Opera in German such as opera seria. Some Baroque composers, such as Reinhard Keiser, did try to challenge Italian dominance, and the theatre principal Abel Seyler became an eager promoter of German opera in the 1770s, but it was only with the appearance of Mozart that a lasting tradition of serious German-language opera was established. Mozart took the simple, popular genre of "Singspiel" and turned it into something far more sophisticated. Beethoven followed his example with the idealistic "Fidelio"; and with "Der Freischütz" of 1821, Weber established a uniquely German form of opera under the influence of Romanticism. Weber's innovations were eclipsed by
Transatlantic (opera) Transatlantic (opera) Transatlantic (aka "The People's Choice") is a Grand Opera in 3 acts by George Antheil written in 1928 to a libretto by the composer. It was premiered in Frankfurt on May 25, 1930. Though a critical success the work ran for only 6 performances and was not performed again during Antheil's lifetime. It has been subsequently revived in 1998 (Minnesota) and 2002 (Flensburg, Germany). The work is scored for a large orchestra with soloists and chorus. The plot is a political satire in which a corrupt American oil baron (Ajax) recruits a charismatic, enthusiastic, cooperative man (Hector Jackson)