Gioachino Rossini, 1792 to 1868
Overture to The Barber of Seville, premiered in 1816 in Rome, Italy 
Duration: 8 minutes

Gioachino Rossini didn’t have the common fate of being an impoverished composer, only to achieve fame later in life. He was born into a family of musicians, showed early talent, and began studies at the Philharmonic School in Bologna at the age of twelve. His first opera was performed with some success in 1810. 

He proceeded to compose 34 operas over the next thirteen years. He wasn’t shy about using music written for a prior opera in the current effort. The overture for The Barber of Seville had been used twice before. But Rossini was a master of innovation in melody, harmonic and instrumental color, and dramatic form. He said he worked best under pressure and remarked that his impresarios were all bald from tearing out their hair.

Rossini was extremely successful professionally, which allowed him to stop composing in 1823 to deal with his personal life which was complicated with depression, arthritis, and other ailments. He lived for 45 more years, conducting his operas, hosting salons in his home, and living a sybaritic life. He loved good food so much, (as his “increasingly rotund shape began to reflect”) that the French steak dish “Tournedos Rossini” was created for him. Rossini’s soirees were a most desirable invitation and were attended by the likes of Liszt, Sarasate, and Wagner. (Rossini has been quoted as saying that "Wagner has beautiful moments but bad quarters of an hour.")

His overtures are formulaic, characterized by musicologist Philip Gossett as “sonata movements without development sections, usually preceded by a slow introduction.” They tend to contain “clear melodies, exuberant rhythms and simple harmonic structures.” In addition, nearly all feature a woodwind solo announcing the secondary theme.

Rossini was the most famous composer in Europe and his overture to Barber continues to be played everywhere from Bugs Bunny cartoons to a Beatles movie. The fast theme, when it arrives, is a frolicking tune which foretells the mischievousness in the opera. The overture continues in the same vein to a satisfying climax. (No wonder Bugs Bunny and the Beatles were enamored with it.)

While the Australian critic, Clive James, once quipped that Rossini was “Mozart without the brains,” today he is widely celebrated for his wit, charm, and unmatched gift for melody. Indeed, Rossini is universally admired as a master of his domain and he continues to delight his listeners.

Program notes by Andrew Good.

Carl Maria von Weber, 1786 to 1826
Clarinet Concerto No. 1, premiered in 1811 in Munich, Germany
Duration: 23 minutes

Like many other composers, Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was born into a musical family. His father was at various times a conductor and head of theatre companies, while his mother was successful singer. Traveling with them in childhood exposed the young Weber to a variety of art/show forms which helped him in later in life. He had a number of teachers, including Michael Haydn, Joseph Haydn’s brother.

He was a prodigious talent, producing his first opera at age fourteen. His work is in the romantic style, following the influence of Beethoven, a contemporary. Weber moved frequently, usually for being on the wrong side of the political styles of the day. In 1811, he became friends with Heinrich Baermann, the clarinetist in the court orchestra in Munich. This led to composition of several works for clarinet and orchestra, including the first, a concerto in F minor, a piece that  blends virtuosity with lyricism.

While clarinet is often overlooked as a virtuosic instrument, under Weber’s treatment it simply dazzles. From the opening bars of the Allegro, the clarinet bursts into action with leaps, rapid scales, and expressive phrasing that demands both agility and finesse from the soloist. After much excitement, the music eventually diminuendos to silence.

The second movement, Adagio ma non troppo, emerges from that quiet in a lyrical mood, with more romantic and dramatic music. It moves to a duet between the clarinet and horn section, ebbing and flowing until the horns herald an emotional climactic passage with the orchestra.

The finale, Rondo: Allegretto, is a whirlwind of flair and fireworks—a true showpiece that demonstrates why Weber helped bring the clarinet into the Romantic spotlight. The movement begins with a wild ride, showcasing the virtuoso’s command of the instrument. Eventually, there is a quiet, passionate interlude which, in turn, leads to a dance-like section, with frequent changes in key. The last section again features the soloist performing at the highest levels of ability and passion, and a most dramatic ending.

Weber’s clarinet concerto stands as a brilliant example of early Romanticism. With its soaring melodic lines and electrifying, rapid-fire passagework, the piece brims with emotion and virtuosity. It left a powerful mark on generations of composers and continues to inspire clarinetists around the world.

Program notes by Andrew Good. 

Felix Mendelssohn, 1809 to 1847
Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”, premiered in 1842 in Leipzig, Germany
Duration: 40 minutes

Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent family with a grandfather who was a noted philosopher and a father who was a prosperous banker. Felix was the second child, preceded by his sister, Fanny. Both children were talented musically and began writing music at an early age.

Mendelssohn is well known today because of at least two important occurrences. The first is his overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream containing the famous Wedding March which has served as soundtrack to countless wedding recessionals. He was also responsible for re-introducing J. S. Bach’s music, reprising The St. Matthew’s Passion in 1829. That same year, on a visit to Scotland, he wrote a friend, “We went into the deep twilight to the Palace of Holyrood where Queen Mary lived and loved….I believe I found today in that old chapel the beginnings of my Scottish Symphony.” Ironically, he never used that term again but the title has persisted.

He worked on the symphony for several years before setting it aside until 1841 and completing it in 1842. For many listeners, the symphony creates a mood which captures the brooding seas and rugged landscape of its namesake.

The work is in four movements, usually played without breaks. The opening is slow, (written in 1829), which leads to music which is dark and stormy. There are some rhythmic themes which could be called lilting, giving way to melodies which seem to derive from folk melodies. The second movement is a brief one, filled with sunny dance music (snap rhythms) led by a joyous clarinet.

The third movement is slow and introspective, “a struggle between love and fate.”  The horns and winds play a march which hints at the funereal but warms to a more hopeful mood. It flows into the last movement, a folksy exploration by the full orchestra, filled with slashing chords. Eventually, there is a return to the theme which opens the symphony, fading to almost nothing. Here, Mendelssohn writes a coda which has been termed a “victory hymn.” It’s in A major, not the A minor of the symphony. To some this change in mood is distressing, with conductor Otto Klemperer even writing another coda to replace it. However, good sense and respect for Mendelssohn’s mastery prevails, bringing the symphony to a subdued ending.

Mendelssohn’s writings continue to attract concertgoers because of the bright melodies and rhythms. As composer Norman Lloyd writes, “In his scherzo movements he brought a lightness of touch that had never been there before. His music is always gracious—never violent or deeply tragic. It breathes goodness and happiness.”

Program notes by Andrew Good.