Скачать или смотреть Weber: Euryanthe Overture | Sir John Eliot Gardiner & the London Symphony Orchestra

His music enthused opera fans, but the libretto faced ridicule. Carl Maria von Weber experienced some initial challenges with his opera “Euryanthe,” which premiered in 1823. However, the opera's overture has remained a popular concert piece to this day. Here it is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner. The concert took place in February 2019 at the Barbican Centre in London.

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) was frustrated with the text of his opera "Euryanthe," a grand romantic work in three acts dedicated to Emperor Franz I of Austria. Unable to secure any of the authors he knew to write the libretto, he ultimately turned to the poet and librettist Helmina von Chézy. Despite his efforts to make changes to her text, which was based on a French chivalric novel, Weber was still dissatisfied. His revisions did not resolve the inconsistencies in the libretto or the complex relationships among the protagonists. At the premiere, which Weber conducted himself on October 25, 1823, the audience and critics responded with ridicule and criticism.

In this romantic heroic opera by Weber, Knight Adolar pledges his loyalty to his bride, Euryanthe. However, he engages in a bet with a count who claims he can seduce her. Although Euryanthe remains resolute in the face of the count's advances, she becomes accused of deceptive intrigue and infidelity. The opera features ghostly fantasies and dramatic twists, ultimately culminating in a triumphant happy ending for Adolar and Euryanthe.

The opening music effectively conveys all the drama through its highs and lows, reflecting both a festive mood and Euryanthe's deep despair. With beautiful violin melodies and foreboding drum rolls, Carl Maria von Weber demonstrates his ahead-of-his-time vision. He is regarded as a pioneer of German Romantic opera.

Euryanthe is an impressive, thoroughly composed opera that features recurring leitmotifs for its main characters — an approach that later became a hallmark of Richard Wagner's operas. The opening of the second act of Wagner's Lohengrin is reminiscent of Weber's Euryanthe. Although it is believed that Wagner initially mocked the opera, he eventually came to admire Weber as a composer throughout his life. After Carl Maria von Weber's death, Wagner composed funeral music inspired by motifs from Euryanthe.

Text: Gaby Reucher

© 2019 C Major Entertainement

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