Oberon

opera by Weber

Also known as: “The Elf King’s Oath”

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June 26, 2026

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Oberon is an opera by Carl Maria von Weber, first performed in 1826. It is based on a medieval French romance and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The opera tells the story of Oberon, the king of the fairies, and his queen, Titania, who are quarreling over a changeling boy. Their discord disrupts harmony, leading to enchantments and romantic entanglements.123

Oberon is a legendary figure in folklore, often depicted as a king of elves or fairies. He first appeared in the French medieval poem Huon de Bordeaux and later in German epics. Shakespeare's portrayal of Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream established him as a powerful, yet mischievous, fairy king who ultimately restores balance. Weber's opera draws on these traditions, featuring Oberon as a central character who uses magic to resolve conflicts.1453

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Carl Maria von Weber
In form, Oberon was little to his taste, having too many spoken scenes and elaborate stage devices for a composer who had always worked for the unification of the theatrical arts in opera. But into it he poured some of his most exquisite music, and he traveled…
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In form, Oberon was little to his taste, having too many spoken scenes and elaborate stage devices for a composer who had always worked for the unification of the theatrical arts in opera. But into it he poured some of his most exquisite music, and he traveled…
Read More

opera
German Romantic opera
Weber’s other operas—Euryanthe (1823) and Oberon, or The Elf King’s Oath, (1826)—did not meet with such success, in part because of the fantastic nature of their librettos and in part because Romantic critics looked down on singspiel. (Oberon exhibits the distinctive feature of singspiel: spoken dialogue interspersed with singing.) The…
Read More
Weber’s other operas—Euryanthe (1823) and Oberon, or The Elf King’s Oath, (1826)—did not meet with such success, in part because of the fantastic nature of their librettos and in part because Romantic critics looked down on singspiel. (Oberon exhibits the distinctive feature of singspiel: spoken dialogue interspersed with singing.) The…
Read More