Carl Maria von Weber

German Romantic composer

Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18/19 November 1786 – 5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic in the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Best known for his operas, he was a crucial figure in the development of German Romantische Oper (German Romantic opera).

Throughout his youth, his father, Franz Anton, relentlessly moved the family between Hamburg, Salzburg, Freiberg, Augsburg and Vienna. Consequently, he studied with many teachers—his father, Johann Peter Heuschkel, Michael Haydn, Giovanni Valesi, Johann Nepomuk Kalcher, and Georg Joseph Vogler—under whose supervision he composed four operas, none of which survive complete. He had a modest output of non-operatic music, which includes two symphonies, two concertos and a concertino for clarinet and orchestra, a bassoon concerto, a horn concertino, two concertos and a Konzertstück for piano and orchestra, piano pieces such as Invitation to the Dance; and many pieces that featured the clarinet, usually written for the virtuoso clarinetist Heinrich Baermann.

His mature operas—Silvana (1810), Abu Hassan (1811), Der Freischütz (1821), Die drei Pintos (comp. 1820–21), Euryanthe (1823), Oberon (1826)—had a major impact on subsequent German composers including Marschner, Meyerbeer, and Wagner; his compositions for piano influenced those of Mendelssohn, Chopin and Liszt. His best known work, Der Freischütz, remains among the most significant German operas.

Read more about this composer on Wikipedia.

Works

Piano Sonata no. 2 in A flat major, J.199, op. 39 1814 Keyboard
Concertino in E minor, for horn and orchestra, J.188, op. 45 1815 Orchestral
Grand Duo Concertant, for clarinet and piano, op. 48 1816 Chamber
Der Freischütz, op. 77: Opera 1817 Stage
Jubel-Ouvertüre, J.245, op. 59 1818 Orchestral
Contented wi' Little, and Canty wi' Mair, song for voice, flute, violin, cello and piano, J.300a 1819 Vocal
Invitation to the Dance, op. 65 1819 Orchestral
Konzertstück in F minor, for piano and orchestra, J. 282, op. 79 1821 Orchestral
10 schottische Nationalgesänge
3 Duets, op. 31
4 Lieder, op. 41
4 Lieder, op. 46
6 Lieder, op. 15
6 Lieder, op. 30
6 Lieder, op. 47
6 Lieder, op. 66
6 Lieder, op. 80
6 Partsongs, op. 68
6 Pieces, for piano four hands, J.81-86, op. 10a Keyboard
6 Progressions Sonatas for Piano and Violin Obligato, J.99-104, op. 10b Chamber
6 Variations on a theme from Vogler's opera 'Samori', J.43, op. 6 Keyboard
6 Variations on an original theme in C major, J.7, op. 2 Keyboard
6 sonates progressives, op. 10
7 Variations on Bianchi's air 'Vien quà, Dorina bella,' J.53, op. 7 Keyboard
7 Variations on a Gypsy Song, J.219, op. 55 Keyboard
7 Variations on a Theme from Silvana for clarinet and piano, J.128, op. 33 Chamber
7 Variations on a theme from Méhul's opera 'Joseph,' J.141, op. 28 Keyboard
7 Variations on an Original Theme, J.55, op. 9 Keyboard
8 Variations on a ballet air from Vogler's opera 'Castor and Pollux,' J.40, op. 5 Keyboard
8 Volkslieder, op. 64
9 Variations in D minor on a Norwegian Air, for violin and piano, op. 22, J.61 Chamber
9 Variations on a Russian air ;Schöne Minka,' J.179, op. 40 Keyboard
Abschied, for 2 voices and piano, J.208, "O Berlin, ich muss dich lassen" Vocal
Abu Hassan: Opera Stage
Adagio Patetico in C sharp minor Keyboard
Adagio and Rondo, for 2 clarinets, 2 french horns and 2 bassoons, J.Anh.31, "Harmonie" Chamber
Ah, dove siete for voice and guitar or piano, J.108, op. 29, no. 1, "Weh! Daß geschieden" Vocal
Andante and Hungarian Rondo, op. 35 Orchestral
Andante con Variazioni for Piano 4-Hands, J.12, op. 3, no. 4 Keyboard
Bach, Echo und Kuß, song for voice and piano or guitar, J.243, op. 71, no. 2, "Ein Mädchen gin' " Vocal
Bassoon Concerto in F major, J.127, op. 75 Orchestral
Ch'io mai vi possa, J.120, op. 29, no. 3, "In euren Blicken" Vocal
Clarinet Concerto no. 1 in F minor, J.114, op. 73 Orchestral
Clarinet Concerto no. 2 in E flat major, J.118, op. 74 Orchestral
Clarinet Quintet, J.182, op. 34 Chamber
Concertino for Solo Oboe and Winds Orchestral
Country Dance, for violin and piano Chamber
Das Mädchen an das erste Schneeglöckchen, song for voice and piano, J.267, op. 71, no. 3, "Was bricht hervor" Vocal
Der Freischütz
Divertimento assai facile, op. 38
Ein König einst gefangen saß, romance for voice and guitar, J.195 Vocal
Euryanthe
Gesänge und Kanon, op. 13
Grand Pot-pourri in D major, concert piece for cello and orchestra, J.64, op. 20 Orchestral
Grande Polonaise in E flat major, J.59, op. 21 Keyboard
Jubel-Cantate, for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, J.244, op. 58 Vocal
Laß mich schlummern, J.112, op. 25, no. 3 Vocal
Leyer und Schwert II, op. 42
Liebe-Glühen, song for voice and guitar, J.140, op. 25, no. 1, "In der Berge Riesenchatten" Vocal
Lützow's wilde Jagd, partsong for 4 male voices, J.168, op. 42, no. 2, "Was glänzt" Vocal
March for wind ensemble in C major, J.307 Orchestral
Meine Lieder, meine Sänge, song for voice and piano, J.73, op. 15, no. 3 Vocal
Missa Sancta no. 2 in G major, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, J.251, op. 76, "Jubelmesse" Vocal
Missa sancta no. 1 in E-flat major "Freischütz Messe", J. 224, op. 75a
Momento Capriccioso, op. 12 Keyboard
Ninfe se liete, J.124, op. 29, no. 2 Vocal
Non paventar mia vita, scene and aria for for soprano and orchestra, J.181, op. 51 Vocal
Oberon, J.306: Opera Stage
Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn, J.8, op. 8: Opera Stage
Piano Concerto no. 1 in C major, J.98, op. 11 Orchestral
Piano Concerto no. 2 in E flat major, J.155, op. 32 Orchestral
Piano Quartet in B flat major, J.76, "Grand Quatuor" Chamber
Piano Sonata no. 1, op. 24 Keyboard
Piano Sonata no. 3, J.206, op. 49 Keyboard
Piano Sonata no. 4 in E minor, J. 287, op. 70 Keyboard
Polacca brillante, J.268, op. 72, "L'Hilarité" Keyboard
Preciosa, for soloist, chorus and orchestra, J.279, op. 78 Orchestral
Reigen, song for voice and piano, J.159, op. 30, no. 5, "Sagt mir an, was schmunzeit ihr" Vocal
Romance for Piano 4-Hands, J.10, op. 3, no. 2 Keyboard
Rondo Brilliant, op. 62 Keyboard
Rondo, for domra and orchestra Orchestral
Rübezahl, J. 44–46
Schone Ahnung ist erglommen, for 4 male voices and piano ad lib., J. 228; Op.53b, no. 2 or Op.57, no. 2, "Frühlingslied" Vocal
Se il mio ben, concert duet for 2 altos and orchestra, J. 107 Vocal
Silvana, J.87: Opera Stage
Sonatina for Piano 4-Hands, J.9, op. 3, no. 1 Keyboard
Symphonie Nr. 1 in C-Dur
Symphony no. 1 in C major, J.50, op. 19 Orchestral
Symphony no. 2 in C major, J. 51 Orchestral
The Ruler of the Spirits Overture, op. 27 Orchestral
Trio, op. 63, J. 259
Turandot, incidental music, J.75, op. 37 Orchestral
Über die Berge, song for voice and guitar, J.110, op. 25, no. 2 Vocal

Box sets & recent recordings

Carlos Kleiber - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon — Carlos Kleiber, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss II, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, Carl Maria von Weber (2010) box set · 152 tracks Spotify
Weber - The Spirit of German Romanticism — Carl Maria von Weber (2026) box set · 56 tracks Spotify
Weber: Piano Works — Carl Maria von Weber, Michael Endres (2011) box set · 40 tracks Spotify
200 years of Carl Maria von Weber — Carl Maria von Weber (2026) box set · 38 tracks Spotify
Weber: Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet — Carl Maria von Weber, Davide Bandieri, Matteo Fossi, Quartetto Savinio (2022) Spotify
Weber: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra — Carl Maria von Weber, Ronald Brautigam, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens (2021) Spotify

Box sets & recent releases via Spotify — surfaced automatically, not editorial picks.