"Romance was probably written between 1811 and 1821, when Weber rested from opera, if indeed the piece is genuinely by Weber. There seems to be no hard evidence from any contemporary source that it is by him, but since it first appeared with Weber's name at the top around the beginning of the 20th century no other composer has been found to replace it. Trombonists of course are woefully lacking in works by the great classical and romantic composers, so they have never thought it worthwhile to abandon this piece, even if its origins are questionable.

An urtext edition of this piece is impossible, so I have included what I consider to be the best features of several versions that have appeared over the years, plus some additional editorial changes. It is highly likely that the piece was originally written for bassoon, so some low music that is not possible on the tenor trombone, but appears in some editions, has been omitted. I am supported in this by the fact that the Bb/F trombone was not developed until after Weber's death. Similarly, one or two florid ornaments that might work well on the bassoon have been simplified, along with some extra dynamic and tempo markings."

Christopher Mowat