The
representation, with becoming dignity and splendour, of Weber's "Euriante"
would have been an important and interesting event at any stage of the history
of melodramma.
The melodramma
is doubly notable, because of the undeniable popularity of the Wagner
repertoire, to the early works of which Weber's compositions are distinctly and
strongly linked.
Most
music lovers will discern between Wagner's first operas and Weber's latest many
points of resemblance.
Those
that may not care to trust their own judgment or that of critics and
commentators will be encouraged to do so by Wagner's own words, alluding to the
"easily recognizable connection of “Tannhauser” with those of my
predecessors, among whom," Wagner concludes, "I especially refer to
Weber's."
That
Weber first sounded the keynote of the Wagnerian theory is shown by his answer
to a request for permission to perform the "Euriante" music in a
concert at Breslau.
Weber
wrote:
““Euriante”
is a purely dramatic attempt, depending for impressiveness only upon the united
effect of all the sister-arts, and surely ineffective when deprived of their
aid.”
Remembrance
of this fact, coupled with an acknowledgement of the fascination of research
into the origin of things, would furnish a forceful argument, aside from that
offered by the loveliness and power of the music of “Euriante”, in behalf of
the bringing forth of a melodrama only known to many through its overture and
two or three numbers—magnificent specimens of romantico-dramatic music, but, if
the expressed opinion of Weber is of any account, utterly valueless as
representing the totality of his achievement.
The
book of the opera was written by Elmina di Chezy, who was born in Berlin in
1783, and who came to Paris in 1810, on the invitation of Mme. de Genlis, whom
she met in Germany.
Von
Chezy's first marriage turned out ill, and her second experiment in the same
direction, whence her name of Von Chezy, bestowed upon her by M. de Chezy, a
celebrated orientalist and, at the period of his marriage, Professor of Sanskrit
in the College of France, proved equally unfortunate.
When
the failure of her final matrimonial venture was established, Frau von Chezy
hastened back to Germany, where she supported herself by her pen.
It
has never been made clear how it came about that Weber chose her as a
collaborator.
Judging
by the book of “Euryanthe” the lady's literary powers must have been somewhat
limited, and her personal prestige appears to have been exceedingly slight.
"She
has been described to me," writes Chorley, "as that most doleful of
all beings, an untidy, unhappy, unsuccessful woman of letters—a slatternly
Sappho, from whom all men shrunk—eager, and warm-hearted.
With
this odd creature Weber was in frequent correspondence.
The
extraordinary popularity of "Der Freischuetz" spurred Weber to (if
possible) outdo himself in “Eurianthe”.
Weber
wrote to Frau von Chezy:
“To surpass this is now my task, and terrible it is to me. “Euryanthe” must be something quite new; must stand quite alone on its height.”
“To surpass this is now my task, and terrible it is to me. “Euryanthe” must be something quite new; must stand quite alone on its height.”
And
later on Weber said:
“Heap
difficulty upon difficulty; think of syllabic combinations over which a man
might grow desperate.”
How
far Weber's injunctions were heeded the audience can judge for himself.
In
many instances, the libretto of an opera has been an important factor in the
impressiveness of the work.
The
most kind-hearted of critics, however, would shrink from claiming for the libretto
of “Euriante” even a fractional share of the honour in which the melodramma is
held.
The
story of “Euriante” is founded upon an ancient romance of chivalry.
Its
scene is laid in France, and its action carried on by five personages—the count
of Nevers, a gallant knight; Euriante, a guileless maiden, princess of Savoia,
now living in her castle in Nevers, betrothed to the count; Lisiart, the count's
foe ; Eglantina, who loves the count and hates Euriante, and the king Luigi VI.
Euriante
has learned from the count of Nevers a family secret, touching the sorrows of Emma,
a sister of the count, long dead.
Euriante
imparts the secret to Eglantina, who has won her
friendship, and Eglantina, striking up an alliance with Lisiart, proves to the
satisfaction of all concerned that Euriante has betrayed the count.
The count thereupon leads Euriante into a lonely
mountain gorge, and is about to slay her, when a gigantic python appears.
Euriante seeks to lay down her life to save the count's,
and the latter, deeply affected, apparently, concludes to leave the maiden to
perish instead of killing her, as intended, in cold blood.
Luigi VI and a party of huntsmen arrive just in time to
save Euriante from death, and, convinced of her innocence, they bring her back
to the stronghold of Nevers.
Here all things are explained, and while Lisiart stabs
Eglantina, previous to meeting with condign punishment, the count and Euriante
are restored to happiness.
The public detects in “Euriante” not merely a marked
resemblance between the incidents of the melodrama and those of “Lohengrin “—the
vocal quintett corresponding with that of “Lohengrin” — but no faint likeness
to those of “Cimbelino" a comparatively ill-known play, to which the
genius and beauty of Adelaide Neilson, had the actress lived a few years
longer, would have given a popularity akin to that of "Romeo e Giulietta"
“Euryanthe"
had its first hearing in Vienna, on October 25, 1823.
Sontag
sang Euriante; Haitzinger, Adolar; Forti, Lysiart, and Groenbaum, Eglantine.
It
was coldly received, and, to add to the distressing impression produced upon
the composer by the unkindly reception of the melodrama by the Viennese public,
Beethoven spoke harshly of his contemporary's work, and denounced it as "an
accumulation of diminished sevenths."
Beethoven,
it is true, may have been aware that a harsh criticism on his A-minor symphony
printed in the newspapers was written by Weber, for there is no reason to
believe that the greatest composer that ever lived was quite above petty
jealousy.
When
Weber called upon him, however, Beethoven greeted him pleasantly, though
brusquely, observing: "You should have come to see me before, not after
the performance. Best deal with your score as I dealt with that of"
Fidelio," and shorten it by at least one-third."
Schubert,
too, spoke disparagingly of "Euryanthe."
But
public taste speedily underwent a change.
"Euryanthe"
was sung in turn in Berlin, in Dresden, in Leipzig, and again in Vienna, and
its beauties gained gradually upon its auditors until it secured the fullest
measure of appreciation.
As
far back as 1839, Chorley, then on a visit to Dresden, made acquaintance with
"Euryanthe," and waxed enthusiastic over it.
"Were
I called upon," he writes, "to name the modern opera which has,
musically, the most excited me> I should cite '
Euryanthe ' at Dresden.”
“So
strong indeed was the excitement in the theatre as to render me unconscious of
the many crudities contained in the score”
“ I
felt carried away, not so much by a fervor as by a fever of music.”
“One
knows the composition to be in many places strained, in many more patchy; the
airs are constructed on unusual and arbitrary forms of rhythm; there is no
prophesying, by the best practised listener, of the change or chord which is
next to come.”
“But
these faults are felt in closet study far more than in stage intercourse;
while, to compensate for them, we have character, color, melody and the boldest
rendering of the strongest emotions—tenderness, wonder, pity, passion, terror,
and ecstasy.”
Who
but will recognize, in the foregoing remarks, many of the characteristics of
Wagner's music?
In
the model representation on which Chorley dwells, Frau Schroder-Devrient—she
that earned the title of the "Queen of Tears"—was Euriante, and Tichatschek
the count.
Since
those remote days " Euriante" has held a permanent place in the
repertoire of the principal opera houses.
A successful
presentation of the opera was effected, with a muchchanged but in no way
bettered libretto, at the Theatre Lyrique, in Paris, in the Fall of 1857.
