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, Op. 73 & Op. 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.
Played by Italian master clarinetist Davide Bandieri, who played solo clarinet in the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado. For this recording he secured the collaboration of such eminent instrumentalists as pianist Matteo Fossi and the Quartetto Savinio. © Brilliant Classics