Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major in 1810 and gave the work its premiere in Mannheim the same year. Stylistically, the work's overall structure is clearly based on the model of Mozart's concertos, and many of the work's details are drawn from Beethoven's own Piano Concerto in C major. The double exposition in the opening Allegro is Mozartean, while the descending double octaves at the end of the development are Beethovenian. But while the work's antecedents are easy to spot, Weber's own identity is apparent in every bar. One of the great piano virtuosos of the early nineteenth century, Weber's tremendous technique and enormous sonorities inform every movement of the work, especially the brilliantly rhythmic closing Presto. And the central Adagio in A flat major is pure Weber: lyrical Romantic melodies of deep expressivity for the piano set against a delicately colorful chamber orchestra of viola, two solo cellos, and bass with two horns.

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