Marschner occupies an important position in the history of German Romantic opera after the death of Weber. He began his musical career in Pressburg (now Bratislava), teaching in a noble family and serving as director of music in another before moving to Dresden, where his first opera was staged. He worked subsequently in Leipzig and finally in Hanover, where he died in 1861.

Operas
The best known of Marschner’s 13 operas is Hans Heiling, based on the story of a marriage between an Earth Spirit and a mortal woman and first performed in Berlin in 1833. The opera brought the composer a considerable reputation, although this did not materially affect his position in Hanover, where he was music director of the Court Theatre.