s friend Fuerstenau, and said, "Now let me
sleep." These were his last words. The next morning he was found dead in
his bed. He has left a rich legacy of works besides his operas,--a large
collection of songs, many cantatas (of which the "Jubilee" and "Kampf und
Sieg" are the finest), some masses, of which that in E flat is the most
beautiful, and several concertos, besides many brilliant rondos,
polaccas, and marches for the piano.

Jubilee Cantata.

The "Jubilee Cantata" was written in 1818 to celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of the reign of King Friedrich August of Saxony. The King
having expressed a desire that there should be a court concert on the day
of the anniversary, September 20, Count Vitzthum commissioned Weber to
write a grand jubilee cantata. The poet Friedrich Kind supplied the
words. While engaged in its composition Weber was informed by friends
that other arrangements were being made for the concert, and on the 12th
of September the information was confirmed by a letter from the Count
which informed him that notwithstanding his personal protests, the
Jubilee Cantata was not to be given. The son in his biography of his
father intimates that the change was the result of intrigues on the part
of his Italian rivals, Morlacchi, Zingarelli, and Nicolini. The same
authority says that the cantata was finally produced in the Neustadt
church for the benefit of the destitute peasantry in the Hartz mountains,
Weber himself conducting the performance, and that only the overture to
the work, now famous the world over as the "Jubel," was played at the
court concert. The best authorities, however, now believe that the Jubel
overture is an entirely independent work, having no connection with the
cantata. The text of the cantata, which commemorates many special events
in the life of the King, being found unsuitable for general performance,
a second text was subsequently written by Amadeus Wendt, under the title
of "Ernte-Cantata" ("Harvest Cantata") which is the one now in common
use, although still another version was made under the name of "The
Festival of Peace," by Hampdon Napier, which was used at a performance in
London under the direction of the composer himself only a few days before
his death.

The cantata is written for the four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra.
It opens after a short allegro movement with a full jubilant chorus
("Your thankful Songs upraise"), the solo quar