Weber: Symphony No.2 in C major (1807)

Allegro
Adagio, ma non troppo
Menuetto – Allegro
Finale – Scherzo Presto

The phenomenon of composing a highly accomplished symphony towards the close of only a second decade of life is rare, if not entirely unique; there is Shostakovich’s first; and Schubert’s fourth! yet surprisingly, neither Mozart nor Mendelssohn actually produced a symphony at that specific age. Indeed, Weber himself is not really remembered today as a symphonist at all – although, with a substantial number of purely instrumental works to his credit, it would be unfair – and inaccurate – to regard him solely as an opera composer. It so happened that an early opportunity to write symphonies presented itself in the Autumn of 1806, when he was invited by Duke Eugen Friedrich Heinrich von Württemberg-Öls to be his guest at Schloss Carlsruhe, near Brieg, Silesia. In March that year he had just relinquished his first post as a conductor; appointed in November 1804, aged just eighteen, to the Municipal Theatre in Breslau, it would appear that a yearning for a new, progressive approach to musical drama, instrumental colour, harmonic adventurousness – attributes which would eventually find fulfilment in the operatic masterpieces to come – had aroused some hostility. Nevertheless, he took with him to Carlsruhe the considerable experience gained from organising and working with a fine orchestra – an attraction which was also to be found at the Schloss. 

Despite the aforementioned yearnings, it should not be forgotten that there were still a further fifteen years of the eighteenth century remaining at the time of his birth, and although the dawn of a new era was undoubtedly dominated by the massive presence of Beethoven, it was the Classical models of Mozart and Haydn (who was still alive) to which the young Weber turned, when encouraged to compose his own symphonies for the Duke’s orchestra – even though the mighty Eroica itself had already been performed the previous year in far-off Vienna, as also had Leonore (the first version of the older composer’s only opera, Fidelio……..). Although it is almost certain that Weber heard neither of those revolutionary masterpieces at that time, he nevertheless found his own means of revolutionising the musical status quo, such that the editor of the first printed score of this symphony, Hans-Hubert Schönzeler, was surely right to acclaim him as the first great German Nationalist composer. Characteristics of this new Romanticism on the horizon can already be traced in Weber’s two symphonies, not least in the variety of instrumental colours (sometimes dramatically dark hued) he conjures out of limited resources, there were no clarinets (ultimately his favourite wind instrument) and just the one flute – although evidently highly accomplished players on horn, viola, and oboe (the duke’s own instrument). Theatrical gestures – e.g. scary silences – frequently make their mark, together with long breathed singing melodies, and even the odd joke. Be prepared, at the very end.

Alan George
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