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The life of Carl Maria von Weber was
tinged in its earlier years with
the romance that seemed to pervade all phases of life in his native
country. Germany had just passed through one of her rare but regular
periods of national awakening, and every one was full of a keen spirit
of patriotic originality in life, letters, and art, as well as in
music.
Gifted with unusual talents, trained in the paternal hope of his
becoming a boy prodigy like Mozart, and urged by the need of making his
own career, he soon made a name for himself by his personal charms as
well as his talents. A welcome guest in the homes of aristocracy and
cultivation, he possessed a roving disposition and a spirit of
adventure
that made his life not unlike that of the early Troubadours.
It was in Vienna that he met his future
wife. Being given charge of the
opera at Prague, he journeyed to the Austrian capital for the purpose
of
engaging singers, and among them brought back the talented Caroline
Brandt. He soon wished to enter into closer relations with this singer,
but found obstacles in the way of
marriage. She was unwilling to
sacrifice at once a career that was winning her many laurels, and she
did not wholly approve of the wandering life that the gifted young
manager had led up to the time of their meeting. We find him
discontented with this situation, and travelling about in search of a
better and more important post; and during one of these trips he
received a letter from Caroline, saying that they had better part. This
brought forth the accusation from the embittered Weber that "Her views
of high art were not above the usual pitiful standard, namely, that it
was but a means of procuring soup, meat, and shirts." There can be no
doubt, however, that her influence was of the utmost value in steadying
his efforts.
When Weber was once back in Prague, her
real love for him overcame all
scruples, and she showed herself ready to wait until he should attain a
post of sufficient value to permit their marriage. After putting the
Prague opera on a stable basis, he looked about for a long time in
vain,
until finally he obtained a life position as conductor in Dresden. At
last he was able to return to Prague and marry his faithful Caroline,
with the certainty of being able to provide her a home. The newly
wedded
pair made a triumphant concert tour, and settled down to a life of
domestic felicity in Dresden. It can hardly be said that Weber lived
happily ever afterward, for he found many troubles in connection with
his new post. But his married life was such a constant source of joy to
him that he felt always inspired with fresh energy to overcome all
difficulties. It was during his married career that he won those
immense
popular successes, with "Der Freischütz," "Euryanthe," and
"Oberon,"
that gave the most brilliant lustre to a name already immortal. The
last
opera took him to London, away from his beloved family. Aware of his
failing health, he made every effort to reach home, but that boon was
denied him, and he died without another view of those who would have
been anxious to soothe his last moments.
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