the use of characteristic, short, recurring motifs in orchestral music can be traced back to the early seventeenth century, such as "l'orfeo" by monteverdi. in french opera of the late eighteenth century (such as the works of gluck, grétry and méhul), "reminiscence motif" can be identified, which may recur at a significant juncture in the plot to establish an association with earlier events. their use, however, is not extensive or systematic. the power of the technique was exploited early in the nineteenth century by composers of romantic opera, such as carl maria von weber, where recurring themes or ideas were sometimes used in association with specific characters (e.g. samiel in "der freischütz" is coupled with the chord of a diminished seventh). the first use of the word "leitmotif" in print was by the critic friedrich wilhelm jähns in describing weber's work, although this was not until 1871.