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Grand Duo Concertant (Weber)

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The Grand Duo Concertant, Opus 48, J204, is a three-movement work for clarinet and piano composed by Carl Maria von Weber from 1815 to 1816. It is a virtuosic piece for both instruments.[1] Weber most likely composed the work for himself (on piano) and his friend Heinrich Baermann, a leading clarinettist of the era, although it has also been suggested that the intended clarinettist was Johann Simon Hermstedt.[2][3]

The three movements are as follows:

  1. Allegro con fuoco
  2. Andante con moto
  3. Rondo: allegro

The second and third movements were completed before the first and were probably performed in 1815 for King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria at the Nymphenburg Palace.[4] During its composition, Weber designated the work as a sonata, but abandoned that title upon its completion. This decision reflected the work's character as more of a showcase for two virtuosos than a conventionally structured and integrated work.[5] The first movement is in sonata form,[6] the second movement is an Andante in C minor, and the finale is a lilting rondo in E-flat major. The British music critic John Warrack suggests the work could be referred to as a "double concerto without orchestra", reflecting the highly virtuosic roles for both performers.[7]

The autograph manuscript of the work is preserved in the Library of Congress.

Media

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References

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  1. ^ Brown, Clive (2003). Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music (edited by Stephen E. Hefling). New York: Routledge. pp. 144–145.
  2. ^ "Review: Sonatas; Grand duo concertant / Danzi, Mendelssohn, Weber (Charles Neidich and Robert Levin)". Gramophone. No. September 1995.
  3. ^ Warrack, John. "Review: Ries / Weber (Taillard / Torbianelli)". Gramophone. No. April 2003.
  4. ^ Rice, Albert R. (2003). The Clarinet in the Classical Period. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 189.
  5. ^ Warrack, John (1976). Carl Maria Von Weber. Cambridge University Press. p. 374. ISBN 0521291216.
  6. ^ Warrack, John (1976). Carl Maria Von Weber. Cambridge University Press. p. 178. ISBN 0521291216.
  7. ^ Warrack, John. "Review: Weber (Moragues, Izuha, Prazak Quartet)". Gramophone. No. October 2001.

Recordings

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Etcetera Records, Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble, C.M. von Weber (Grand Quintetto op.34, Grand Duo Concertant op.48, Variations on a theme of Silvana op.33) (2017)

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