Romantic gems for orchestra: Carl Maria von Weber went down in history as the father of German romantic opera. Apart from Der Freischütz, however, his operas are seldom found in the repertoires of today's theatres. But the overtures remain as popular as ever and are often heard in the concert hall. With their characteristic romantic inflection, fascinating colours, rich orchestration, moving interior drama and moments of great lyricism, they present a "thumbnail sketch" of the evolution of opera.