Born in 1760 at Zell im Wiesental, Aloysia Weber established herself as a significant operatic soprano within the Austrian Empire. Throughout a career spanning two decades in Vienna, she balanced her professional stage commitments with a notable association with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed multiple demanding vocal works specifically tailored to her advanced technical range.
Early Life and Mannheim Training
The daughter of music copyist Fridolin Weber and Cäcilia Weber, Aloysia grew up in Mannheim following her family's move shortly after her birth. Her upbringing occurred within a musical household alongside her sisters Josepha, Constanze, and Sophie. In 1777, she studied singing under Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who coached her in the bravura style. Mozart facilitated her development through pieces like the recitative and aria K. 294, eventually acknowledging her command of his complex musical requirements.
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In 1779, the Weber family relocated to Vienna, where Aloysia secured an engagement with the National Singspiel project initiated by Emperor Joseph II. She maintained a productive, long-term singing career in the city, performing at the Burgtheater beginning in 1782. Although her time at the Burgtheater was limited to eight months due to internal disputes regarding salary and role distribution, she continued to perform at the Kärntnertortheater and other venues.
Personal Life and Final Years
On 31 October 1780, she married Joseph Lange, an actor and amateur painter at the Theater am Kärntnertor. Their relationship faced financial pressures, including an agreement where Lange paid an advance of 900 florins and a recurring annual sum to her mother. The couple ceased living together in 1795, the same year Aloysia toured with her sister Constanze. She spent her final years in Salzburg to reside near her surviving sisters.
Collaboration with Mozart
Beyond her early training, Weber remained a primary recipient of Mozart’s compositional output. He wrote several pieces for her, including the scena and rondo K. 416, premiered in 1783, and two substitution arias for Pasquale Anfossi’s Il curioso indiscreto. In 1786, she performed the role of Mme. Herz in the singspiel Der Schauspieldirektor, a work commissioned by the Emperor for a private performance.
Fast facts
- Born: 1760, Zell im Wiesental
- Died: 1839, Salzburg
- Citizenship: Austrian Empire
- Occupations: Actor, composer, singer, opera singer
- Spouse: Joseph Lange
- Burial site: Salzburger Kommunalfriedhof
Questions readers ask
What is the significance of the aria K. 316/300b?
Written by Mozart for Aloysia, it contains a vocal range extending to G6, leading to its inclusion in Guinness records as the highest note demanded in the classical repertoire.
Was Aloysia related to other musicians?
She was the sister of soprano Josepha Weber and Constanze Weber, and a half-first cousin to composer Carl Maria von Weber.
Achievements
- Instruments: voice
