Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826) German

List of Weber's Operas, List of Weber's compositions


Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, conductor, and pianist. He is most noted for his opera Der Freischütz, which defined the German romantische sound that influenced later composers like Richard Wagner. Other important Weber operas included Euryanthe and Oberon.

A brilliant pianist, Weber composed four sonatas, two concertos and the Konzertstück in F minor (concert piece), which influenced composers such as Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn.  The Konzertstück provided a new model for the one-movement concerto in several contrasting sections (such as Liszt's, who often played the work), and was acknowledged by Stravinsky as the model for his Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra.  Weber's shorter piano pieces, such as the Invitation to the Dance, were later orchestrated by Berlioz, while his Polacca Brillante was later set for piano and orchestra by Liszt.

Weber's concertos for woodwinds, particularly his two concertos for clarinet, as well as his sacred vocal music, is highly prized.  His orchestrations influenced Hector Berlioz and Claude Debussy, Gustav Mahler, and Igor Stravinsky greatly admired his work. 

Weber died at age 39 from tuberculous.

Selected Weber piano compositions

           Polacca (Polonaise) brillante in E major "L'hilarité"  (1819)  Stefano Bigoni, piano  (6:34 play)

                Franz Liszt's orchestration  (1851)    (play)  Louis Lorte, piano  (9:40, play)

           Konzertstucke for Piano and Orchestra  (1821)     
                 SWR Symphonieorchester, Alexei Volodin, piano  (16:31, play)