Weber: Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet

Carl Maria von Weber had a special fondness for the clarinet, finding it the ideal instrument for expressing the profound Romanticism he had made his own.

He borrowed from a youthful composition, his opera Silvana completed at the age of 24, for his Opus 33 Clarinet variations. Encouraged by critics to rework the opera’s ‘overly instrumental’ vocal parts, he deleted two arias, but the following year reused the melody of the second of these for his Seven Variations for clarinet and piano Op.33 (1811). He develops the instantly hummable theme with its cheerful dotted rhythm stylishly, imaginatively and virtuosically, showcasing the full extent of the clarinettist’s abilities while also allowing the piano to shine in two of the seven variations. The piece was premiered in Prague at a private residence by Weber and his friend and touring partner Heinrich Bärmann, whom he had met a few months earlier in Darmstadt. The clarinettist Bärmann had instantly won Weber over with his prodigious technique and highly expressive sound.

In 1815, Weber left Prague for Munich to meet with Bärmann, and there he composed the second and third movements of what would become the Grand Duo concertant Op.48 with the addition of an opening movement in November 1816. In this work Weber gets the very best out of two quintessentially Romantic instruments, but – well aware of his own abilities (Weber was an excellent concert pianist, with exceptionally large hands) – he also challenges himself with a demanding piano part, presenting two co-protagonists ‘competing’ enthusiastically with one another through myriad arpeggios, scales and virtuoso passages.

Another piece from 1815, is the Quintet for clarinet and string quartet Op.34, premiered on 26 August at Bärmann’s home. While the first sketches date back
to 1811, when Weber first met Bärmann and composed the Concertino Op.26, the two Concertos Opp. 73 & 74 and the aforementioned Seven Variations for him, he would continue working on it in 1812 in Munich and 1813 in Prague, before completing it in Munich in 1815.
The work is almost concerto-like, with the strings supporting the clarinet and falling away at just the right moment to allow it to express itself, before returning immediately afterwards, in a refined yet playful dialogue.

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) marked the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period. His works, while adhering to the formal style of the Viennese School, abound in dramatic contrasts and glittering instrumental virtuosity. His instrumental works are hugely enjoyable, full of “Spielfreude” and many a good tune.
Weber had a special predilection for the clarinet: for him, it was the ideal instrument for expressing the romantic feelings inspired by a trip through the Swiss Alps - where the landscape had a profound effect on his poetic soul. From his friend Heinrich Baermann, the greatest clarinet virtuoso of his time, he learned the technical characteristics of the instrument and he wrote some exquisite works for it: the famous Quintet for clarinet and string quartet Op.34, the Grand Duo Concertant Op.48 and a set of variations on a theme from the opera Silvana.
Played by Italian master clarinetist Davide Bandieri, who played solo clarinet in the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. For this recording he secured the collaboration of such eminent instrumentalists as pianist Matteo Fossi and the Quartetto Savinio.

Recorded in March 2019 and November 2021 in Perugia, Italy
Bilingual booklet in English and Italian contains notes on the works by musicologist Donatella Meneghini, along with biographies of the artists.