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.
© TiVo
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Weber: Euryanthe
Herta Wilfert, Inge Borkh, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Urania on 25 Apr 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dance With Nikolai Petrov
Classical - Released by Pipeline Music on 28 Nov 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi, Marcello, Handel: Baroque Music
Chamber Music - Released by VDE-GALLO on 19 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Von Weber: Clarinet Concertos - Mozart: Rondo for Flute
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Milos Jurkovic, Jozef Lulacik
Classical - Released by Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. on 8 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clásicos Inolvidables Vol. 27, Danzas
Classical - Released by ADAGIO on 3 Aug 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Ländlicher Tanz (Country Dance) [Digitally Remastered]
Rudi Knabl Zither Ensemble, Rudi Knabl
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 23 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Grand potpourri in D Major, Op. 20, J.64 (Digitally Remastered)
Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Tovijs Lifsics, Natalia Gutman
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 23 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dioses de la Música - Weber, Bizet, Verdi
Classical - Released by Piros Comercial Digital on 26 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Clarinet Concertos
Radio Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra
Concertos - Released by Black Pearl on 17 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Art of Noel Mewton-Wood
Classical - Released by Heritage Records on 13 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Classical Clarinet
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on 7 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Oberon: Overture (Digitally Remastered)
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Evgueni Mravinski
Opera - Released by EMG Classical on 23 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65, J.260 (Digitally Remastered)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 23 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Der Malerweg in der Sächsischen Schweiz
Alexander Zschiedrich, Gerda Zschiedrich, Carl Maria von Weber, Richard Wagner
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by Unterlauf & Zschiedrich Hörbuchverlag on 23 Jul 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony no. 2 in C major, J. 51
Classical - Released by MFF Records on 15 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber Der Freischütz, Op. 77
Classical - Released by MFF Records on 18 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Elf King's Oath
Classical - Released by Audiofonic Records on 20 Apr 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cosmic Classical: Scorpio
Georges Bizet, Johann Strauss II, Carl Maria von Weber
Lounge - Released by PMI Collins Classics on 29 Sep 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Waltz Masterpieces
Stadium Symphony Orchestra Of New York, Raoul Poliakin
Classical - Released by Everest Records on 10 Jul 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Abu Hassan
Opera - Released by The Digital Gramophone on 18 Feb 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Preciosa, Op. 78
Classical - Released by Zenify Records on 15 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo