Charles Oberthür (born as Carl Oberthür) (4 March 1819 – 8 November 1895) was a German harpist and composer active in Germany, Switzerland and England.
The son of a violin maker, Oberthür was born in Munich 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 in Zürich (1837), Wiesbaden (1839), and Mannheim (1842), before he settled in London in 1844, initially as harpist at the Royal Italian Opera House. In 1861, he became the first Professor of Harp at the Royal 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 opera Floris de Namur (performed at Wiesbaden) and the cantatas The Pilgrim Queen, The Red Cross Knight, and Lady Jane Grey. As a harpist, he became "unrivalled as a virtuoso and teacher". A contemporary source described him as "the leading harpist in Britain, and on the Continent he is held in the highest esteem."
Harp solo
Reminiscences de Suisse op. 3Souvenir de Genève op. 4Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur le Valse du désir op. 5Addio, mia vita, addio! Barcarolle op. 25Souvenir de Londres. Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur un thême original op. 26Bijou de Nabucco. Grande fantaisie sur l'opéra de Verdi op. 28Souvenir de Boulogne. Nocturne op. 30La Belle Emmeline. Impromptu op. 51Trois Mélodies religieuses op. 52The Nun's Prayer. Mélodie religieux op. 54Gems of German Songs. Twelve Recreations op. 61Le Désir op. 65Au bord de la mer. Nocturne op. 68Bel chiaro di luna. Impromptu op. 91Cradle Song (Wiegenlied) op. 93Voyage en Suisse. Trois Morceaux originaux op. 99Pensées musicales. Trois Pièces de salon op. 110Stray Leaves. Three Sketches op. 114Fantaisie brillante on Motives of Flotow's Opera 'Martha', introducing 'The Last Rose of Summer', performed by the author before Her Majesty Queen Victoria op. 116Six Sacred Melodies op. 127Gems of Verdi. Twelve operatic airs op. 149La Sylphide. Morceau caractéristique op. 150Seaside Rambles. Four Musical Sketches op. 158Le Réveil des elfes. Morceau caractéristique op. 181A Fairy Legend op. 182Erin, oh! Erin! Mélodie irlandaise favorite op. 183The Harp that once through Tara's Hall. Transcription of a favoured Irish air op. 187Old English Melodies (Englische Melodien aus alter Zeit) op. 221Within a mile of Edinbro' Town. Capricio op. 285Conte de fées. Caprice op. 301 – see YouTube video of performanceRêverie. Impromptu op. 314Le Papillon. Caprice op. 317 - see YouTube video of a performanceHarp and orchestra
Concertino for harp and orchestra op. 175 (c.1863)Loreley op. 180Orpheus op. 253 – see YouTube video of live performanceOrchestra
Rübezahl Ouvertüre op. 82 (1867)Vorspiel zu 'Shakespeare, ein Winternachtstraum' op. 210 (1885)Chamber music
Souvenir à Schwalbach op. 42 for horn and harpMon séjour à Darmstadt op. 90 for horn and harpTrio op. 139 for violin, cello, harpTrio op. 162 for violin, cello, harp (1867)Orpheus op. 253 for harp and pianoSweet Dreams op. 300 for clarinet and pianoLa Sylphide op. 150, performed by Catherine Eisenhoffer, on: Gallo CD-622 (1990)La Sylphide op. 150, performed by Marielle Nordmann, on: Erato 2292-45482-2 (1990)Le Réveil des Elfes op. 181; A Fairy Legend op. 182; Conte de Fées op. 301, performed by Elizabeth Jane Baldry, on: Campion Cameo 2025
