Mixed Media

CD of the Month

Carl Maria von Weber

Carl Maria von Weber never composed a ballet; yet his “invitation to dance” did not go unheard or unseen. After all—having once been orchestrated by Hector Berlioz and choreographed by Mikhail Fokine under the title Le Spectre de la rose—this piano piece has belonged to the classical canon of renowned dancers since 1911: an indispensable staple of many gala performances.

Choreographers such as Léonide Massine, Mark Morris, and Erich Walter have amply demonstrated that other works by the composer of Der Freischütz are also eminently suitable for the ballet stage. It is therefore surprising that no theater has chosen to commemorate his music on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Weber’s death on 5 June. Yet his two early piano concertos, in particular—as well as the highly contrasting Konzertstück—offer an abundance of musical material; on CD, this material is interpreted with striking authenticity by the Kölner Akademie under the direction of Michael Alexander Willens. The Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam performs his sparkling part on a fortepiano modeled after a historical instrument from 1819—an instrument capable of a dynamic range that repeatedly compels the listener to sit up and take notice.

Hartmut Regitz

Carl Maria von Weber: Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major, Konzertstück; Kölner Akademie, Ronald Brautigam (piano), Musical Direction: Michael Alexander Willens; www.bis.se