Carl Maria von Weber - Symphonies; Bassoon Concerto (Jean-Jacques Kantorow; Jaakko Luoma)

Information

Composer: Carl Maria von Weber

1. Symphony No. 2 in C major, J. 51: I. Allegro
2. Symphony No. 2 in C major, J. 51: II. Adagio, ma non troppo
3. Symphony No. 2 in C major, J. 51: III. Menuetto - Trio. Allegro
4. Symphony No. 2 in C major, J. 51: IV. Finale. Scherzo Presto
5. Andante e Rondo Ungarese, for bassoon and orchestra, J. 158: Andante
6. Andante e Rondo Ungarese, for bassoon and orchestra, J. 158: Allegretto ungarese
7. Concerto in F major, for bassoon and orchestra, J. 127: I. Allegro ma non troppo
8. Concerto in F major, for bassoon and orchestra, J. 127: II. Adagio
9. Concerto in F major, for bassoon and orchestra, J. 127: III. Rondo. Allegro
10. Symphony No. 1 in C major, J. 50: I. Allegro con fuoco
11. Symphony No. 1 in C major, J. 50: II. Andante
12. Symphony No. 1 in C major, J. 50: III. Scherzo - Trio. Presto
13. Symphony No. 1 in C major, J. 50: IV. Finale. Presto

Jaakko Luoma, bassoon (5-9)
Tapiola Sinfonietta
Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor
Date: 2009
Label: BIS
http://bis.se/composer/weber-carl-maria-von/weber-the-symphonies

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Review

There is little that can be done for Weber’s gauche, mindless early symphonies, written when he was 21. They are all sparks and bombast, with colorful surfaces but virtually no content. Single woodwinds (there are no clarinets) generally carry the tunes, passing them around the section, while strings offer some relief; brass join in for consistently loud, fanfare-like tutti. The general consensus has been to play the symphonies as fast as possible (to get them over with?). Kantorow does that too, and his 40-piece orchestra, playing modern instruments with all the snap, sparkle, and tonal panache of period practice—more so than Roy Goodman’s period-instrument Hanover Band—makes the most of the symphonies, aided by BIS ’s usual sensational recorded sound. Luoma’s bassoon stands out among the winds; Roger Norrington’s London Classical Players have better-balanced wind soloists, but the overall performances are not as precise. The Second Symphony opens this disc, beginning with a stunning two-bar fanfare; unfortunately, it never does anything with it, making the 10-minute Allegro seem endless. As if the composer immediately recognized the problem, the following three movements whiz by in a mere eight minutes. After the “final” coda and a pause, two brief pp notes from bassoon and low strings bring the proceedings to a close. Haydn did everything better, including jokes and false endings.

Concerted pieces always inspired the best from Weber: three for clarinet, three more for piano, one each for oboe and French horn. These two for bassoon are the cream of that instrument’s repertoire (there also was a kid named Mozart). Playing a bassoon built in 2000 by Wilhelm Heckel—I don’t know if he is related to the creator of the heckelphone—Luoma sails through both works with the greatest of ease, producing consistently lovely tones. Whatever happened to that grumpy old instrument that was so difficult to play?

The First Symphony comes last, probably so that its Presto finale, the most successful movement of the eight, can wind up the disc with a bang. As fine as the CD is, SACD opens up the sound, giving it more life. Trumpets and strings gain clarity and presence, which makes the winds recede slightly from the spotlight. Surround sound adds an airy feeling, but doesn’t alter the basic sound. If you must have Weber’s symphonies, this is certainly the disc to get, especially so given the bonus bassoon works. But the others mentioned also include marvelous bonuses: Melvyn Tan plays the fortepiano Konzertstück with Norrington, and Anthony Halstead plays a natural horn in the Horn Concertino with Goodman.

-- James H. North, FANFARE

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Apr10/Weber_symphonies_bissacd1620.htm
http://www.allmusic.com/album/weber-the-symphonies-bassoon-concerto-andante-e-rondo-ungarese-mw0001406063
https://www.amazon.com/Symphonies-C-M-Von-Weber/dp/B002AS45R4

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Carl Maria von Weber (18 or 19 November 1786 – 5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school. His operas greatly influenced the development of the Romantic opera in Germany. His composition for piano influenced composers such as Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. His compositions for woodwind instruments occupy an important place in the musical repertoire. His orchestration has also been highly praised and emulated by later generations of composers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Maria_von_Weber

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Jean-Jacques Kantorow (born 3 October 1945 in Cannes) is a French violin virtuoso and conductor. Since the 1970s he has been noted for his solo performances in a very wide range of repertoire and as a chamber music performer. His recordings have won many awards. He plays a Stradivarius attributed violin, the ‘ex-Leopold Auer’, dated 1699. In the 1980s he began a separate career as conductor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Kantorow

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