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Donald Macleod looks at Weber’s affairs in Stuttgart as they reach crisis point. Implicated in a scandal at court, the composer is placed under arrest for 16 days.

Weber’s relationship with European cities mirrored his life and work, from the restless wandering of his earlier years, to the way his life changed after the success of his opera Der Freischütz. And in his final months he travelled to London to compose and produce another major opera, Oberon, but would die after giving its first performances.

The young Weber had an unerring ability to cause offence. He got involved in multiple love affairs that caused him problems. He was also very good at racking up debts. These traits unfold as we follow Weber’s picaresque journeys around Europe, flitting from city to city: sometimes chasing opportunities, sometimes in disgrace, at other times escorted away under armed guard.

In this episode, Donald Macleod looks at Weber’s affairs in Stuttgart as they reach crisis point. Implicated in a scandal at court, the composer is placed under arrest for 16 days. Then his multiple creditors joined the fray - his huge debts, on top of the other charges floating over him, led to Weber being banished from the kingdom of Wuerttemberg in perpetuity.

In yet another new city - Mannheim - Weber enjoyed nocturnal wandering with his friends. They took their guitars, singing and playing new folk songs - their interest in popular songs was a novelty for the time. Weber would draw lasting inspiration from these experiences - using songs as themes in his major works, and he would also find valuable material in the ghost stories being told during these escapades.

Momento capriccioso, Op. 12, J56
Alexander Paley, piano

Overture and Marches for Turandot, J75
Overture
Act II: March
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Foster, conductor

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 11, J98
Ronald Brautigam, piano
Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

Clarinet Concertino in E flat major, Op. 26, J109
Martin Fröst, clarinet
Tapiola Sinfonietta

Piano Quartet in B flat major, Op. 18 J76
I. Allegro con fuoco
Gidon Kremer, violin
Veronika Hagen, viola
Clemens Hagen, cello
Vadim Sakharov, piano

Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Iain Chambers