Carl Maria von Weber
Composer, conductor, virtuoso, novelist, and essayist, Carl Maria von Weber is one of the great figures of German Romanticism. Known for his opera Der Freischütz, a work which expresses the spirit and aspirations of German Romanticism, Weber was the quintessential Romantic artist, turning to poetry, history, folklore, and myths for inspiration and striving to create a convincing synthesis of fantastic literature and music. Resembling the Faust legend, Der Freischütz (the term suggests the idea of an marksman relying on magic) is a story of two lovers whose ultimate fate is decided by supernatural forces, a story which Weber brings to life by masterfully translating into music the otherworldly, particularly sinister, aspects of the narrative. Weber's additional claim to fame are his works for woodwind instruments, which include two concertos and a concertino for clarinet, a concerto for bassoon, and a superb quintet for clarinet and string quartet. Born in 1786, Weber studied with Michael Haydn and Abbé Vogler. Appointed Kappelmeister at Breslau in 1804, he gained fame as an opera composer with the production, in 1811, of Abu Hassan. In 1813, he became director of the Prague Opera. In Prague, where he remained until 1816, Weber developed a mostly French repertoire, taking an active, and highly creative, part in the practical aspects of opera production. Underlying his often controversial efforts to reform opera production was his ardent desire to create a German operatic tradition. Although there were, indeed, capable composers in the German-speaking lands, the idea of a German opera provoked much opposition, as the public, trained to perceive opera as an exclusively Italian art form, regarded the concept of German opera as a contradiction in terms, despite the existence of a singspiel tradition, brilliantly exemplified by the Magic Flute by Mozart. While Weber's appointment as Royal Kappelmeister at Dresden, not to mention the triumphant production of Der Freischütz (1821), certainly strengthened his position as champion of German opera, his opponents remained unconvinced. Weber's next opera, Euryanthe (1823), failed to repeat the success of Der Freischütz. In Euryanthe, his only opera without spoken dialogue, Weber introduced the device of recurrent themes throughout the entire opera, thus anticipating Wagner. Although Weber brilliantly adapted a variety of harmonic styles and textures to the dramatic narrative, the overall effect was seriously hampered by a rambling libretto, an inept adaptation of a medieval romance already used by Shakespeare in Cymbeline. In 1825, Weber was invited to London. Among the works he was expected to conduct was Oberon, another opera with a Shakespearean theme. The librettist, who took the story from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, created, in a misguided effort to please the public, an incredible hodgepodge, even more convoluted than Euryanthe, that not even Weber's genius could salvage. Nevertheless, Oberon, which the English public received with admiration, contains much gorgeous music, including examples of lush orchestration and exquisite tone painting. Often performed in concert, the overture is a true Romantic gem. Already in poor health before his London tour, Weber died in the English capital in 1826, shortly after the premiere of Oberon at Covent Garden.
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Weber: Clarinet Quintet in B flat major Op.34, Flute Trio in G minor
Classical - Released by CRD Records on Jan. 1, 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Classical - Released by Meridian Records on Sep. 10, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber & Haydn: Trios for Flute, Cello & Piano
Hansgeorg Schmeiser, Othmar Muller, Matteo Fossi
Chamber Music - Released by Nimbus Records on Oct. 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clarinet Concerto no. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
Classical - Released by MFF Records on May 15, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischütz, J 277 (1955), Volume 1
Elisabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich, Hans Hopf
Opera - Released by Classical Moments on Mar. 4, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello & Opera: Works for Cello & Piano (Live)
Classical - Released by VDE-GALLO on Jun. 29, 2012
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Classical Romance with Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber, Alojz Zupan, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Lounge - Released by PMI Collins Classics on Feb. 1, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Invitation to the Dance
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Consort
Classical - Released by Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. on Jul. 9, 2014
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Schumann: Concerto - Schnittke: Violin Sonata
Classical - Released by Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Musica on Jan. 1, 1982
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Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73, J.114 (Digitally Remastered)
Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Arnold Katz, Alexander Ivanov
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on Oct. 23, 2015
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Nadia Reisenberg: Live Chamber and Home Solo Performances
Chamber Music - Released by Roméo Records on Jan. 2, 2017
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Afscheid Van Een Springlevend Orkest
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on Jul. 12, 2013
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Oberon Overture
Christian Lindberg, Carl Maria von Weber, Per Egland, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on May 6, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Piano Sonatas
Classical - Released by CRD Records on Apr. 19, 1993
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Weber: Overtures
City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Foster
Classical - Released by Claves Records on Jan. 1, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Pianos Sonatas Nos 3 & 4 / Polacca J268
Classical - Released by CRD Records on Jul. 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: ROMANCE
Christian Lindberg, Roland Pöntinen, Carl Maria von Weber
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on Jul. 1, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Celebrated New York Concerts, Vol. 5
Classical - Released by Cembal d'amour CD 158 on Feb. 1, 2011
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Weber: Euryanthe
American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein
Opera - Released by American Symphony Orchestra on Sep. 24, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Chamber Music with Clarinet (Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48, J. 204 - Variations on a Theme from Silvana, Op. 33, J. 128 - Clarinet Quintet, Op. 34, J. 182)
Chamber Music - Released by VDE-GALLO on Jan. 11, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
EG Favorites
Gioachino Rossini, Carl Maria von Weber, Georges Bizet
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on Jul. 6, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo