Hommage à Carl Maria von Weber (Béla Kovács )

While this has certainly not been the end to the school year any of us imagined when we left for spring break, it has given me the chance to return to playing the clarinet after almost a year away from it. Practicing a little each day has been a great help in relieving some of the stress and anxiety of the past two months and I wanted to take a few minutes to share that with each of you. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I have enjoyed practicing and recording!
Mr. Gilbert
A few notes about the piece:
Béla Kovács is a Hungarian clarinetist who teaches at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. Hommage à Carl Maria von Weber is from an etude book of hommages in which Kovács explores the styles of nine different composers. While Kovacs intended for the pieces to be used as studies for his students, they have been increasingly recognized as pieces of literature worthy of the recital stage.
Carl Maria von Weber was a Romantic composer primarily known for his operas, which often demonstrate his keen sense of German nationalism. He spent much of his career traveling throughout Germany and helped establish the German operatic tradition. His pieces for clarinet, written for the virtuoso clarinetist Heinrich Baermann, reflect his operatic style and take advantage of the large range and dynamic flexibility of the instrument.