Weber, Carl Maria von. (1786-1826)
Rondo Brillante per il Pianoforte, op. 62
Berlin: Adolph Martin Schlesinger. [1819]. First edition. Oblong folio. Engraved. [PN] 1030. [1] (title), [2-3] 4 - 17 pp. [1]. Jähns p. 275.The Rondo brillante was composed in 1819, after a trying time for Weber: early in the year, he had been seriously ill for two months, during which time his infant daughter died. Struggling to manage the demands of his job as the Dresden Kapellmeister with opera and instrumental commissions, he retreated to Hosterwitz, outside Dresden, during the summer, and finally completed several works he owed to the Berlin publisher Schlesinger, including the Rondo, several other piano pieces and the Jubel-Cantate and Jubel-Ouvertüre. With its extremely demanding writing for the piano, the piece is a testament to Weber's impressive technique. Also known as La gaîté, the Rondo brillante’s crystalline brilliance exploits the piano’s upper treble range (and the pianist’s right hand) to great effect. Exuberant, even breathtaking, it is a true showpiece by a virtuoso who, at thirty-three, was in the full flush of love for Caroline Brandt, whom he had married two years earlier.
"A prototypical 19th-century musician-critic, he sought through his works, words and efforts as performer and conductor to promote art and shape emerging middle-class audiences to its appreciation. His contributions to song, choral music and piano music were highly esteemed by his contemporaries..." (Grove Online) (13727)
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