Weber was one of the
first "romantic" composers
and amongst the most important of Beethoven’s
time. Today his name is largely associated
with opera, notably Der Freischütz
and Oberon, and orchestral
music – there are two symphonies and
two concertos each for piano and clarinet.
Jähn’s catalogue of his works numbers
308 in total but only three of these
are classified as "chamber".
Here they all are, beautifully played
by members of the Gaudier Ensemble and
well recorded on one highly desirable
disc.
The Clarinet Quintet
is the best-known of these three works.
As with the two clarinet concertos,
Weber wrote it for Heinrich Baermann.
It is in the same mould with the clarinet
having many opportunities for display
and very much a soloist. The work occupied
Weber for quite some time. He started
it in 1811, the first three movements
were performed privately in 1813 before
the concluding rondo was added in 1815.
The first movement allegro opens sedately
before gathering momentum. Lyrical and
free-flowing, it is on a large scale
and uses sonata form. The adagio which
follows is entitled Fantasia
and is particularly memorable. When
Weber asks the clarinetist to repeat
long upward lines pianissimo, Richard
Hosford’s stunning control achieves
what sound like perfect echoes. The
minuet that follows is capricious indeed
and the mostly light-hearted rondo finale
is very elegantly realised here. This
is a treasurable performance that makes
one think of the work as fit to sit
alongside Mozart’s and Brahms’s contributions
to the genre.
In the flute trio,
a cello provides contrast and the combination
of instruments is the same as Haydn
used in about 1790. The work seems to
have been written for domiciliary purposes
and the flautist who inspired it was
Weber’s doctor Philipp Jungh. Although
retaining some influence from Haydn,
Weber sets it in four movements with
an opener comparable to the clarinet
quintet and scherzo placed second. The
latter is fleeting at under three minutes
and lacks a trio but there is a notable
contrasting graceful theme for the flute.
This seems like a precursor of the Invitation
to the Waltz – a work which was
to follow shortly. The andante which
follows is entitled "Shepherd’s
Lament" and is more plain than
plaintive. Weber was back on form in
a finale which is jaunty with just a
few darker undertones. Fine playing
is in evidence from Jaime Martin and
the support is sympathetic.
Although Mozart wrote
two gems, we are not overburdened with
Piano Quartets and it has been a pleasure
to discover this one. A relatively early
work written over a two year period
when times were hard for the composer
(he was imprisoned for debt soon after
it was completed), the overall four
movement structure is conventional,
the structures within the movements
less so. Weber’s practice at the time
was to start by composing slow movements
(here this is placed second) followed
by the finale. If the first movement
represents Weber at his most original,
the presto finale seems to make the
greatest demands on the pianist and
is superbly brought off by Susan Tomes.
The playing and recording
on this disc are at a very high standard
throughout. Supporting roles are filled
with great expertise and everything
sounds poised and beautifully balanced.
As one would expect from this label,
the documentation is also excellent
with an authoritative contribution from
John Warrack.
This is the first new
Hyperion disc I have heard since news
came of the adverse judgment in their
legal case and it represents the kind
of thing we may be missing in the future
if their plans for new recordings have
to be shelved. I am not sure whether
or not the ordinary music lover can
do anything about this but it will surely
help if they show their support by purchasing
discs such as this one. Go on – you
will love it.
Patrick C Waller
Weber only wrote three
chamber works - here they all are, beautifully
played and well recorded on one highly
desirable disc ... see Full Review
The Gaudier Ensemble: Richard Hosford (clarinet),
Jaime Martin (flute), Marieke Blankestijn (violin
I), Lesley Hatfield (violin II), Iris Juda (viola),
Christoph Marks (cello), Susan Tomes (piano).
