Carl Maria von Weber Concerto No.1 in F minor for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 73 Grand Duo Concertant, Seven Variations in E fla Heinrich Baermann Quintet in E flat major, n-. TY for Clarinet and String ( rtet - James Campbell clarinet The London Symphony Orchestra Paul F B:'-.*
Carl Maria von Weber Concerto No. 1 in f minor for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 73 1. Allegro... 7:37 2. Adagio ma non troppo...6: 16 3. Rondo (Allegretto)...6:20 The London Symphony Orchestra, Paul Freeman, conductor James Campbell, clarinet Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48 4 Allegro con fuoco....6:33 5 Andante con moto... 5:27 6. Allegro Rondo....6:40 7. Seven Variations in E flat, Op. 33.... 8:20 James Campbell, clarinet - Leonard Hokanson, piano Heinrich Baermann Quintet in E flat major, Op. 23 for Clarinet and String Quartet 8 Allegro non troppo.....7:50 9 Adagio... 4:39 10 Allegro... 3:45 James Campbell, clarinet - The Allegri String Quartet This recording is a tribute to the ~artnership of two musical and personal friends, -Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) and Heinrich Baermann (1784-1847). The repertoire for instruments other than piano or violin often depends on a special relationship between composer and performer. Fortunately for clarinetists, their instrument has been well served by such collaborations.
Mozart's great clarinet concerto may never have been written without his friendship with Anton Stadler, and it is certain the musical world would be poorer had not Brahms heard Richard Muhlfeld's sensitive tone. More recently, the great jazz virtuoso Benny Goodman inspired works by Bela Bartok, Paul Hindemith, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould, and Darius Milhaud, to name but a few. Weber and Baermann met in 18 1 1 in Darmstadt when Weber, who had been living there, asked Baermann to perform one of his compositions on his farewell concert. The two met again a month later in Munich and Weber again asked Baermann to participate in a concert. Baermann agreed, but only on condition Weber write a new work for him. The result of Baermann's demand was the Concertino for clarinet and orchestra. It was such a success it led Weber to write two concertos and the clarinet quintet. All four works have become staples of the clarinet repertoire. The two friends could not have been physically more different. Weber's fragile, thin physique stood in sharp contrast to the tall, athletic, and handsome Baermann. His good looks and amazing musicianship had the public of the time in raptures and they often responded, according to Weber, with "frantic applause owing to Baermann's godlike playing." Weber's operatic style found expression in Baermann's heroic playing and his writing casts the clarinet in the role of an operatic prima donna, much to the benefit of composer, performer and listener. The Concerto No. I, although full of virtuosity, is striking in its lyrical content, the simplicity of the slow movement being particularly poignant. The cadenza in the first movement comes from Baermann's pen not Weber's, for Baermann was also a prolific composer. His 38 published works were held in high esteem and were very popular with many virtuosi of the day. Baermann's Quintet, Op. 23 is a fine example of his romantic imagination; his style, like Weber's, was operatic. The Adagio of the quintet is often performed on its own and was for many years mistakenly attributed to the young Richard Wagner.
The friendship of these two musicians was a h shared on the concert stage where they often performed together. On one occasion in Prague, the two musicians met the local dilettante the evening before the planned concert. Upon learning the duo had nothing but solo pieces with them, the dilettante insisted on a duet. That d t, after midnight, they began work on a set of variations on a theme from Weber's opera Sylvan. Baermann contributed the adago variation and worked on the darinet part. The next night the S m Variations Op.33 was premiered. The only work not written for or by Baermann on this recording is the Grand Duo Concertant which Weber dedicated to Baermann's rival, Johann Helmstedt. This work is a virtuoso "duet" with clarinet and piano being treated equally, and like all Weber's compositions for darinet, has found a permanent and solid place in the darinet repertoire. Recording Credits Weber Concerto recorded London 1988 Bob Auger engineer, Anthony Hodgson, producer Weber Grand Duo Concertant and Variations recorded in Bloomington, Indiana, December 1998, producer David Pickett, engineering and editing Hilary Hollan, engineering Travis Gregg and Andres Vialta i Baermann Quintet recorded in the Zwolle, Netherlands Oct 1999 by Arsis Records James Campbell Recordings on Marquis: Stoh Gems (81 119) JUNO Award Winner Ajbr Hours (81153) Manba~n &boa (81267) For more information, or a free Marquis Classics catalogue, contact: Marquis Classics, 30 Kenilworrh Ave., Toronto Canada M4L 3S3 Phone 888-627-6165 (Toronto 416-690-7662) Fax 416-690-7346 E-mail: Marquis-Classics@compuse~~e.wm Web: www.marquisdassics.com Printed in Canada 7 7471-81271-2 9