Peter Schmoll was Weber's second opera, and the first to survive, written in 1802 when he was all of 15. It is a Singspiel, a sentimental comedy set on the German side of the frontier across which a group of emigres have fled the Revolution, and deriving from a once popular novel by C. G. Cramer. Unfortunately the adaptation was clumsily made, keeping nervously close to a contrived and confused plot. More unfortunately, the dialogue is lost, so that the course of the plot can only be understood by reference to the novel. Most unfortunately of all, the loss of the dialogue has encouraged several versions, of which the one to have some modern currency is by Willy Werner Gottig: it was published by Peters in 1963, has been performed in Germany and England (at Hintlesham in 1968), and is used here.
We must be grateful for small mercies, and this recording counts as just that. The Gottig version produces a completely new but unimproved plot that often goes directly against the music, gives arias to the wrong characters even when this involves a change of vocal register, and alters the order of the numbers to make rubbish of rather a good dramatic musical sequence and a very careful tonal scheme anticipating the scrupulousness of Weber's mature operas. Thus a fine storm aria, with booming trombones and flashing piccolos, is rendered meaningless in a completely new context. The character of Hans Bast, Schmoll's steward, is emasculated by the removal of two of his solos; and the only female character, Minette, is put into a new light that does not show up her features to good advantage.
At least there does survive the orchestration, which even at his tender age was already one of Weber's claims to fame. There are some bold and imaginative instrumental effects, not only the piccolo and trombone writing for the storm but a mature and sympathetic use of the horn and the clarinet; and in one number Weber demanded (too impracticably for modern performance) a curious combination of recorders and basset-horns. The general manner of the music is, as one would expect, the Singspiel of the day, close in spirit to Dittersdorf or Wenzel Muller or Conradin Kreutzer. Melodically, the manner ranges from plain jollity to some very eloquent, rather French-influenced writing (there is a beautiful love duet). Sometimes there are remarkable touches that turn a plain phrase into something memorable; sometimes a phrase remains plain. Similarly, the harmony is often simple, even a little clumsy; then Weber will look right forward to his mature chromatic manner with a strange, effective progression.
The singers deal directly and quite effectively with music that does not give them very much occasion for characterization, especially in Gottig's rewriting; and Gerhard Markson has a good feel for the colour and charm of this very agreeable little opera. There is an essay and synopsis in German and English, with Gottig's text in German only. Whatever the necessary reservations, this version of Peter Schmoll should be snapped up by any collector interested in Weber and his period, pending a recording of the correct musical and verbal text, in the correct order: there is, after all, no need on a recording for spoken linking dialogue. It would be good if someone could also now record Silvana, a completely neglected work that includes some beautiful pre-Freischutz music.'