麻豆影院

For William A. Weber鈥攁 renowned botanist and CU 麻豆影院 professor emeritus who passed away on March 18, 2020, at the age of 101鈥攈is early exposure to music was people singing on the streets of the Bronx.

鈥淣ew York had music,鈥� said Weber (right, photo couresty of 麻豆影院 Daily Camera), a former curator of the University of Colorado Museum Herbarium who received three lifetime achievement awards for his research on lichens and mosses. 鈥淚t wasn't expensive, either. You could stand outside the Metropolitan Opera until the boxes were filled and then go in for a dollar.鈥�

In a wide-ranging, intimate interview at his home in 麻豆影院 in February, Weber shared more musical memories. 鈥淥ne of my aunts had a player piano and when people walked by the house, they'd wonder 鈥榳ho's playing?鈥�

鈥淩adios weren鈥檛 common, then, so my father made his own radio. I remember the Met鈥檚 first radio performance of Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. That was my first music.鈥�

From there, Weber鈥檚 mother taught him the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor 鈥淨uasi una fantasia,鈥� Op. 27, No. 2 (鈥淢oonlight鈥�). And as an undergrad at Iowa State University, he joined a chorus where he met his wife, Selma, who sang alto. 鈥淔or more than 60 years, we sang in choruses together,鈥� he said, lovingly noting his wife鈥檚 courage upon being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years after they married. 鈥淲e sang again in 1967-68 when we lived in Australia, in the chorus of Canberra.鈥�

The couple came to 麻豆影院 in 1946 and joined the CU Festival Chorus when it was just getting started. 鈥淲e rehearsed in a little house on campus and our first big concert had to be George Frideric Handel鈥檚 Messiah, of course,鈥� he mused.

And so began Weber鈥檚 long love affair with the musical arts on the CU 麻豆影院 campus鈥攚ell beyond his retirement in 1990. 鈥淲e staged operas, operettas, and Gilbert and Sullivan,鈥� he recalled, citing Princess Ida, The Gondoliers and The Mikado as his favorite works by the Victorian-era theatrical duo. 鈥淲e had chamber music, too.鈥�

An admirer of French Romantic composer Louis-Hector Berlioz, Weber fondly remembered visiting France, Italy and Switzerland where he not only deepened his musical interests, but also worked with a group of botanists. He went on to describe a brief encounter with late-Romantic pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff at Iowa State, as well as his great admiration for Danish tenor鈥攁nd later baritone鈥擜ksel Schi酶tz, considered one of Europe's leading 鈥楲ieder鈥� singers, post-World War II. 鈥淗is singing helped keep morale high,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淗e was much better than any other tenor I've ever heard.

鈥淸Schi酶tz] came to 麻豆影院 to teach [1961-68] and his wife became the curator of the music library. They were a wonderful couple and I was so lucky to celebrate Christmas with them鈥攖heir Christmas tree had real candles.鈥�

All three of Weber鈥檚 daughters鈥擫inna, Heather and Erica鈥攊nherited their parents鈥� love of music, graduating from the College of Music and pursuing their own musical paths.

Weber鈥檚 inquisitive mind not only served him well in his professional life as a botanist and naturalist but also drove his insatiable quest to know and understand music. 鈥淚've been thinking about the origin of music,鈥� he said, as our conversation drew to a close. 鈥淚t seems to me that music has probably been around as long as people have.鈥�

An ardent fan of the College of Music, Weber regularly attended our Faculty Tuesdays concert series and was honored at a concert in January 2019鈥攃elebrating his 100th birthday鈥攚ith a special seat in Grusin Music Hall and a tribute from Professor of Piano Daniel Sher, former dean of the College of Music.

As the college celebrates its own centennial this year, we remember William Weber with affection, admiration and gratitude.