Carl Maria von Weber and the Search for a German Opera

Stephen C. Meyer details the intricate relationships between the operas
Der Freischütz and Euryanthe, and contemporary discourse on both the "Germany
of the imagination" and the new nation itself. In so doing, he presents
excerpts from a wide range of philosophical, political, and musical writings, many
of which are little known and otherwise unavailable in English. Individual chapters
trace the multidimensional concept of German and "foreign" opera through
the 19th century. Meyer's study of Der Freischütz places the work within the
context of emerging German nationalism, and a chapter on Euryanthe addresses the
opera's stylistic and topical shifts in light of changing cultural and aesthetic
circumstances. As a result, Meyer argues that the search for a new German opera was
not merely an aesthetic movement, but a political and social critique as
well.