Carl Maria von Weber: Grand Potpourri for cello and orchestra, Op.20, J.64, Thomas Blees (cello)

Carl Maria von Weber - Grand Potpourri for cello and orchestra, Op. 20, J. 64, Thomas Blees (cello), Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Carl-August Bünte (conductor)
Movements (without breaks):
01. - Maestoso. — 00:00
02. — Andante. — 03:27
03. — Adagio. — 10:29
04. — Allegro. – 15:21

Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 1786 – 5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school.

“He showed a precocious musical talent. Taught by Joseph Haydn's younger brother, Michael, in Salzburg, Weber had already composed opera, choral music and piano pieces when he was 14, and by the age of 20 had added two symphonies. He established a German opera at Dresden in a challenge to the Italian monopoly of the genre, using not only German libretti, but plots based on German history and folk legends.

The Grand potpourri for cello and orchestra is one of Weber's display pieces in the grand manner. It is in the bright key of D major. The orchestral opening is played maestoso, the solo cellist shortly entering in the theatrical style, still limbering up, Andante, with handfuls of divided notes and ardently couched phrases scattered liberally over two and a half registers. (Bottesini, Rossini and Paganini all revelled in this same shameless exhibitionism). The cello soon settles into the mode of F major for a series of romantic themes and a call to action. A recitative and modulation to G minor - then B flat major - allows the soloist to continue to emote to his heart's content, but one cannot help thinking that by this point the music really cries out for a change. And finally it comes: two dramatic announcements from the orchestra, and away we go in a skipping D major dance for solo cello to a simple 4/4 accompaniment. An A major counter theme adds variety with solo oboes, then a quick modulation to D minor leads to F, A flat, B flat, and back to D. Weber amuses himself with some lightning embellishments on the main theme, before the operatic bridge passage and a final coruscating coda as the cellist fearlessly scales what are (for him) dizzy heights indeed.“ (Bill & Gill Newman, Album Notes)