Weber symphonies

[Barbirollians]

I have to admit to having never heard these charming works until acquiring the recent Chandos disc with BBCPO/Mena with karen Geoghagan in the Bassoon Concerto.

They are delightful - and with use of woodwind and brass that very much pre-echoes Freischutz and most certainly a cut above Spohr and the like . The Bassoon Concerto is very well played too and Invitation to the Dance is fine if not quite at the level of the very best accounts. Just slightly lacking in lilt .

[richardfinegold]

I have to admit to having never heard these charming works until acquiring the recent Chandos disc with BBCPO/Mena with karen Geoghagan in the Bassoon Concerto.

They are delightful - and with use of woodwind and brass that very much pre-echoes Freischutz and most certainly a cut above Spohr and the like . The Bassoon Concerto is very well played too and Invitation to the Dance is fine if not quite at the level of the very best accounts. Just slightly lacking in lilt .

I remember hearing them many years ago, finding them enjoyable, and not very memorable. Maybe I'll try them again on Spotify

[jayne lee wilson]

Weber Symphonies 1&2 etc., on BIS 24/44.1 or CD...
TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA/JEAN-JACQUES KANTOROW

Near-ideal (nothing is ever "ideal" now, is it?) blend of transparency, delicacy, wit and punch. Highly recommended.

[richardfinegold]

I listened to this recording on Spotify. The performance seems unobjectionable. The music sounds more like a bunch of Opera Overtures cobbled together than like a SymphOby

[Roehre]

I listened to this recording on Spotify. The performance seems unobjectionable. The music sounds more like a bunch of Opera Overtures cobbled together than like a Symphony

they certainly do and are most likely meant to be, as Weber's attempt to compose symphonies was not meant to be competitive with Beethoven's symphonies. Weber's remark regarding Beethoven 7 ("Non plus ultra of madness, Beethoven is really mad) speaks volumes. Weber's Symphonies (confusingly both in C, both from 1806 and written immediately after each other) as well as his concertante works (for piano, clarinet, viola, horn, bassoon i.a.) are fun works, not compositions to shock the world.

[Tony Halstead]

I seem to remember that both the Weber symphonies plus most of the overtures were recorded by the Hanover Band ( period instruments) in the usual 'Nimbus' cavernous echo-chamber acoustical venue many years ago (25?).
This was issued on a double CD and if still available would allow certain MBoarders to compare the symphonies with the overtures.

Having played symphony 2 with Norrington many years ago in the early days of the OAE and enjoyed it, I wonder whether Sir R N ever recorded the symphonies, either with his 'London Classical Players' or his subsequent very fine 'modern instrument orchestra' in Germany?

[AmpH]

Norrington did indeed record the 2 Weber Symphonies for EMI with the London Classical Players

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have a 1982 ASV recording by ASMF/ Marriner. It's never done a lot for me, a special disappointment when so much of Weber (operas, overtures, concertos, chamber music) is so delightful. You can usually rely on him for a really good tune (or two) and striking instrumentation. But not apparently in the symphonies I've wondered whether another recording would change my mind, but others here seem to feel they're just W on an off-day

[Stan Drews]

I got to know them through an RCA recording from Hans-Hubert Schönzeler (who, iirc, may also have prepared the Eulenberg edition) and the LSO. Maybe not great music but charming, nevertheless. (Note to self - check attic to see if I've still got the vinyl.)

[Nick Armstrong]

I got to know them through an RCA recording from Hans-Hubert Schönzeler (who, iirc, may also have prepared the Eulenberg edition) and the LSO. Maybe not great music but charming, nevertheless. (Note to self - check attic to see if I've still got the vinyl.)

Stan I don't know these pieces but I had to chip in to say it's always great to see your cimbasso !

[Ferretfancy]

I have a 1982 ASV recording by ASMF/ Marriner. It's never done a lot for me, a special disappointment when so much of Weber (operas, overtures, concertos, chamber music) is so delightful. You can usually rely on him for a really good tune (or two) and striking instrumentation. But not apparently in the symphonies I've wondered whether another recording would change my mind, but others here seem to feel they're just W on an off-day

Le Martin
I listened to the 1st Symphony on the Marriner LP this morning, and like you was not very impressed , the rather boxy recording doesn't help much either. I have a Naxos CD with the Queensland PO and Georgiadis on the shelf, so I'll give that a try.

[Tony Halstead]

As Bryn has observed, there is a Norrington/ LCP recording.
It's available on Amazon, both new and 2nd hand , as is the Hanover Band/ Goodman double album.
I've just ordered the Norrington version.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Le Martin
I listened to the 1st Symphony on the Marriner LP this morning, and like you was not very impressed , the rather boxy recording doesn't help much either. I have a Naxos CD with the Queensland PO and Georgiadis on the shelf, so I'll give that a try.

Might just afford a punt on the Naxos, Ferret, if you give it the

[MickyD]

I must confess to having a real fondness for those "cavernous" (to quote Waldhorn) recordings by the Hanover Band for Nimbus....the brass and woodwind sound great, with some real punch. And I think I'm right in thinking that with that 2 CD set of the symphonies and overtures, you also get the brilliant Anthony Halstead performance of the Horn Concertino too...a recording which often finds its way into my CD player when I need cheering up.

[Ferretfancy]

Following on from the symphonies, I've been listening to a CD of shorter works by Weber for various combinations drawn from an old Turnabout issue. three of these are in the form of an Andante and Hungarian Rondo, which Weber seemed to enjoy. There is also a Concertino for Horn and Orchestra played by Francis Norval with the Hamburg Symphony and Gunter Neidlinger What a charming and rather odd work !

I say this because some of the quieter passages for the soloist go so low that I feel sure they are beneath the instrument's compass, whether or not it was composed for a natural or valved horn. The performer is reduced to making low gurgling noises, in fact more reminiscent of a certain bodily function! There are also a couple of passages that sound like flutter tongueing. Norval brings this off with considerable success, perhaps Hornspieler might be able to tell us more about the piece, I really enjoyed it.
Other items on the disc are the Bassoon Concertos by Mozart and Weber, with the excellent George Zukerman and the Wurttemberg SO and Jorg Faerber.