Drei Pintos, Die

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Drei Pintos, Die (The Three Pintos). Comic opera in 3 acts left unfinished by Weber and completed by Mahler. Weber began work in 1820 on lib. by Theodor Hell ( Karl Winkler) based on story Der Brautkampf by C. Seidel. Work on mus. for Preciosa and the commissioned operas Euryanthe and Oberon prevented Weber composing for Die drei Pintos beyond 1821. On his death in 1826, he left sketches for 7 out of 17 numbers, a total of 1,700 bars of which only 18 were scored. In 1826 these were taken to Meyerbeer, who kept them until 1852 but did nothing with them. In 1887 Weber's grandson invited Mahler, then 2nd cond. at Leipzig Opera, to complete the work, which he undertook by using Weber's sketches and extending the opera to 21 numbers in length by inserting other pieces by Weber and sections comp. by himself based on Weber's themes. The result is a remarkable example of posthumous collaboration. Prod. Leipzig 1888, cond. Mahler; London 1962; St Louis 1979.