Description
Carl Maria von Weber wrote the present concerto in 1811 for the Munich bassoon player Georg Friedrich Brandt. The date of the world premiere is not known; what is ascertained, however, is a performance in Prague on 19 February 1813 by Brandt, to whom the work was dedicated.
Along with Mozart’s B-flat major Concerto K. 191 (186e), Weber’s bassoon concerto is one of the most popular and frequently played concertos for this low woodwind instrument. Weber illustrates the instrument’s qualities by using a different form in each movement, as we can see in its primary themes: the opening movement is dominated by a rhythmically striking theme; cantabile passages set the tone for the more lightly scored Adagio; and in the closing “Rondo. Allegro,” the soloist can demonstrate his virtuosity from the very beginning through large intervallic leaps and rapid runs.