2020 54,928 reviews and more.. and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here You can also use this FreeFind              International mailing

Searching Musicweb Monthly index Recordings of the Year Label index Masterwork index Series index Search engines Review Archive Classical Downloads Jazz Concerts Nostalgia Books Film music Resources Composer pages Tony Duggan's Mahler survey National Discographies Mark Morris's Guide to Twentieth Century Composers Ralph Moore's Surveys Online books Piano Trio Survey Cello Concerto Project Pot Pourri - Early MusicWeb Gerard Hoffnung Arthur Butterworth's columns Philip Scowcroft's British light music collection Interviews Programme notes MusicWeb Listening Studio Other material Articles Seen & Heard Jazz reviews Message Board Announcements About Musicweb About Musicweb Contact Musicweb Contributors What they say about us Visitor stats Site Map

Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn

BUY NOW  Crotchet   AmazonUK   AmazonUS

Carl Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Concertino in E flat, J109 Op 26 (1811) [9.16] Clarinet Concerto #1 in f, J114 Op 73 (1811) [21.02] Clarinet Concerto #2 in Eb, J118 Op 74 (1811) [22.16] Clarinet Quintet in Bb, J182 Op 34 (1815) [5.46] Sabine Meyer, clarinet Staatskapelle Dresden/Herbert Blomstedt (concertos) Württembergisches Kammerorchester, Heilbron/Jörg Faerber (quintet and concertino) Recorded at the Lukaskirche, Dresden, Germany, September 1985 (concertos) Recorded at Kirche auf der Karlshöhe, Ludwigsburg, Germany, November 1984 Notes in English, Deutsch, Français. 8-page catalogue of EMI GROTC recordings. EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 7243 5 67988 2 3 [78.36]

Comparison recording: Eduard Brunner, clarinet; Bamberger Symphoniker/Oleg Caetani. Orfeo C067831 A (Opp 26, 73, 74) 1983 In these concertos Weber’s musical style strikes me as just about halfway between Beethoven and Verdi, and these concertos owe virtually nothing to Mozart; while the Quintet sounds at times like a collaboration between Mozart and Beethoven. The opening of the Second Concerto is reminiscent of Paganini, and the extreme jumps in range in the clarinet part certainly demand the greatest virtuosity from the player. The slow movements to the Quintet and the Second Concerto have some of the quality of operatic scenes — yearning, romantic solos. The final movements of both concertos have a jauntiness of phrase reminiscent of Telemann. That’s right, in spite of the opus numbers, all of these works were produced in the same year, 1811, the second two on commission from the King of Bavaria, and all were intended for the clarinettist Heinrich Bärman. Weber actually began work on the Quintet the same year, but it wasn’t completed until four years later. This artist’s command of the clarinet is stunning from the first notes of this disk. It takes skill and courage to utilise the clarinet’s "metallic" range as Ms. Meyer does, producing a thrillingly dramatic tonal, textural, and dynamic sound, as well as very many very sweet sounds when called for. Recording is excellent, orchestral backup is enthusiastic, and the result is almost great music. Certainly these works have never sounded so good, so important. The Brunner recording utilises faster tempi throughout which give more urgency, higher energy, more of a sense of sturm und drang, more high brass sound to the orchestral tuttis, contrasting with a slightly more mellow, less "metallic" approach to the solos. Orchestra is slightly more forward. Brunner observes a substantial cut in the slow movement of the Concerto #1. Both disks are excellent; the choice is on style not on quality, and the fact that on the Meyer disk you get the Clarinet Quintet — orchestrated — as a bonus, and a valuable bonus it is indeed, since some will find it the best music on the disk. Paul Shoemaker see also review by Christopher Howell Great Recordings of the Century   Advertising on Musicweb Donate and keep us afloat   New Releases All Naxos reviews All Chandos reviews All Hyperion reviews All Foghorn reviews All Troubadisc reviews Click to see New Releases Get 10% off using code musicweb10 All Divine Art reviews All Eloquence reviews All Lyrita Reviews   Obtain 10% discount Recordings of the Month December (short month) Orphic Moments Metamorphoses Books I & II November Donizetti - Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali Chamber Symphonies 2 & 4 French Cello Concertos   October Shostakovich

Return to Index

Reviews from previous months Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.