Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/409

WEBER. and which formed a ruinous exhibition of dissolute life for so young a man. His natural tendency to dissipation and gaiety was fostered by this immoral life, all the more because his title of Freiherr at once gained him admittance to the circles of the corrupt young nobility. Thus involved he lost sight of his own proper life-object—music, or like a mere dilettante, treated his art as an amusement. He had besides, great social gifts, and was always a welcome guest. He ran great risk of giving up all serious effort, and yet it was indispensable to him, on account of his irregular and defective training. It is not to be wondered at that a sterling artist like Spohr, who knew him in Stuttgart, should have formed a low, or wholly unfavourable, impression of his artistic powers. It was only genius of a high order, and a conscientious nature such as his was at bottom, that enabled him to raise himself at last to his present lofty position.

Stuttgart abounded in opportunities for improving his general cultivation, and procuring fresh nutriment for his active and receptive mind. He made acquaintance with the principal authors, artists, and scientific men of the place. Hauy and Reinbeck, Dannecker and Hötsch, J. C. Schwab, Spittler, and Lehr, all enjoyed intercourse with so agreeable a youth. Lehr, the court-librarian, opened to him the treasures of the royal collection of books, among which Weber's preference was for philosophical works. He read Wolf, Kant, and Schelling, with attention and profit, and formed on them his own modes of thinking and expressing himself.

His great gift for music naturally became known, and Duke Ludwig made him music-master to his children. The Capellmeister of the opera (from 1807) was Franz Danzi, a melodious composer, an excellent cellist, and sociable, though of regular life. Though twenty-three years older than Weber, he speedily formed an intimacy with him, and tried to exercise a calming and restraining influence over him, while both by precept and example he was of great service to him in his art. His friendship with Danzi brought Weber into connection with the company of the Stuttgart court-theatre, a circumstance which, while it stimulated him to fresh dramatic production, involved him in the loose life of a Bohemian set. A violent reciprocal attachment for the singer Margarethe Lang led him into all sorts of follies, causing him to neglect cultivated and intellectual society, and ruining him financially. Another personage of importance in his artistic career was Franz Carl Hiemer, the dramatic author. Both he and Weber belonged to a society of lively young men, who called themselves 'Faust's Höllenfahrt.' Each member assumed a special name; the president, a Dr. Kellin, was 'Dr. Faust,' Hiemer 'Reimwol,' Weber 'Krautsalat,' and Danzi, who had been persuaded to join, 'Rapunzel.' Among Weber's papers was found a comic musical epistle, 'from Krautsalat to Rapunzel,' which gives a striking picture of his irrepressible spirits in such society. Hiemer had had some previous success as a librettist, and undertook to write a romantico-comic opera for him. 'Das Waldmädchen' was the subject chosen, and Hiemer seems to have adhered pretty closely to Steinsberg's book, which Weber had set in Freiberg. The new work, 'Silvana' by name, seems to have made slow progress amid the distractions of Weber's life. It was begun, as far as can be ascertained, on July 18, 1808, and finished Feb. 23, 1810.

Through Danzi's intervention the opera was accepted for the court-theatre, and was about to be put into rehearsal, when an incident, to be related shortly, ruined all. Whilst busy with his opera, Weber composed, what under the circumstances must be considered a large number of other works—a strong proof of the increasing force of his productive power. The most important was 'Der erste Ton,' a poem by Rochlitz, for declamation, with orchestra and concluding chorus. He remodelled the overture to 'Peter Schmoll,' and published it as a separate work; also the 'Overtura Chinesa,' which was made to serve as the introduction to 'Turandot,' a play by Gozzi and Schiller, for which he also wrote six short incidental pieces. Of PF. music, by far the most important piece is the Polonaise in E♭, op. 21, completed June 4, 1808, at Ludwigsburg, and dedicated to Margarethe Lang. With her too are connected the 'Variations on an original theme,' op. 9; the clever 'Momento capriccioso,' op. 12, and the charming 'Six pièces pour le pianoforte à quatre mains' (Nov. 27, 1809). His solitary PF. quartet (in B♭) was also of this period, as well as the 'Variations for PF. and violin on a Norwegian theme,' an 'Andante and Rondo Ungarese' for viola and orchestra, not published in this form, a Potpourri for cello and orchestra, and thirteen Lieder with accompaniment, several of which are of perfect beauty.

King Frederic lived on bad terms with his brother, Duke Ludwig, whose frivolity and extravagance were specially irritating, as the king had several times had to extricate him from his embarrassments for the sake of the family honour. His displeasure also descended on the Duke's secretary, who generally had the unpleasant task of informing the king of his brother's difficulties. On these occasions the King would load the unfortunate Weber with most unkingly abuse. This roused Weber's bold and haughty spirit, and led him to revenge himself by various little spiteful tricks. On leaving the Cabinet in a great rage after one of these violent scenes, he met an old woman in the corridor who asked him for the laundress's room; 'There,' said Weber, pointing to the door of the king's apartments, 'the royal laundress lives in there,' and went off. The woman went