Weber's works, especially his operas Der Freischütz, Euryanthe, and Oberon, greatly influenced the development of the Romantic opera in Germany. He was also an innovative composer of instrumental music. His compositions for the clarinet, which include two concertos, a concertino, a quintet and a duo concertante, are regularly performed, while his piano music - including four sonatas, two concertos and the Konzertstück (Concert Piece) in F minor - influenced composers such as Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Felix Mendelssohn. The Konzertstück provided a new model for the one-movement concerto in several contrasting sections (such as Liszt's, who often played the work), and was acknowledged by Igor Stravinsky as the model for his Capriccio for piano and orchestra.
Weber's contribution to vocal and choral music is also significant. His body of Catholic religious music was highly popular in 19th-century Germany, and he composed one of the earliest song-cycles, Die Temperamente beim Verluste der Geliebten.
Weber's orchestration has also been highly praised and emulated by later generations of composers - Hector Berlioz referred to him several times in his Treatise on Orchestration, while Claude Debussy remarked that the sound of the Weber orchestra was obtained through the scrutiny of the soul of each instrument.
His operas influenced the work of later opera composers, especially in Germany, such as Heinrich Marschner, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and Richard Wagner, as well as several nationalist 19th-century composers such as Glinka, and homage has been paid him by 20th-century composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler (who completed Weber's unfinished comic opera Die drei Pintos and made revisions of Euryanthe and Oberon) and Paul Hindemith (composer of the popular Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Weber).
Weber also wrote music journalism and was interested in folksong, and learned lithography to engrave his own works.
Weber was the eldest of the three children of Franz Anton von Weber (who seems to have had no real claim to a "von" denoting nobility), and his second wife, Genovefa Brenner, an actress. Franz Anton started his career as a military officer in the service of the Duchy of Holstein; later he held a number of musical directorships; and in 1787 he went on to Hamburg, where he founded a theatrical company. Weber's cousin Constanze was the wife of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Weber's father gave him a comprehensive education, which was however interrupted by the family's constant moves.
In 1796, Weber continued his musical education in Hildburghausen, where he was instructed by the oboist Johann Peter Heuschkel.
On 13th March 1798, Weber's mother died of tuberculosis. That same year, Weber went to Salzburg, to study with Michael Haydn; and later to Munich, to study with the singer Johann Evangelist Wallishauser, (known as Valesi), and with the organist J.N. Kalcher.
1798 also saw Weber's first published work, six fughettas for piano, published in Leipzig. Other compositions of that period, amongst them a mass, and his first opera, Die Macht der Liebe und des Weins (The Power of Love and Wine), are lost; but a set of Variations for the Pianoforte was later lithographed by Weber himself, under the guidance of Alois Senefelder, the inventor of the process. In 1800, the family moved to Freiberg, in Saxony, where Weber, then fourteen years old, wrote an opera called Das stumme Waldmädchen (The silent forest maiden), which was produced at the Freiberg theatre. It was later performed in Vienna, Prague, and St. Petersburg.
Weber also began to write articles as a critic, e.g. in the Leipziger Neue Zeitung (1801).
In 1801, the family returned to Salzburg, where Weber resumed his studies with Michael Haydn. He later continued studying in Vienna with Abbé Vogler (Georg Joseph Vogler), founder of three important music schools (in Mannheim, Stockholm, and Darmstadt; another famous pupil of Vogler was Giacomo Meyerbeer, who became a close friend of Weber.
In 1803, Weber's opera, Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn (Peter Schmoll and his Neighbours) was produced in Augsburg, and gave Weber his first success as a popular composer.
Vogler, impressed by his pupil's obvious talent, recommended him to the post of Director at the Opera in Breslau (1806), and from 1807 to 1810, Weber held a post at the court of the Duke of Württemberg, in Stuttgart.
His personal life during this time remained irregular: he left his post in Breslau in a fit of frustration, he was on one occasion arrested for debt and fraud and expelled from Württemberg, and was involved in various scandals. However he remained successful as a composer, and also wrote a quantity of religious music, mainly for the Catholic mass. This however earned him the hostility of reformers working for the re-establishment of traditional chant in liturgy.
In 1810, Weber visited several cities throughout Germany; from 1813 to 1816 he was director of the Opera in Prague; from 1816 to 1817 he worked in Berlin, and from 1817 onwards he was director of the prestigious Opera in Dresden, working hard to establish a German Opera, in reaction to the Italian Opera which had dominated the European music scene since the 18th century.
The successful premiere of the opera Der Freischütz (18 June 1821, Berlin) led to performances all over Europe; it remains the only one of his operas still in the regular repertoire.
Weber's colourful harmonies and orchestration, the use of popular themes from central European folk music, and the gloomy (gothic) libretto, complete with an appearance of the Devil himself in a nocturnal forest, have all helped to ensure its popularity.
The bust of Weber in EutinIn 1823 Weber composed the opera Euryanthe to a mediocre libretto, but containing much rich music. In 1824 Weber received an invitation from Covent Garden, London, to compose and produce Oberon, based on Christoph Martin Wieland's poem of the same name. Weber accepted the invitation, and in 1826 he travelled to England, to finish the work and be present at the performance on the 12 April.
Other famous works by Weber include: Invitation to the Dance (later orchestrated by Berlioz); Polacca Brillante; two symphonies, a concertino and two concertos for clarinet, a quintet for clarinet and strings, and a concertino for horn (during which the performer is asked to simultaneously produce two notes by humming while playing - a technique known in brass playing as multiphonics).
Weber was already suffering from tuberculosis when he visited London; he died there during the night of 4th to 5th June 1826. He was buried in London, but eighteen years later, his remains were transferred on an initiative of Richard Wagner and re-buried in Dresden.
Aufforderung Zum Tanz Op. 65
Carl Maria von Weber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pinarsitta rohami ale dongan
Asa pos roha damang dainang i
Mangaramoti sasude nadirohami ale dongan
Nang didia pe ho boru batak ma bo
Asa ias sasude naneng na ro
Sai denggan ma sai horas ma
Sai horas horas Horas boru ni raja i
Horas ma boru batak ma bo
Unang sai sileban ai boru batak ma bo
Nang didia pe ho nang di luat nadao
Asa tupa sasude marlasniroha na ro
Sai denggan ma sai parbissar ni mata ni ari
Sai horas ma di iringi tuhan ganup ari
Si ummuran ma puppung sai pupuki lage lage
Sai torang ma tutu dohot horas jala gabe
Molo boi do boru batak naro
Pinarsitta rohami ale dongan
Asa pos roha damang dainang i
Mangaramoti sasude nadirohami ale dongan
Nang didia pe ho boru batak ma bo
Asa ias sasude naneng na ro
Sai denggan ma sai horas ma
Sai horas horas Horas boru ni raja ii
Boru ni raja do di au holan i saut di au
Dang adong be na asing ai boru batak do di au
Nang ubbagak pe dison umbagak pe disan
Ai holan ho do hasian boru ni tulang na disan
Ai bege ho ma mancai uli boru ni raja
Ai bereng ho ma mancai bagak do boru batak
Sai horas ma tu sude boru raja
Asa pos roha damang dainang
Laho mangida hita
Molo boi do boru batak naro
Pinarsitta rohami ale dongan
Asa pos roha damang dainang i
Mangaramoti sasude nadirohami ale dongan
Nang didia pe ho boru batak ma bo
Asa ias sasude naneng na ro
Sai denggan ma sai horas ma
Sai horas horas Horas boru ni raja i
Takkas do jabu suhat, takkas do jabu bona
Takkas marboru raja, takkas ma hita mamora
Manang aha pe namasa i tonga tonga hita
Molo marboru raja pos roha jala setia
Emmada emmada emmada songon inong na di jabu
Horas ma horas ma horas ma pinarsitta ni rohakku
Dang tu sileban i dibahen ho gabe dongan
Molo adong dope boru ni raja i
Unang sai adong na asing diroham ale dongan
Boru niraja bhen ho gabe dongan
Sai emmada.emmada... emmada tutu
The lyrics to Carl Maria von Weber's Aufforderung Zum Tanz Op. 65 are actually in Batak (a language spoken by the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia) and are a mix of traditional Batak poetry and modern Indonesian language. The song is an invitation to dance, with lyrics meant to evoke the beauty and allure of the Batak people and their culture. The song calls for the listener to join in the dance, celebrating life and love.
The verses are full of imagery, with references to the rooster's crow, the sound of the tambourine, and the beat of the feet as they dance. The chorus is a call to the Batak queen to join in the dance, with her people eager to honor and celebrate her. Overall, the song is a tribute to the joy and vitality of the Batak people and their traditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Molo boi do boru batak naro
Hello, beautiful Batak lady
Pinarsitta rohami ale dongan
I admire you from afar
Asa pos roha damang dainang i
May I have the honor of inviting you
Mangaramoti sasude nadirohami ale dongan
To dance a tango with me
Nang didia pe ho boru batak ma bo
Here, in this beautiful place
Asa ias sasude naneng na ro
Let's enjoy the dance together
Sai denggan ma sai horas ma
Step by step, move by move
Sai horas horas Horas boru ni raja i
Let's dance the Horas together
Horas ma boru batak ma bo
Let's dance the Horas, my beautiful Batak lady
Unang sai sileban ai boru batak ma bo
Let's hold hands and dance together
Nang didia pe ho nang di luat nadao
Here, in this intimate moment
Asa tupa sasude marlasniroha na ro
Let our hearts beat as one
Sai denggan ma sai parbissar ni mata ni ari
Step by step, your eyes are captivating me
Sai horas ma di iringi tuhan ganup ari
Let's dance in the presence of God
Si ummuran ma puppung sai pupuki lage lage
Let's be happy and enjoy the moment
Sai torang ma tutu dohot horas jala gabe
Let's dance together until the dawn breaks
Boru ni raja do di au holan i saut di au
As a Batak king, I will always love you
Dang adong be na asing ai boru batak do di au
No other Batak lady can replace you
Nang ubbagak pe dison umbagak pe disan
I will always be faithful to you
Ai holan ho do hasian boru ni tulang na disan
My heart beats only for you, my darling
Ai bege ho ma mancai uli boru ni raja
I will always cherish and protect you
Ai bereng ho ma mancai bagak do boru batak
I will always honor and respect a Batak lady
Sai horas ma tu sude boru raja
Let's dance the Horas, my Batak queen
Asa pos roha damang dainang
May I have the honor of inviting you
Laho mangida hita
Let's enjoy every moment together
Takkas do jabu suhat, takkas do jabu bona
Let's clap our hands to the rhythm
Takkas marboru raja, takkas ma hita mamora
Let's dance the Horas as Batak royalties
Manang aha pe namasa i tonga tonga hita
Together we feel the same beat
Molo marboru raja pos roha jala setia
Beautiful queen, let's dance the tango with love
Emmada emmada emmada songon inong na di jabu
Dance with passion and grace
Horas ma horas ma horas ma pinarsitta ni rohakku
Let's dance the Horas, my love for you is true
Dang tu sileban i dibahen ho gabe dongan
Let's exchange glances and make a connection
Molo adong dope boru ni raja i
As a Batak king, I will always love you
Unang sai adong na asing diroham ale dongan
No other lady can replace you in my heart
Boru niraja bhen ho gabe dongan
Let's dance as a Batak king and queen
Sai emmada.emmada... emmada tutu
Let's dance with energy and enthusiasm
Writer(s): Carl Maria Weber Von, Kurt Kuempel
Contributed by Allison T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ThuLe-eh1xe
We hardly hear the drums. The drumming will give more life, more joy to the music.
Besides this, it was good video.
I can hear the river running swiftly, the birds singing, flying joyfully from tree to tree. I can see chipmunks, squirrels, bunnies playing together. I can feel green branches swaying as the breeze pass by...
Everything in nature is celebrating the joy of life.
Thank you for the music.
@susangrossman8431
This was used in a wonderful Bette Davis movie from the 1940s called All This and Heaven, Too.
@imapaine-diaz4451
One doesn't often hear the final conclusion of the piece performed. this is a fine performance, and the final coda gives an grateful and appropriate "thank you for the dance".
@imapaine-diaz4451
the piece has three parts. the invitation to the lady to dance, the dancing itself, and the concluding coda.The piece is not complete without the coda. No one knows these days about dancing as practiced when this piece was written. One did not just abandon your partner on the floor after the dance was finished! One escorted her back to her seat and thanked her for the dance! So much more civilized, not to say romantic!
@joshuarosen6242
It is certainly incomplete without it but it tends to catch audiences out though. At least the cellist smiled rather than glaring at the audience as I once saw Sir Simon Rattle do when someone clapped too early.
@lindavies7969
What a wonderful performance! Maestro So obviously enjoying his orchestra and they performing at their peak. Excellent, loved it.
@Nigelsmom2136
Beautiful. ❤
@secretofsuzanne
what a splendid sound very articulated I can hear every note, every phrase played without rushing as many versions are. Thank you rodney2marsh, I'll listen again.
@ilovehifi
fantastic version, pleasantly slow, I hear a lot more details! Congratulations, Maestro! And, the first Cellist, great, GREAT!
@helened6896
Bravo! I'm just now studying classical music and waltzes. This is my first time to hear this piece and it's glorious. Thank you!