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An '''overture''' is normally thought of as a prelude or an introductory piece of music, played before a dramatic work – ballet, opera, musical comedy, and the like.  

An '''overture''' is normally thought of as a prelude or an introductory piece of music, played before a dramatic work – ballet, opera, musical comedy, and the like.  

Historically, this is generally the case, although, until the time of [[Gluck]] and [[Mozart]] the music bore no thematic relationship to the musical action that followed. Like most other types of music, the overture (or “''sinfonia''” in [[Italy]] followed the usual path of development into national styles.  

Historically, this is generally the case, although, until the time of [[Gluck]] and [[Mozart]] the music bore no thematic relationship to the musical action that followed. Like most other types of music, the overture (or “''sinfonia''” in Italy) had followed the usual path of development into national styles, with  [[French]] and [[Italian]] forms reaching their full pre-Gluck development under [[Lully]] and [[Alessandro Scarlatti]] respectively.

In [[Germany]] “''ouvertüre''” had already become a term for a suite of music that began with an overture. In the early 19th century, whilst retaining its introductory purpose (and considered most important too – Beethoven wrote four overtures to his opera, “Fidelio” before he was satisfied; the first three have come down to us as the popular “Leonora” overtures, named after the heroine of the opera) - the term began describing a single movement short descriptive piece. [[Felix Mendelssohn]]’s “''Hebrides''” (“''Fingal’s Cave''”) is considered the first of these. (Although his “''Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream''”, which is a descriptive piece written many years before the rest of the incidental music to the play, may be able to stake a claim of seniority.) The career of the “Concert Overture” as an independent piece of music had begun.  

In [[Germany]] “''ouvertüre''” had already become a term for a suite of music that began with an overture. In the early 19th century, whilst retaining its introductory purpose (and considered most important too – Beethoven wrote four overtures to his opera, “Fidelio” before he was satisfied; the first three have come down to us as the popular “Leonora” overtures, named after the heroine of the opera) - the term began describing a single movement short descriptive piece. [[Felix Mendelssohn]]’s “''Hebrides''” (“''Fingal’s Cave''”) is considered the first of these. (Although his “''Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream''”, which is a descriptive piece written many years before the rest of the incidental music to the play, may be able to stake a claim of seniority.) The career of the “Concert Overture” as an independent piece of music had begun.