Weber: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Konzertstück (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 10)

Featuring

Sir Charles Mackerras
Nikolai Demidenko
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Carl Maria von Weber

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Composer Biography

Carl Maria von Weber was a versatile figure: composer, conductor, administrator, impresario, writer, critic, painter, philosopher, symphonist, and opera romantic.

Composition History

Weber's Konzertstück in F minor is associated with a narrative about a lady, her knight in the Holy Land, battles, and their eventual reunion, though Weber never wrote these words in the score.

Notable Performances

Weber himself premiered all three works on this album: the C major Concerto in Mannheim (1810), the E flat Concerto in Gotha (1812), and the Konzertstück in Berlin (1821).

Composer Biography

Weber was considered a great pianist in an age of virtuosi, with his piano music being advanced for its time in late Napoleonic/early Biedermeier Europe.

Composition History

The F minor Konzertstück was conceived with a programmatic format in mind, as Weber believed minor-key concertos without evocative ideas seldom appealed to the public.

Compositional Technique

Weber's piano style was imaginative, exploring the instrument's full compass and exploiting his large hand stretch of around a twelfth for pearling runs, athletic leaps, and glissandi.