Carl Maria von Weber: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2/Overture To Der Freischütz

On this CD:

1. Symphony No.1 in C major, J50
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
Conducted by Claus Peter Flor

2. Der Freischütz, opera in 3 acts, J. 277 Overture
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
Conducted by Claus Peter Flor

3. Symphony No.2 in C major, J51
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
Conducted by Claus Peter Flor

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Allegro con fuoco
Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Andante
Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Scherzo And Trio
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, J. 50: Finale: Presto
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Allegro
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Adagio ma non troppo
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Menuetto And Trio
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Finale: Scherzo presto
Turandot, J. 75: Overture
Turandot, J. 75: Funeral March From Act V
Turandot, J. 75: March From Act II
Silvana, J. 87: Tanz der Edelknaben
Silvana, J. 87: Fackel Tanz
Die Drei Pintos, Anh. 5: Entr'acte

Customer Reviews:

Another Outstanding Naxos Recording!.......2007-03-23

Weber wrote both of his Symphonies in the same year (1807), and both are in the key of C Major. However, each one brings different delights. The sound is excellent on this Naxos release, and the playing by the Queensland Philharmonic is impressive, especially by the horns, with a wonderful viola solo in the Adagio of the Second Symphony. Weber's music here is witty, adventurous and at times a little unpredictable. The Penguin Guide has awarded this great recording a Rosette, which is their highest honor, reserved only for a recording that "shows special illumination, magic or a spiritual quality...that places it in a very special class". I wholeheartedly agree. And, as a nice bonus, Naxos has added attractive excerpts from two lesser-known operas, as well as incidental music from Turandot. I highly recommend this CD, and the price is easy on the budget, to be sure.

Symphony No. 2, a really great discovery.......2006-03-21

Until I bought this CD, I had never heard the Weber 2nd Symphony. It is a strange but an absolutely delightful piece. The first movement is longer than the rest of the symphony combined. It is also as fine an example of sonata-allegro form as you will ever hear. The horn solo in the second theme is just gorgeous. The second movement is short but lovely, the menuetto even shorter and the finale is less than 2 minutes and just when you think it is over the bassoon plays one last fade away phrase. It almost like Weber is poking fun at Beethoven's 5th. The rest of the music, including the much more popular 1st Symphony, are all lovely and fun to listen to. But it is the 2nd Symphony that really caught my ear. Great performances from New Zealand.

FIRE AND AIR.......2004-01-24

Naxos really are doing us proud. Here is yet another first-class disc of comparatively out of the way music, beautifully performed and recorded. I am very enthusiastic for Weber in general. He had a superlative melodic gift for one thing, he was a brilliant orchestrator and he is blessedly free of pretentiousness. Nobody would look to his compositions for lessons in intellectual techniques, but I will happily trade that to be spared laboured workings-out, twaddling `passages' and the whole baggage of second-rate 19th century instrumental music. All the music on this record is comparatively lightweight, but the symphonies less so than the incidental music. Being perfectly candid, I find them more interesting than the early symphonies of my beloved Schubert. There is a theatrical feel to them, but that is no bad thing in my opinion, and when the inevitable thoughts of Rossini came to the forefront of my mind I also found myself reflecting that Weber had a soul within him, a thing of fire and air, where Rossini had nothing but a vacuum.

The recorded quality is in some ways very striking indeed, with startling resonance in the bass - to start with I could almost have sworn that I heard a tuba. The Queensland Philharmonic play with real life, vigour and enthusiasm, and the conductor has to my way of thinking the right extroversion and sense of style and pace for this particular music. There is also a businesslike and helpful liner-note giving some information on conductor and orchestra as well as commentary on the music.

Right at the end we have something very different and very interesting indeed - an entr'acte put together by Mahler from material Weber had left from an unfinished opera The Three Pintos. Suddenly to hear Mahler's idiom and Mahler's scoring in a ghostly embrace with Weber's has real `tingle-factor` for me, something like the effect of the last bars of the Flying Dutchman overture, written by the Wagner of Tristan and Isolde. I am going to get very attached to this record.

Amended review.......2001-06-30

I lowered my original score from 4 star to 2 star after listening to it a few more times. It became clearer to me that, though the recording is dead quiet with no extraneous noise, the strings are muffled considerably. Great music, OK recording quality.

A Delight In All Respects.......2001-06-23

Weber clearly liked to keep a little fun in his music. These two symphonies are delightful music. Weber used a light touch to lead the listener through a spirited conversation between the orchestra sections. Instead of hiding the woodwinds behind a curtain of strings as was typical, Weber brought them out where they shine without being shrill or syrupy. None of that thin, reedy stuff here, its all full-bodied. Weber's love of the oboe shows. The orchestra plays Weber beautifully and the engineers did a great job too.

Weber:Horn Concertino-Overtures Symphonies Nos. 1&2

Average customer rating:

Excellent stuff.
Vital and Esprit
Vital and Esprit

Weber:Horn Concertino-Overtures Symphonies Nos. 1&2

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004XPKJ
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Ov: Euryanthe
Ov: Oberon
Ov: Der Freischutz
Ov: The Ruler Of The Spirits
Invitation To The Dance
Ov: Abu Hassan
Ov: Peter Schmoll

Tracks:

Sym No.1 in C: I. Allegro Con Fuoco
Sym No.1 in C: II. Andante
Sym No.1 in C: III. Scherzo: Presto
Sym No.1 in C: IV. Finale: Presto
Hrn Con in E - Anthony Halstead
Sym No.2 in C: III. Allegro
Sym No.2 in C: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Sym No.2 in C: III. Menuetto: Allegro
Sym No.2 in C: IV. Finale: Scherzo Presto

Customer Reviews:

Excellent stuff........2005-03-24

This disc served as my introduction to Weber's music OTHER than Der Freischutz (I already had the complete recording of Freischutz before I found this one). The Hanover Band sounds absolutely stunning, very resonant even on period instruments. It's really breathtaking to hear this music the way it would've sounded to Weber's ears in the 1820's. The brass tuttis are stellar...if you don't like bass trombone, you may become a little annoyed with this recording because it constantly has lots of prescence when it has any part at all. I don't mind this, as I love the instrument.

If you are a horn player, like me, and/or have any interest in handhorn, this recording is a must for the Concertino. I've never heard natural horn sound so good. The horn openings of the Oberon and Freischutz Overtures sound amazing on the period instruments. You'll be amazed how open the brass sound is on the chorale-style section in Ruler of the Spirits...it can make you wish the valve was never invented.

I didn't really care for the symphonies...if you like Schubert's symphonies, you will probably enjoy them. Weber's music had a huge impact on the musical world, almost pointing a straight arrow to Wagner. If you listen closely to the Overture to Oberon, you can hear the similarity to many parts of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream. (same plot line, after all). In my opinion, this is great music played very capably by a great ensemble. For the quality of the Overtures and Concertino alone, this disc is a bargain.

Vital and Esprit.......2002-11-15

The orchestral colours are excitingly recorded, especially the brass is pretty dramatic.

Thanks to the period instruments with Goodman as conductor one can hear the demonic power and richness of sonority of Weber's beautiful music.

I compared quite a lot of other recordings and must say that this one is my favourite.

Vital and Esprit.......2002-11-15

The orchestral colours are excitingly recorded, especially the brass is pretty dramatic.

Thanks to the period instruments with Goodman as conductor one can hear the demonic power and richness of sonority of Weber's beautiful music.

Tracks:

Overture
I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Allegro
IV. Allegro
Overture
I. Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio
II. Andante Cantabile Con Moto
III. Menuetto. Allegro Molto E Vivace
IV. Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace

Customer Reviews:

Masterful Beethoven conducting in the grand old style.......2006-03-25

Klaus Tennstedt was almost 30 by the time Furtwangler died in 1954 and nearly 50 before he catapulted from obscurity in provincial Germany to international fame in 1974. His career was cut short by thorat cancer barely twenty years later. This BBC tape of live concerts from 1989-91 shows why Tennstedt gained such renown: he was a Beethoven conductor in the grand manner of Furtwnagler and Klemperer but with more spring in his rhythms than either. All these performances are on the slow side and exploit to the full Beethoven's heroic exultancy.

It may turn out that we will get the best of Tennstedt from live recordings like this one. He was a musician of spontaneous inspiration. Here he gets the London Phil., his own orchestra, to play with total commitment and intensity. The slightly murky stereo sound in Sym. #5 isn't of stuido quality, and the mikes sit a bit far back. That said, it would be hard to imagine more thrilling performances. Be prepared for a Sym. #1 played as grandly as the Fifth. This generous (79 min.) CD is filled out with an inspired, if slow Oberon Over. that is almost the best thing on it.