Weber composed the relatively short Momento Capriccioso in B-flat in 1808, a time when he pursued other similarly virtuosic keyboard pieces, including the Grande Polonaise pour le Pianoforte, op. 21. It also emerged at the time when Beethoven had composed the Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein" (1804) and the Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" (1805). While it is difficult to compare Weber's short piece with the more substantial ones of Beethoven, it is possible to find in Momento Capriccioso the motivic drive that Beethoven used in his piano music.

The Momento Capriccioso is a toccato that a brilliant pianist like Weber could use as a showpiece for his talents. Essentially an invention that plays upon the alternation of neighboring-tone pitches, it suggests an improvisation. This piece stands out from the efforts of other composers of the time for its demanding pianistic technique and bravura style. The form of the piece is relatively simple, with the toccato-movement interrupted by a brief slow section that leads back to the original idea and its final conclusion. In this piece Weber also provides the basis for the virtuosic music of Liszt and other composers who emerged later in the century.





© All Music Guide