Allemande No. 8, Op. 4

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Musical Terms (6)

• Aufforderung German
  Invitation — specifically in Weber's concert rondo 'Aufforderung zum Tanze' (Invitation to the Dance), a narrative of a gentleman inviting a lady to dance, depicted through the dialogue between bass and soprano registers in the slow introduction.
  Weber himself described the programme: the bass voice addresses the lady (measures 1–5), she hesitates (measures 5–9), he presses his invitation (measures 9–13), she accepts (measure 13). Play these exchanges with clear differentiation of character between the two registers — the bass warm and persuasive, the treble demure.
• brillant French
  Brilliant or glittering — a designation applied by Weber and his contemporaries to concert pieces that foreground dazzling technical display. Weber's Rondo brillant, Polacca brillante, and Aufforderung zum Tanze all belong to this genre of virtuosic concert pieces intended to dazzle audiences in the new public concert halls.
  In Weber's 'brillant' writing, clarity of fast passage work is paramount. The left hand should provide a firm, even accompaniment that never encroaches on the right hand's melodic brilliance. Finger independence and wrist flexibility are more useful than arm weight in this style.
• Freischütz style German
  The dramatic, atmospheric orchestral style associated with Weber's opera Der Freischütz (1821) — characterised by vivid scene-painting, sudden dynamic contrasts, augmented chords and diminished seventh harmonies to suggest the supernatural, and a distinctly German Romantic colour.
  Weber's late piano sonatas, particularly No. 3 in D minor, share the supernatural atmosphere of Der Freischütz. The diminished seventh chords and sudden dynamic contrasts should be played with theatrical conviction — Weber was a theatre composer, and his keyboard writing is inherently operatic.
• Konzertstück in F minor German
  Weber's most celebrated piano work with orchestra (J. 282, 1821) is not cataloged here as a solo piano work but provides the context for his piano style: a four-movement programmatic concert piece depicting a knight's crusade and reunion with his lady. Its influence on Chopin's and Liszt's concerto writing was enormous.
  When playing Weber's concert pieces at the piano, remember their orchestral ambition. Weber imagined a full orchestra behind his solo writing — the left-hand accompaniments are often implicitly orchestral, suggesting string pizzicato, horn calls, or woodwind chords.
• Momento capriccioso Italian
  Capricious moment — an improvisatory, whimsical character piece in rapid motion. Weber's Momento capriccioso in B♭ major is an early concert piece of perpetual-motion character, a showpiece built from a single flowing texture of sixteenth notes.
  The piece must feel spontaneous despite its rigorous construction. Keep the tempo flexible within a steady overall pulse — allow the phrase endings to breathe slightly before launching the next phrase. The B♭ major tonality should sound bright and effortless throughout.
• perpetuum mobile Latin
  Perpetual motion — a passage or piece in which rapid, equal-valued notes (typically sixteenth notes or thirty-second notes) are maintained without interruption. Weber's piano writing frequently employs perpetuum-mobile textures in brilliant concert pieces, anticipating Chopin and Liszt.
  In perpetuum-mobile passages, maintain absolute evenness of touch and strict rhythmic regularity. Any unevenness will be instantly audible. Practice with extreme finger articulation at half-speed before building tempo, ensuring each note speaks with identical weight.