Wiener Gottfried Weber: Variationen op.

37
Querflöten- Qber ein Thema aus der Oper
Edition ,,Der Freischütz" von C. M. v. Weber
for FIöte und Gitarre (Klavier) ad lib.
Herausgegeben von Martin Gembel

Vienna Gottfried Weber: Variations op. 37

Flute on a Theme from the Opera
Edition "Der Freischütz" from C. M.v. Weber
for Flute and Guitar (Piano) ad lib.
Edited by Martin Gembel

Universal Edition No. 16 757

Preface Gottfried Weber (1779 -1839), who is known to most musicians today
only as a theoretician, composed songs for voice and piano, choral works
and oratorios, and a large number of pieces for flute and guitar. It is
thanks in part to Weber's thorough knowledge of the playing technique
of these two instruments that his compositions for them - at least as
regards the content of the flute part - can still stand alongside the sets
of variations by Schubert or Silcher as imaginative and brilliant practice
or recital pieces. As we see from the original title, the Freischütz
Variations can be performed either soloistically or with guitar ac-
companiment:

Theme fave'rit de I'opera

Der FreischiJtz
varie
pour la flute avec accompagnement d'une Gitarre ad libitum
par
Geoffroi Weber
Op. 37
Bonn et Cologne chez N.Simrock

Gottfried Weber had a special link with Der Freisch[itz, the most famous
opera by his famous namesake: in 1810, when Carl Maria von Weber and
his father were expelled from Stuttgart, Gottfried Weber put them both
up at his house in Mannheim for two years, treating them in the most
generous fashion. It was the start of a lifelong friendship with Carl Maria,
who finished Abu Hassan in Mannheim and w h o was already involved
with the Freischütz story and its background.
Our new edition prints the text of the first edition. To make it possible
to play the piece in the more readily available combination of flute and
piano, the extremely modest guitar accompaniment has been supple-
mented by a more ambitious piano version which draws more strongly
on C. M. von Weber's original. The almost indispensable slow variation
that is part of the classic-romantic tradition of variation works is missing
in this piece. To fill this gap, and to give the flautist the chance to
gather his energy and catch his breath before the final virtuoso variation,
the editor has inserted, between the fourth and fifth variations, a variation
for piano solo in the style of the time. It can be played or not, as the
performers see fit.

Aalen (W~irttemberg), Autumn 1978 Martin G~imbel