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
Clásica - Editado por CRD Records el 1 ene. 1981
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Carl Maria von Weber: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Clásica - Editado por Meridian Records el 10 sept. 2016
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Weber & Haydn: Trios for Flute, Cello & Piano
Hansgeorg Schmeiser, Othmar Muller, Matteo Fossi
Música de cámara - Editado por Nimbus Records el 1 oct. 2012
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Clarinet Concerto no. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
Clásica - Editado por MFF Records el 15 may. 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
Ópera - Editado por Classical Moments el 4 mar. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello & Opera: Works for Cello & Piano (Live)
Clásica - Editado por VDE-GALLO el 29 jun. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Der Freischütz - Oper erzählt als Hörspiel mit Musik
Varios - Editado por Amor Verlag GmbH el 7 ene. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Romance with Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber, Alojz Zupan, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Lounge - Editado por PMI Collins Classics el 1 feb. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Invitation to the Dance
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Consort
Clásica - Editado por Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. el 9 jul. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Concerto - Schnittke: Violin Sonata
Clásica - Editado por Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Musica el 1 ene. 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73, J.114 (Digitally Remastered)
Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Arnold Katz, Alexander Ivanov
Clásica - Editado por EMG Classical el 23 oct. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nadia Reisenberg: Live Chamber and Home Solo Performances
Música de cámara - Editado por Roméo Records el 2 ene. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Afscheid Van Een Springlevend Orkest
Clásica - Editado por Challenge Classics el 12 jul. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oberon Overture
Christian Lindberg, Carl Maria von Weber, Per Egland, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Clásica - Editado por EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE el 6 may. 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Piano Sonatas
Clásica - Editado por CRD Records el 19 abr. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Overtures
City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Foster
Clásica - Editado por Claves Records el 1 ene. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Pianos Sonatas Nos 3 & 4 / Polacca J268
Clásica - Editado por CRD Records el 1 jul. 2000
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The Celebrated New York Concerts, Vol. 5
Clásica - Editado por Cembal d'amour CD 158 el 1 feb. 2011
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Weber: Euryanthe
American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein
Ópera - Editado por American Symphony Orchestra el 24 sept. 2014
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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)
Música de cámara - Editado por VDE-GALLO el 11 ene. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Gioachino Rossini, Carl Maria von Weber, Georges Bizet
Clásica - Editado por EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE el 6 jul. 2022
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