The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-06 00:00:00

DEATH OF CAR!, MARIA VON WEBER.

This celebrated musical composer died yesterday morn•
ing, at six o'clock, at his house, in Great Port.and-street.
His disorder was occasioned by a severe cold, which lie
caught soon after his arrival in England, and which baffled
the Ekilt of his physicians, who hail dcspair.d since Satur-
day night of his recovery. The following are a few par-
ticulars of his life:—
" Carl Maria Von Weber was born in 1785, at Eutin,
a small town in Holstein. 11i5 father gave him a liberal
education, and in this lie was assisted by his son's very
early predilection for the fine arts, particularly painting
and music.
" The first regular instruction he rect ived on the piano-
forte, the instrument 011 which he gained such a high rti-
putation as a player, was from Ileuschkel, at Hilellnirg-
hausen, in 1796, and it is to this learned master that
Weber owed his energy, distinctness, and execution. The
more his father perceived the gradual tlevelopinent of his
talents, the more anxious lie was to sacrifice every thing to
their cultivation; he therefore took his son to the famous
Michael Ilaydri, at Salzburg. Owing to the austere man-
ners of this master, young Weber profited but little by his
instructions, though he made great exertions to learn.
" In 1795, he published his first work, Six Fugues, in
four parts, which are remarkable for their purity and cor-
rectness, and received the praise of the Musikult,rche Lei.
tang. At the end of that year, Weber went to Munich,
where lie was taught singing by Valesi, and composition,
as well as the piano, by Kalcher. To him he was indebted
for a full knowledge of the theory of music, and for a
skilful and ready use of all the means it furnishes to the
composer. Weber was now more indefatigable in his
studies than ever, and began to apply himself to one parti-
cular branch of the art, in prefereli.:e to the rest—to operatic
music. Under the eyes of his master, he wrote an opera,
Die Macht der Liebe and des Wells (the Power of Love
and Wine), a Mass, and several other pieces ; but all these
were judiciously corntnitted to the flames.
" Soon after this, Weber entertained an idea of rival-
ling Seunefelder, of lithographic celebrity, and he went so
far as to say, that the invention was his, and that he used
machines more adapted to the purpose. In order to pur-
sue his plan on a grand xcale, he removed with his father to
Frisberg, in Saxony, where the best materials were most
conveniently at band. The tediousness of so mechanical
a business, -however, could not fail very soon to tire a mind
accustomed to more refined occupations, and the young
speculator resumed, with redoubled vigour, his study of
composition. Win e' a youth of only fourteen, he wrote the
opera Des fl aldwavell-n (the Girl of the Wend), which
was performed, for the iirst.aitne, in November, 800, and
received with great applause at Vienna, Prague, and Pe-
ttersburgli. This opera spread, indeed, much further than
the composer afterwards wished, considering it as a very
immature and juvenile production.
" An article in the Musikalische 27ituntl excited in the
young composer the idea of writing in an entirely new
style, and to bring again into use the ancient musical in-
struments, which then were nearly forgotten. For this
purpose he composed, in 1801, at Salzburg, the opera Peter
Sehinoll and his Areig-hbonrs, of which Michael Haydn thus
expresses himself in a letter :—' As far as I may pretend
to judge, I must truly and candidly say, that this opera
not only possesses great power and effect, but is composed
according to the strict rules of counterpoint. To spirit and
liveliness, the composer has added a high degree of delicacy ;
and the music is moreover perfectly suited to the meaning
of the words.' An equally flattering testimony he received
from another of his masters, who concludes thus—' unit
mature at Mozart.'

" During one of his many professional travels with his
father, in 1802, to Leipzig, Hamburg!), and Holstein, his
principal occupation was to collect and study all works on
the theory of music; and, prompted by the doubts he enter-
tained as to the correctness of moat of them, he commenced
studying harmony once more, from its very elemcnts, with
a view of constructing an entire new system of music. The
work entitled Vogler, 12 Chorale, by Sebastian Bach, ai.a-
lyzed by C. M. Von Weber, may be considered as the fruit
of those researches, and is equally interesting and instruc-
tive.

" In 1803 he went to Vienna, where Ir! finished his mu-
sical education, under Vogler. He was subsequently called
to Breslau, in the character of Maestro di Ogg.lla. As he
had to form here an entirely new orchestra, and corps of
singers, he was furnished with a very favourable opportu-
nity to improve hitnself in the knowledge of effect. The
only work of consequence during his Silesian visit, was the
opera of Ruheiald ; i. e. Number Nip, of which the ill-
famed movntain ghost has furnished the subject.
" The coldnencement of the great Prussian war, in 1806,
obliged him to quit his post at Breslau, and he entered the
service of the Dyke Eugene, of Wurtemberg. Here he
wrote Two Symphonies, several Concertos, and various
pieces for wind instruments. He also published, at this
time, an improved edition of his opera, The Maid of Me
Wood, under the title of Silvana; a Cantata (Der erne
Ton ;) some Overtures, for a grand orchestra ; and a great
many solo pieces, for the piano-forte.
" In 1810, he set out on another professional tour, upon
a better concerted plan than before. At Frankfort, Munich,
and Berlin, his operas were performed with mueh success,
and his concerts were well attended. Once mare assisted
by theexperience and knowledge of Vogler, t. ho bad then
two other young artists of great talent with him, Meyeibeer
and Gausoacher, be composed the opera Abe Hassaa, at
Darmst:dt, in 1910.

" From 1813 to 181 G, Weber was Director of the Opera
at Prague, which he organized quite anew, and wrote
here his great Cantata, Kampf cad Sieg, a most imposing
composition. After the object of his visit to Prague was
fulfilled, he once more travelled, without my permanent
appointment. Though he received the most handsome
offers from all parts of Germany, he did not accept of any,
until he was called to Dresden, for the purpose of forming
there a Garman Opera. Such an invitation be could not
resist, and it is to this Opera Unit he for years devoted,
con awn, e; his whole attention and activity.
" It is pleasing to observe, that his labours in this de-
partment wile not only crowned with complete success.
but received the most flattering acknowledgment. It
would, indeed, have been difficult to find a man more fit
for such an undertaking than Weber, who united so many
splendid talents. He was a very original and learned com-
poser, one of the greatest pianofo•te players of the present
day, and an extremely spirited director of the orchestra.
To these he added a thorough knowledge of the whole
theory of music, of dramatic and 'operatic effect, and the
greatest skill in blending the various instruments. Besides
which, he was perhaps not excelled by any artist, except
by Beethoven, as a man of general knowledge and polite
literature. His freisrhfilz has elevated him, as au opera
composer, above all his Gerrosa contemporaries: since Nfo-
zart's Zneiherilide no other German opera has become so
popular, or received' such universal applause."
The circumstances attendant upon Von Weber's visit to
this country, the performance of his (Merv*, and his recep-
tion by all classes in the musical world, are so recent in-the
recollection of our readers, that it is nnueceasary to detail
them in this memoir ; but the sincere welcome he expe-
rienced in this metropolis, during his short residence here,
can only be equalled by the regret that his premature death
has occasioued.

A late discovery has been made of the chef dwurre
of the celebrated Tompion, which has been so long lost.
It was made for " The Saci,ty fur Philosophical Trans-
actions," and is a year-going dock. It is a singular cir-
cumstance that a record exists, which states that T. was at
work on this clock when the great plague broke out in
Landon; and, on the day he finhdle.l it he hims:if was
attacked with the pestilence, His friends removed him to
the Continent, where be died. On the dial there is this in-
scription—" Sir James Moore caused this movement to be
made with great care, 81010 DOTIIIIII IC7G, by Thomas
Tampion." Tampion was paid WO guity:as, and the clock
was removed to the Society's house, and there, in the con-
fusion of the mon • it, it was placed in the lumber room,
where it lay, without a Cast', exactly a century and a half.
One thing wonderful attends this discovery—all the sue!
pins, on being cleared from the dust, were found to be as
brilliant as ever.
The Russian sloop of war Enterprise, Captain Kotzebue,
has been spoken with in the Indian Seas, all well, after,
being out two years and nine mouths, on a voyage of
discovery.