touching new music for court or church functions gave him the opportunity he wrote with undiminished energy. His masses in E-flat and G were thus called forth, and his "Jubilee Cantata," the overture to which, composed later, is now a universal possession. The year which gave him his wife also gave him the opera book with the composition of which it was destined he should crown his career as a National composer. Apel's "Gespensterbuch" had fallen into his hands seven years before, and he had marked the story of "Der Freischütz" for treatment. His mind reverted to it again in the spring of 1817. Friederich Kind agreed to write the book and placed it complete in his hands on March 1st, nine days after he had undertaken the commission. Weber's enthusiasm was great, but circumstances prevented him from devoting much time to the composition of the opera. He wrote the first of its music in July, 1817, but did not complete it till May 13, 1820. It was in his mind during all this period, however, and would doubtless have been finished much earlier had he received an order to write an opera from the Saxon court. In this expectation he was disappointed, and the honor of having encouraged the production of the most national opera ever written went to Berlin, where the patriotism which had been warmed by Weber's settings of Körner's songs was still ablaze and where Count Brühl's plans were discussing to bring him to the Prussian capital as Capellmeister. The opera was given under circumstances that produced intense excitement in the minds of Weber's friends. It was felt that the patriotic interest which the name and presence of Körner's collaborator aroused would not alone suffice to achieve a real triumph for a work of art. The sympathies of the musical areopagus of Berlin were not with Weber or his work,--neither before nor after the first performance; but Weber spoke to the popular heart and its quick responsive throb lifted him at once to the crest of the wave which soon deluged all Germany. The overture had to be repeated to still the applause that followed its first performance, and when the curtain fell on the last scene a new chapter in German art had been opened. [Illustration: THE OLD MARKET SQUARE IN DRESDEN--From a photograph. The house bearing sign on roof "RENNER" bears this inscription--"Hier schrieb 1819--C. M. von Weber--Der Freischütz."--(Here C. M. von Weber wrote 1819 "Der Freischütz.")]