Aufführungsbesprechung London, Royal Opera House: “Oberon, or The Elf King’s Oath” von Carl Maria von Weber, 12. April 1826, UA

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The‡ "New Romantic Fairy Opera," the music by WEBER, the songs and dialogue by PLANCHE, under the title of Oberon: or, the Elk‡-King’s Oath, after a lengthened note of [prepa]ration, was produced last night. The public mind was ex[…]‡ to the "very top of expectation;" and as is usually the […]‡ under such circumstances, if we do not much mistake, the [audi]ence on the whole was somewhat disappointed. On Tuesday night the Theatre was closed, as the bills stated, on ac[count] of "the immense preparations" (a course by no means […]‡ since the days of COLLEY CIBBER, when he remarked […]‡ in his Memoirs), and every thing indicated that a great […]‡ was to be made to delight and astonish. The whole [Theatre], even to the slips above the boxes, was crowded to ex[…]‡ey the first rush; and many hundreds, perhaps thousands, […]‡ of course turned away. Of late the benches of Covent-Garden have been accustomed to no such burden, and in their […]‡ had reason to complain; hitherto complaint has been all […]‡ side of the Managers, while the "seats made holiday," […]‡ most‡ in the mock Romance.

The Germans (of whom WEBER is one) have a pretty con.. if it be not something better, that architecture is frozen […]‡; in other words, what architecture is to the eye music [is to] the ear, and both ought to possess the same harmonious […]‡ection and relation of parts – the same general symmetry, [an]d the same particular proportions. It is in reference to a […]‡g of this kind that MILTON describes the grand structure […]‡ Pandemonium rising out of the earth – "–––––––– with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet."

As there are several orders in architecture and kinds of build[…]‡ there are varieties and degrees in music. We do not […]‡ to be able to decide to what species of structure an […]‡ may be resembled; but certainly Oberon can only be […]‡ d to an edifice upon the most magnificent scale, and with […]‡ ssion of the richest ornament.

The short and modest preface to the songs, we are told by [the au]thor that the opera is founded upon WIELAND’S poem, [and th]at poem upon the old French Romance of Huon de [Bordeaux], in "the famous collection called the Bibliothèque [bleue]." We apprehend that Huon de Bordeaux is not [inclu]ded in that collection; and, if we recollect rightly, […]‡[TRESSAN] so states in his polished, but far less picturesque‡ […]‡ interesting modernization of it. The Romance wae‡ […]‡ed as early as the year 1516, and many times since; […]‡ those who compare WIELAND’S poem with it, will […]‡ it only includes a small portion of the original, and […]‡ the writer had the good taste to follow very faithfully the […]‡s, and almost the language, of the old story. The […]‡e fable‡ and the catastrophe depend upon a magic horn. [Accor]ding to the old Romances of Chivalry, and other autho[…]‡, the magic horns are a very numerous family; and the […]‡erful riddle of the German Tale, in GRIMM’S Collection, […]‡probably a distant relation. VIRGIL, in the middle ages, […]‡ know‡, was considered only a Necromancer, and perhaps […]‡cornu[…]‡urro, with which ALECTO (ÆNEID VII. 513) "Tartaream intendit vocem"

[…]‡ be looked upon as the parent stock; for that given to ALEXANDER the Great, according to WARTON, was of much […]‡ recent date. TURPIN, an Archbishop, and therefore "[…]‡ a saint in lawn‡," assures us, as a fact, that Orlando […]‡ his horn in a conflict with Jatmundus, and DANTE is a […]‡, that he was in truth in possession of it, as the hero […]‡ded it – "Dopo la dolorosa rotta, quando
CARLO MAGNE perdè la santa gesta."

[PULCI], in the close‡ of his Morgante, vouches TURPIN as his authority‡ for the same thing; and hence, also, ARIOSTO borrowed‡ the notion of the horn given to ASTOLPHO by LOGESTYLLA. A living poet, and, what is more, a poet who will live, […]‡tions – "The blast of that dread horn,
On Fontarabian echoes borne,
That‡ to King CHARLES did come."

[And a] dead, living, poet tells us of another of the same kindred, […]‡reperty‡ of King ARTHUR:– "Three miles it might be easy heard around."

[…]‡ was the third‡ horn in the possession of the same hero; […]‡ those who have read the Mort Arthur are aware that […]‡ obliged to "pocket up" two others of a differ[ent] kind‡ indeed, given to him by LANCELOT of the […]‡ But the whole race the horns of ALECTO, ALEXANDER, […]‡, ASTOLPHO, and Prince ARTHUR, were Barthelomew[…]‡ trumpets, compared with the magic horn given by Oberon [to] Huon, which could not only be heard at a distance of cent[ur]ies, but had other properties; such as converting men and [wo]men to stone, sending them to sleep, furnishing them wit‡ ¦ meat and drink, and compelling them to laugh and dance, even against their wills.

It is the less necessary to enter into the plot of the Opera, because that, and that alone, has been anticipated at the rival Theatre: there are indeed variations, such as the omission of all the ludicrous part of the sentence of Charlemagne upon Sir Huon: but we know no reason why mention at least of the Caliph’s beard, his four double teeth, and the mille des plus belles pucelles of the old romance which Sir Huon was to bring back for the amusement of the Emperor, should have been omitted. On the other hand, we do not think the introduction of the wife of the Emir of Tunis any improvement to the story; but her presence might be necessary for the sake of the music, and she is certainly found in the original. The cast of the principal parts was as follows:–

Charlemagne Mr. AUSTIN.

Sir Huon, of Bordeaux Mr. BRAHAM.

Sherasmin, his Squire Mr. FAWCETT.

Haroun Alrashid, Caliph Mr. CHAPMAN.

Babekan, a Saracen Prince Mr. BAKER.

Almansor, Emir of Tunis Mr. COOPER.

Abdallah, Captain of Pirates Mr. HORREBOW.

Hassan Mr. J. ISAACS.

Slave Mr. TINNEY.

Oberon, King of the Fairies Mr. C. BLAND.

Puck Miss H. CAWSK‡.

Reiza, Daughter of Haroun Miss PATON.

Fatima Madame VESTRIS.

Namouna, Fatima’s Grandmother Mrs. DAVENPORT.

Roshana, Wife of Almansor Miss LACY.

Unquestionably the great attraction was the music; and of that we shall now proceed to speak with as much distrust as we ought to feel after listening to it for the first time. WEBER presided in the Orchestra, and was received by the audience on his entrance with vociferous applause, which he duly acknowledged. The Overture (which was encored) opens slowly and beautifully; it afterwards becomes more rapid and vehement, combining the varied powers of all the instruments; but we are decidedly of opinion, that it is inferior to the introduction to the Freischutz, both in the separate parts, and in the general effect. The opening scene is the hall or bower of Oberon, with a chorus of fairies, "the ornaments of light," admirably adapted to it; it is delicate and fanciful, and we only regret that the figurantes (meant to represent aërial beings), tripped about so clumsily as very much to injure the effect. The words of the chorus are these; and it will be seen that the poet has given the musician all the aid he could receive:–
Light as fairy foot can fall,Pace, ye elves, your master’s hall;All too loud the fountains play,All too loud the zephyrs sigh,Chase the noisy gnat away,Keep the bee from humming by.Stretch’d upon his lily bed,Oberon in slumber lies;Sleep at length, her balm hath shedO’er his long unclosed eyes.O may her spell as kindly bringPeace to the heart of our Fairy King !
The first appearance of Reiza is in a vision to Sir Huon, and she there sings an appeal to him, which is extremely touching and animating. Miss PATON gave it in the best style. The grand scena which succeeds is a test of the composer’s powers in the grand, the gay, and the pathetic styles. It could not have been sung better than by BRAHAM, who executed the minor and the major parts of the air with the greatest taset, and the finest expression;‡ he may err now and then in point of taste, to please the galleries, but in expression he has scarcely his equal on the stage. The variety required will be evident from the words of the song:–
O ’tis a glorious sight to seeThe charge of the Christian chivalry,When thundering over the ground they go,Their lances levell’d in long, long row!One shock, and those lances are shiver’d all;But they shiver not in vain–They have raised for the foe a rampart wallWith the bodies of the slain!On they spur over dying and dead–Swords are flashing round ev’ry head;They are raised again, but they glitter no more–Ev’ry blade is dimm’d with gore!The night is done!– The field is won!–Their trumpets startle the sinking sun!As the night winds whirl the red leaves afar,They have scatter’d the might of the Moslemah!Mourn, ye maidens of Palestine,Your lovers lie stark in the cold moonshine!The eyes ye kiss’d ere ye bade them go,Are food for the kite and the hooded crow!Joy to the high-born dame of France!Conquest waits on her warrior’s lance!Joy to the girls of fair Guienne!Their lovers are hast’ning home again!Hark! they come! the brave ones see!Who have humbled the pride of Paynimrie.Twine the wreath, the feast prepare,Fill to the brim the goblet fair;Strike the harp; and loud and highSwell the song of Victory!
The finale to the first act commences with a recitative and air; the one remarkable for the ingenuity of its accompaniments, and the other for the brilliancy of its first movement, and the tenderness of the last. In this Miss PATON again showed the variety and greatness of her powers. The chorus of Slaves in this finale is very singular in its construction; but we confess, that the effect, perhaps from its novelty, was not pleasing. The second act, which is more busy than the first, also opens with a chorus of Slaves; and after a pretty song (as prettily sung), by Madame VESTRIS, as Fatima, we arrive at a quartetto, which is considered, and has been pronounced, the chef d’œuvre of the opera; it is between Sir Huon, Hassan, Reiza, and Fatima. The construction is ingenious, though not complicated, and the melody delightful; the two duets with which it opens are, perhaps, more pleasing than the combination of all four voices, with which it closes; but while it gratifies the profound musician, it delights the most uncultivated auditor, and we have no doubt that it will be extremely popular. In the next scene the painter and mechanist seem to have striven with the composer; and, altogether, they have produced one of the most striking effects we ever witnessed on the stage. Hundreds of antic spirits, of all shapes and complexions, start at once from apertures in the rock, which burst open at the instant. The novelty of this contrivance for a time withdrew attention from the music, which is extremely remarkable and well adapted. Miss PATON’s grand scena opens with a noble recitative. In fact, we think there is no part of WEBER’s music which so obviously distinguishes him from other composers as his recitatives, which, while they preserve the narrative style, are full of variety and vigorous expression. The simile in the second of the following lines is not new, as, probably, Mr. PLANCHE is aware:–
Ocean! thou mighty monster that liest curl’dLike a green serpent round about the world!To musing eye thou art an awful sight,When calmly sleeping in the morning light;But when thou risest in thy wrath, as now,And fling’st thy folds around some fated prow,Crushing the strong-ribb’d bark as ’twere a reed,Then, Ocean, art thou terrible indeed!
The storm in this scene is not so well managed as the returning calm, the breaking out of the watery setting sun, and the appearance of the hazy moon. The air which follows the preceding recitative was approprite‡ to these changes; but although Miss PATON sung it admirably, it did not tell upon audience; it was fatiguing, but not effective. The introduction of a Mermaid (who, by the bye, is neither furnished with a glass nor with a comb – a most heterodox omission), gives the composer an opportunity of introducing a delicate air before the chorus of Fairies, Sea Nymphs, &c. which closes the second act. The third act, though full of business, may be dismissed more briefly. A pretty song by Madame VESTRIS, a mournful cavatina by Miss PATON, a polacca by BRAHAM, and a chorus by nearly all the performers, compose its chief musical materials. We hardly feel bold enough to assert that BRAHAM’s polacca was a failure, but parts of it were to us certainly unpleasant, and the whole composition seemed to indicate that the composer had not well fitted his music to the words: we think in this instance that the author was not very happy, as the reader may judge:–
I revel in hope and joy again;A ray shines over my breaking chain;Beams like a beacon the gloom above,And lights my path to my Lady-love!I feel like a mountain-stream, set freeFrom the stern Frost-spirit’s mastery!Rushing down from its rocky height,Leaping and sparkling in wild delight!I revel in hope and joy again!I seek my love as that stream the main!They shall turn the tide with a silken glove,Ere they bar my way to my Lady-love!
Perhaps our principal reason for thinking, as we stated in the outset, that the audience was a little disappointed, is, that when the curtain fell, the approbation was by no means so rapturous as we had anticipated. It may be very truly remarked, however, that the "English Public" are not esteemed very competent judges; and after the reputation WEBER has acquired in Great Britain and on the Continent, and after all that has recently, and perhaps somewhat injudiciously, been done to increase his fame with a view to this Opera, it is no small praise to be able to state, under the circumstances, that the success of the piece was so great. He is, unquestionably, a composer of very original powers, and deals in what has been justly called, the poetry of music. Each note "breathes the heart of passion." There is certainly not so much music in Oberon which can be strummed on the piano-forte, but after hearing the Freischutz murdered over and over again, by boarding-school misses, the pride and delight of poor mistaken fathers and mothers, we can hardly regret it.

The Performers, no doubt, all did their best, but, with some of them, that best was bad; for instance, Mr. C. BLAND is, by no means, a good representative of Oberon in any respect; his voice and person are alike vulgar – though the last is better than the first. He was entrusted with the first air of the Opera, and he did it nothing like justice. Why should not DURUSET have played the part? We do not think it would have been any great degradation of his musical talents for him to have undertaken it. In the old French Romance, Oberon actually relinquishes his crown in favour of Sir Huon, and why should not Mr. BLAND be prevailed upon to do so in favour of Mr. DURUSET? Mr. COOPER, as the Emir of Tunis, was much too vehement and sonorous in the delivery of the part of the dialogue put into his mouth, while Mr. CHAPMAN, as the Caliph of Bagdad (who, by prescription, we suppose, is always named Haroun al-Raschid, as if there never had been any other), could scarcely be heard at all. However, what he said was of little import. Several other inferior parts were not by any means well filled, and Miss H. CAWSE went through her character with less spirit than it certainly required. Miss PATON did full justice to every thing assigned to her, whether dialogue or music. There is always great propriety about her manner of speaking, and less languor and indifference than usually belongs to singers. In some passages requiring strong emphasis, she was unusually spirited, and gave full effect to every word. The same praise can by no means be given to BRAHAM, although it was evident that he exerted himself to do his utmost. When singing, his expression and altitudes are almost faultless, but when speaking, he possesses nothing like power or passion, the moment the Orchestra ceases to play, he almost ceases to live, and becomes very nearly inanimate. It is a greater misfortune in this Opera than perhaps in any other, that he is not six feet high. A hero, the Paladin of France, ought never to be below that stature, and when he has to carry Miss PATON off the stage, in the opening of the Second Act, his efforts are almost ludicrous. Madame VESTRIS, as Fatima, ¦ deserves distinct notice; we have already praised her singing, though, we believe, we have hardly said enough of the exquisite manner in which she gave the playful song which opens the Third Act. Her performance throughout was quite as good as her singing – both excellent. FAWCETT had a good deal to do, but his part is rather dull and heavy, and all his efforts could not lighten it. His jokes would have told better, perhaps, if he had been more perfect in his part.

The scenery is extremely beautiful; it displays a great deal of happy invention, especially in Messrs. GRIEVE. The view of the port of Ascalon is one of the most grand and picturesque representations we ever saw. The distant view of Bagdad is also excellent. The scenes of the interior of palaces are splendid beyond description, while the colouring is so judiciously laid on, that the most gaudy scene is rich without being offensive to the eye. The hall and gallery in Almanzor’s palace, is a beautiful piece of eastern architecture. The sun-set, twilight, star-light, and moon-light in the seaview are managed with great skill; but the storm is not well done, and the rolling of the sea reminds us too much of the skaking of a large carpet by a person who has hold of one corner of it. The glitter of the last scene, the Hall of Arms in the palace of Charlemagne, is chiefly produced by the flashing of polished armour of all kinds – We apprehend that the exquisitely painted windows are an anachronism. The costume of all the characters is probably more rich and varied than any hitherto brought upon the stage.

After the curtain fell a faint cry was raised for WEBER, who had retired from the orchestra. It increased, & at last became so general that the composer was obliged to make his appearance on the stage. He was led on by FAWCETT, but could be prevailed on to come no further than the corner, where he stood bowing for about a minute, in obvious confusion at the painful novelty of his situation. He retired the instant he could do so with decency. Surely the public might have spared this infliction, and testified their applause without making a bashful man of genius pay so dearly for it.

Aufführungsbesprechung London, Royal Opera House: “Oberon, or The Elf King’s Oath” von Carl Maria von Weber, 12. April 1826, UA

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Charlemagne	Mr. AUSTIN.
Sir Huon, of Bordeaux	Mr. BRAHAM.
Sherasmin, his Squire	Mr. FAWCETT.
Haroun Alrashid, Caliph	Mr. CHAPMAN.
Babekan, a Saracen Prince	Mr. BAKER.
Almansor, Emir of Tunis	Mr. COOPER.
Abdallah, Captain of Pirates	Mr. HORREBOW.
Hassan	Mr. J. ISAACS.
Slave	Mr. TINNEY.
Oberon, King of the Fairies	Mr. C. BLAND.
Puck	Miss H. CAWSK‡.
Reiza, Daughter of Haroun	Miss PATON.
Fatima	Madame VESTRIS.
Namouna, Fatima’s Grandmother	Mrs. DAVENPORT.
Roshana, Wife of Almansor	Miss LACY.