WeGA, Rezeptionsdokumente, Digitale Edition
author: Anonymus
source date: 1829
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Preciosa, Romantisches Schauspiel, in four Acten; Dichtung Von Pius Alex. Wolff; Music Von Carl Maria Von Weber. Berlin. Schlesingerschen Buch und Musikhandlung.

Abon Hassan, a celebrated Musical Drama, performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane; composed by Carl Maria Von Weber, and adapted to the English Stage by T. Cooke. Clementi and Co.

Natur und Liebe, Cantate zur Feyer des Augustus Tages in Pilluitz; Dichtung Von Friedrich Kind; in Musik gesetzt fur 2 Soprane, 2 Tenore, and 2 Basse; Von Carl Maria Von Weber. Berlin. Schlesingerschen Buch und Musikhandlung.

We have already narrated, in our sketch of the music of the season, the position into which Weber has been exalted in this country. It becomes therefore a duty almost indispensable to examine such of his works as have been brought before us, and as are accessible. For notwithstanding Preciosa has been condemned, and Abon Hassan had only the common run of a common farce upon the stage, while Natur und Liebe has experienced a moderate reception, we consider that their merits, as music, have had but little operation in the formation of these judgments. Why we so think, has already been told.

We were not present at Covent Garden on the night of the only representation of Preciosa. Abon Hassan we have seen, but we cannot imagine that the defects of the one composition, or the merits of the other, have assisted, except in a small degree, to the rejection of the former or the repute of the latter. There are, indeed, in the story of Preciosa, abundant materials for a dramatist of power to work into a piece, interesting as well for its situations and sentiments, as for its picturesque characters and scenery; but of the disposition of the fable we know nothing – we have only to do with the music. The story is from Cervantes. A child is stolen by gypsies, and grows up with uncommon beauty and attainments. A young nobleman falls in love with her, and consents to assume the habit of a gipsey, and remain two years with the tribe, in order to prove his constancy and truth. In the early part of his wanderings an innkeeper's daughter becomes enamoured of him, and offers herself and fortune to him, under the notion that he is the character he seems. He tells her of his passion for Preciosa, and rejects her overtures. She places some trinkets in his wallet, and causes him to be arrested for the theft. He is cast into prison. The governor of the town where he is committed proves to be the father of Preciosa, who comes to beg access to her lover, and the catastrophe which clears up the mystery, unites her to her adorer. In such a story, however improbable a fiction, there is ample opportunity for the display of dramatic and passionate effect.

The music consists of an overture, a good deal of melo-dramatic accompaniment, an air, some chorusses and dances.

The overture is constructed on the same plan as that to Der Freyschutz; it is composed of four passages from the opera itself, a part of the accompaniment to a soliloquy for Preciosa at the end of the drama, the Opening Chorus, the Gipsey March, and the passage concluding the whole. These little traits (though perfectly characteristic) are neither sufficiently varied nor beautiful in themselves to form a very interesting combination, and their treatment in the overture illustrates forcibly a very judicious remark which we once heard made on Weber's style of composition, "that if he hit upon any beautiful idea, he appeared not to have the faculty of varying it, for if the strain was introduced frequently, it was not as it would have been by Mozart, in a thousand varied forms, each more attractive than the last, but always unaltered, and the same." This is indeed very much the case with the overture to Preciosa. There are a few very sweet pieces of melody (which are to be found no where else), but they are not worked upon: the passage chosen for this purpose is one from the Gipsey March, which affords the opportunity of remarking how sedulously attentive this composer is to adapt the character of his music to that of his story. The march itself is founded on an original gipsey melody. This it was that induced Weber to select it as the theme on which to form the principal and descriptive part of his overture. The concluding movement is thus worked on, and with a masterly hand. It modulates into various keys – is sustained by a very solid base, and concludes the overture by the same passage as that which ends the opera. It opens in A minor, and changes in the march into C major, in which key it concludes. The Gipsey March, which opens the opera, is followed by the chorus, "Hail Preciosa," constructed on the plan of those in Der Freyschutz; the voice parts being extremely simple, and the accompaniment rich and very full; and this we may here remark is the general character of all the chorusses in the piece. This melody is very singular, but in many places beautiful. The following scene is one of so curious a construction that we scarcely know how to name or describe it. It is a soliloquy for Preciosa, which is heightened by melo-dramatic strains from the orchestra. To this scene perhaps may be attributed, in some measure, the failure of the opera. The English are not yet sufficiently alive to the beauties and powers of instrumental music, to relish the complete transfer of musical description from the stage to the orchestra; the intrinsic merit of the music however remains the same. It is certainly beautiful in parts; the bassoon, horn, and clarinet are the principal solo instruments, and they are well adapted to the expression. Although on the whole this portion of the opera does not display any very high traits of genius, there is a certain languor which pervades it throughout, and which is in perfect consonance with the feelings of Preciosa. The act finishes by a very spirited gipsey dance, including an elegant solo for her.

The second act opens with the best piece in the opera, a short Gipsey Chorus. The German words are poetical, and the music is a happy adaptation in Weber's best style. With the exception of one other chorus, this is the only piece which has escaped the wreck, by being introduced into Abon Hassan. The words are altered, and consequently the effect injured. The glee opens with a symphony of great freedom and originality, descriptive of the liberty of the gipsey's life. The voice parts are simple and in detached portions, answered by an echo from the horns, which is very effective. The rest of the accompaniment is light and descriptive. The only song in the opera follows, and it is for Preciosa – the melody short and simple, with a tasteful accompaniment for the horn and flute. Altogether it is an extremely sweet and original composition. The second act closes with another light Gipsey Chorus, similar in kind but inferior to the first, both in melody and conception. The only music in the third act is a Spanish national dance. The fourth opens with the second chorus introduced into Abon Hassan, which is good, though not so good as the first. The melody is as usual simple, but the accompaniments are brilliant and well adapted to the subject. The closing scene to the opera is one on the same plan as the soliloquy of Preciosa in the first act. The principal part is here also allotted to her: it is purely dramatic, and depends indeed entirely upon the performer. Parts of the accompaniment are certainly beautiful, but these single traits of melody are not sufficient to keep alive the attention of an audience.

On the whole, though we cannot assent to Preciosa being a decided failure on the part of Weber, yet we must think he has not added to his fame by its production. There are some strong proofs of superior ability and originality of design, and the test of our belief that the music was not the primary cause of its failure is, that the overture and its two best pieces still continue before the public, in the orchestra and on the stage, whilst the numerous arrangements of the rest indicate a favourable opinion in the general.

The music in Abon Hassan has but little to recommend it to notice, in comparison with the other compositions of its author; nevertheless it has stood its ground in the London theatres. The two best pieces in it are the chorusses, which we have already noticed as being introduced from Preciosa. The overture is spirited and good, formed according to Weber's customary plan, with more regularity than always belongs to such compositions, on parts of the music in the drama. It begins like that to Preciosa, with the opening chorus, wherein all the melody, which is extremely pretty, is allotted to the accompaniments, whilst the voice parts are constructed in the simplest possible way. The bird whose song of gladness, a soprano song, although not one of the happiest efforts of the composer, is nevertheless an air of sweet expression. The melody of the allegro movement is very pretty, but falls off for want of variety. It is easy of execution, and is tastefully accompanied. Pay pay is a chorus of great spirit and dramatic effect. The idea and construction of it are very good; indeed this is one of those pieces of musical fun which sometimes arrive so seasonably in the shape of finales, and assist by the combination of gay music and stage effect in enlivening the too frequent tedium of musical dramas of this kind. Wine, my fairest, juice divine, a duet, is purely dramatic: there are a few spirited passages in it, and as a curious proof of how much Weber's system of interweaving any favorite morceau with other ideas, he has introduced a passage of the opening chorus, for which, though we can see no immediate purpose, its own sweetness is a sufficient apology. Kind Genii hear me, recitative and air, is more in the mannerism of the composer than any thing we have yet met with. The changes of feeling in this song give room for the exercise of his imagination, and although the subject is not sufficiently elevated to call for a great exertion of talent, it is nevertheless treated with success; it consists of three movements, of which the two last are the best. The softness and languor of the second, besides its fit adaptation to the expression of the words, is well contrasted with the exultation of a milder kind expressed in the third. The song is certainly capable of considerable effect. The last duet, Hear me though love's first wild hour be o'er, contains rather more execution than the rest of the music. As a whole, Abon Hassan is a light production – such an one indeed as any body might have written.

Natur und Liebe (an offering to nature) is a cantata according to the oldest form. Its character may be at once collected from the following poetical lines, a part of the translation by Mr. Napier, and which has been adapted to the music by Mr. Hawes.

"Then nature doth her stores unfold,
To deck her fairy bowers;
Upon the trees are crowns of gold,
And gems within the flowers.
The massy clouds are in the West,
In many a glowing cluster,
And wood, and hill, and stream are drest,
In sun-set's shining lustre.

And o'er the wide etherial blue
A mellow veil of richest hue
In gleaming splendour closes;
And all around a purple dew,
As though distill'd from roses,
O'er tree and herb reposes.

And thus adorn'd by nature's hand,
The sky, and earth, and ocean,
In all their pride and glory stand,
A temple for devotion.
And there's a whisper on the gale,
A murmur in the fountain,
And peace is resting in the vale,
And silence on the mountain.
Above, below, on ev'ry side,
O'er ev'ry spot there seems to glide
A deep and burning feeling,
That spreads its spirit far and wide,
The wounded bosom healing,
And the Deity revealing.

Natur und Liebe is said to be one of Weber's early works – we are sure it is an inconsiderable one. With the exception of the last chorus, there is nothing from beginning to the end worthy a man of genius. The melody to which the words we have quoted are set is barely pretty, and even here the theme is repeated so often or varied so little as to be tiresome: the same remark applies more forcibly to a duet, "Fraught with melodies Elysian," which is even in a more tinkling manner. The chorus to which we have alluded is certainly well worked, though part of it bears so obvious a resemblance towards one of Beethoven's, in the Mount of Olives, that it must we think be an intentional imitation.

We must observe that the Berlin score differs exceedingly from the publication in English from the Argyll Rooms. Mr. Hawes has probably obtained a subsequent and amended edition. If not he has interpolated other songs, for we do not even find the principal English air in the copy before us. The Berlin we therefore conclude to be an imperfect publication.

Looking then at the compositions of Weber which have been produced here since Der Freyschutz, we perceive nothing to sustain the reputation gained to their author by that production, and we cannot evade the conclusion, that his musical talent has been more over-rated than that of any composer we ever remember. The truth is, as we have stated, he has absorbed all the reputation that has attended the drama itself, and his name is emblazoned with the halo which national pride, exerting itself (with very good feeling) in a foreign country as well as at home, and individual interest has raised around it. The opera is certainly a work of genius, but hitherto we have seen little beyond it to lead us to believe that the power is great or far extending.