a spendthrift and the court life corrupt. Weber fell into dissipation and pecuniary difficulties, but also did considerable serious reading, especially of philosophy, and was led by Danzi, the theatric choirmaster, to write the opera Silvana (1808-10) and some other works. In 1810 he incurred the king's disfavor, was arrested for an alleged sale of preferments and, though cleared of guilt, was banished. He went to Mannheim, where Ritter and Gottfried Weber welcomed him, and thence to Darmstadt to visit Vogler, who set him at the quixotic task of revising some of Bach's chorales. His mind was beginning to teem with ideas, literary as well as musical, and, with G. Weber, Meyerbeer and others, he formed a circle for the advancement of musical criticism. In 1810 Silvana was given at Frankfort, Caroline Brandt, his future wife, in the title-rôle. Soon after, he completed Abu Hassan, (1811). These two years brought much self-examination, resulting in a giving up of wild habits and a new artistic consecration.
The years 1811-12 were occupied by short sojourns in Munich, Prague, Leipsic, Gotha, Weimar, Berlin, etc. His list of compositions for piano and for orchestra steadily increased, his playing and conducting aroused enthusiasm, and his original and fascinating personality attracted hosts of friends. In 1813 he accepted the directorship of the Prague theatre, where the idea of genuine German opera had long been accepted, though feebly illustrated. Weber's zeal and skill in the oversight of details soon produced performances of unexampled excellence. In 1814 he made a brilliant visit to Berlin, where his facility, especially in writing patriotic music, fell in happily with the jubilations over Napoleon's downfall. As it became evident that Prague did not offer a field for the full realization of his ideals, in 1816 he resigned.
Soon he was called to the similar post at Dresden which he held for ten years. Here for the first time German opera was given the same official honor as Italian—a fact that roused some hostility. But Weber set himself to creating interest by explanatory newspaper-articles, by a careful selection of works (not confined to those in German), by unheard-of pains in rehearsal, and by steady improvements in soloists, chorus and orchestra, all tending toward extreme perfection in the total effect. He gradually became the sole active court-musician, Morlacchi being much in Italy. In 1817, using a libretto by Kind, he began Der Freischütz (completed 1820), and, though he often digressed into fine piano composition, his passion for dramatic work attained its climax. But his health was uncertain, giving signs of the final breakdown. In 1820 he visited Leipsic, Halle, Göttingen, many North German cities and Copenhagen, everywhere greeted with amazing enthusiasm. In 1821 at Berlin came his greatest triumph, the production of Der Freischütz, which was the turning-point in the contest between the German and the Italian schools. Similar warmth was shown later at other capitals, notably at Vienna, whither Weber was urged to remove. For Vienna he soon set to work upon Euryanthe, whose first productions in 1823, however, were not well received. This disappointment and the precariousness of his health led to much depression, from which he was roused by an opportune commission from England. Though sinking into consumption, he began Oberon early in 1825, and in 1826, by way of Paris, crossed to England and conducted the first performances at London. Unable to return, he died there.
