The son of a violin maker, Oberthür was born inMunich and studied the harp there with Elisa Brauchle and composition with Georg Valentin Röder (1776–1848), music director at the Bavarian court. He was successively employed at theatres inZürich (1837),Wiesbaden (1839), andMannheim (1842), before he settled inLondon in 1844, initially as harpist at theRoyal Italian Opera House. In 1861, he became the first Professor of Harp at theRoyal Academy of Music, London. He died in London in 1895.
Oberthür was the composer of over 450 works, most for or including the harp. He also published a useful harp method, his opus 36. His large-scale works have not been performed for many years and included the operaFloris de Namur (performed at Wiesbaden) and the cantatasThe Pilgrim Queen,The Red Cross Knight, andLady Jane Grey. As a harpist, he became "unrivalled as a virtuoso and teacher".[1] A contemporary source described him as "the leading harpist in Britain, and on the Continent he is held in the highest esteem."[2]
Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur le Valse du désir, Op. 5
Addio, mia vita, addio! Barcarolle, Op. 25
Souvenir de Londres. Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur un thême original, Op. 26
Bijou de Nabucco. Grande fantaisie sur l'opéra de Verdi, Op. 28
Souvenir de Boulogne. Nocturne, Op. 30
La Belle Emmeline. Impromptu, Op. 51
Trois Mélodies religieuses, Op. 52
The Nun's Prayer. Mélodie religieux, Op. 54
Gems of German Songs. Twelve Recreations, Op. 61
Le Désir, Op. 65
Au bord de la mer. Nocturne, Op. 68
Bel chiaro di luna. Impromptu, Op. 91
Cradle Song (Wiegenlied), Op. 93
Voyage en Suisse. Trois Morceaux originaux, Op. 99
Pensées musicales. Trois Pièces de salon, Op. 110
Stray Leaves. Three Sketches, Op. 114
Fantaisie brillante on Motives of Flotow's Opera 'Martha', introducing 'The Last Rose of Summer', performed by the author before Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Op. 116
Six Sacred Melodies, Op. 127
Gems of Verdi. Twelve operatic airs, Op. 149
La Sylphide. Morceau caractéristique, Op. 150
Seaside Rambles. Four Musical Sketches, Op. 158
Le Réveil des elfes. Morceau caractéristique, Op. 181
^Stanley Sadie (ed.):The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music (London: Macmillan, 1988), p. 531.
^James Duff Brown:Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (Paisley and London: Alexander Gardner, 1886; reprint Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1970), p. 449.
