest, to a report that Weber did not compose, but bought that great muscial work of the real author. We merely allude to this story as one of the on dits of the day, or rather of the month: for the supposition is preposterous. If the Freischütz had really been the first work of some unknown master, we should soon have had another from | his pen; or even, to speak musically, a score. Such a genius must have been speedily déterré, by means of new works, or else he must have been, what it is as easy to suppose of Weber, a man of one opera. Why should there not be men of one opera as well as men of one book? a class, by the way, on whose singular performances Mr. D’Israeli has written an amusing essay. [See his Curiosities.] Another story connected with the Freischütz is, that Weber disposed of the copy-right of that fine opera in discharge of an inconsiderable debt. If the fact be so, it is a lamentable one: and it may fairly be said, that if Weber gained credit with an individual by his first opera, he has lost it with the public by his last. There must have been some suspicions about the merits of Oberon in the mind of the Covent Garden proprietors, for they are said to have refused to allow the music to be seen or heard by the music-sellers, who have purchased it for eight hundred pounds!

While we are on the subject of operas, we may quote a caustic saying which is now going about town, and ascribed to a high musical authority. Bishop’s Aladdin was produced to rival Oberon, and fairly rivalled it, in its failure. Some one asked Sir –––– if he had seen Bishop’s last opera? “No,” said Sir ––––; "but if you can assure me that it is his last, I shall see it with pleasure."

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