Weber: Der Freischütz Overture
Der Freischütz is considered the first important German Romantic opera, especially in its national identity and stark emotionality. Its plot was taken from German folk legend and many of its tunes were inspired by German folk music. Its unearthly portrayal of the supernatural is especially poignant in the famous Wolf's Glen scene. Despite its daring innovations (and some scathing attacks by critics) it quickly became an international success, with some fifty performances in the first 18 months after its June 18, 1821 premiere at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Among the many artists influenced by Der Freischütz was a young Richard Wagner, who would come to be seen by many as Weber's successor.

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
The Variations on a Theme by Haydn, composed in the summer of 1873, consist of a theme in B-flat major, eight variations, and a finale. They are considered to be "the first set of independent variations for orchestra in the history of music", and one of the late masterpieces from Brahms.
The theme begins with a repeated ten-measure passage which itself consists of two intriguing five-measure phrases, a quirk that is likely to have caught Brahms's attention. Almost without exception, the eight variations follow the phrasal structure of the theme and, though less strictly, the harmonic structure as well. Each has a distinctive character, several calling to mind the forms and techniques of earlier eras, with some displaying a mastery of counterpoint seldom encountered in Romantic music. The finale is a magnificent passacaglia, itself a theme and variations on a ground bass, five measures in length, derived from the principal theme. Its culmination, a restatement of the chorale, is a moment of such transcendence that the usually austere Brahms permits himself the use of a triangle.
The first performance of the orchestral version was given on 2 November 1873 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Brahms's baton.
Despite the title of the work, there has been much debate since about 1950 over whether the theme is actually by Haydn and it has been suggested that Ignaz Pleyel, a pupil of Haydn's was the more plausible composer and indeed many chamber divertimentos have had their Haydn attributions questioned in recent decades.
Be that as it may, J. Peter Burkholder, Professor of Musicology writes: 'Brahms . . . faced head on the problems of writing for a concert audience familiar with the music of the past, the problem that has been the principal concern of serious composers since his time.
The requirements of composition had become paradoxical: composers sought to write new music that would find a place in a tradition of steadily aging immortal masterpieces,...'

Mahler: Symphony No.1
The Symphony No. 1 in D major was composed between 1884 and 1888 (with heavy subsequent revisions through 1894). The initial premiere was in Budapest in 1889, where it was presented as a five-movement symphonic poem under the title "Symphonische Dichtung in zwei Teilen" (symphonic poem in two parts). In subsequent performances in Hamburg (1893) and Weimar (1894), the piece was titled "Titan," eine Tondichtung in Symphonie-form (a tone poem in the form of a symphony). After further revisions, Mahler eventually dropped the title, the descriptive movement titles, and the Andante second movement, titled "Blumine". The piece "premiered" again in Berlin in 1896 as the unnumbered "Symphony in D major", with a duration of approximately 55 minutes.
When the symphony first appeared in print in 1899, it received its ultimate title, "Symphony No. 1".
Mahler's symphonic output is generally divided into three 'periods'. This symphony falls into the first period - this period being dominated by his reading of the Wunderhorn poems. The spirit of the 'Lied' (German for song) constantly rests in his work and the first Symphony uses a melodic idea from one of the Gesellen songs in its first movement, and employs a section of another in the central part of its third.
The opening of the third movement features a double bass soloist performing a variation on the theme of "Frère Jacques", distinguishing it as one of the few symphonic pieces to use the instrument in such a manner. Mahler uses the song, which he cites as "Bruder Martin", changed from major to minor, thus giving the piece the character of a funeral march. The mode change to minor is not an invention by Mahler, as is often believed, but rather the way this round was sung in the 19th and early 20th century in Austria.