Author Description

Along with Mozarts B-flat major Concerto K.191 (186e), Webers bassoon concerto is one of the most popular and frequently played concertos for this low woodwind instrument.Carl Maria von Weber wrote this concerto in 1811 for the Munich bassoon player Georg Friedrich Brandt. The date of the world premiere is not known, though we do know of a performance in Prague on 19 February 1813 by Brandt, to whom the work was dedicated.Weber illustrates the instrument's qualities by using a different form in each movement, as we can see in its primary themes: the opening movement is dominated by a rhythmically striking theme; cantabile passages set the tone for the more lightly scored Adagio; and in the closing Rondo Allegro, the soloist can demonstrate his virtuosity from the very beginning through large intervallic leaps and rapid runs.