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Originally submitted Jan 21
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.
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.
During the 19th century the overture in its original sense went through a series of transformations, becoming (as in [[Wagner]]’s “''Tannhäuser''”) a dramatic prelude lasting over a quarter of an hour, or a major piece for soloist orchestra and chorus (Boito’s “M''efistofeles''”) or short preludes as in Wagner’s “''Lohengrin''” and many of the Verdi operas, or virtually none at all ([[Puccini]]’s “''La Boheme''”).
The concert overture has taken various forms and reasons for being:
*As a piece for an occasion – e.g.[[William Walton]]’s “''Johannesburg Festival Overture''” was commissioned for that city’s 70th birthday celebrations.
*As a gift – [[Brahms]] wrote his “''Academic Festival Overture''” as a thank you for an honorary doctorate at Breslau University.
*As pure music – Brahms again. His “''Tragic Overture''” is named to describe the music therein.
*As a suite – the composer could have just as easily called it a suite, but chose “overture” instead. An example is [[Prokofiev]]’s “''Overture on Hebrew Themes''” which is rare as it is an overture written as chamber music.
*On literary themes. The most popular example would be [[Tchaikovsky]]’s “''Romeo and Juliet – Fantasy Overture''”; however he did the same to “''Hamlet''”
*Descriptive of an event – Tchaikovsky’s “''1812 Overture''”.
*Just for the heck of it – various overtures have been written just at the whim of the composer; and would have been just as acceptable (or not) as a Suite, or Romance, [[Serenade]] or any number of other available terms.
[[Category:Musical forms]]
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.
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.
During the 19th century the overture in its original sense went through a series of transformations, becoming (as in [[Wagner]]’s “''Tannhäuser''”) a dramatic prelude lasting over a quarter of an hour, or a major piece for soloist orchestra and chorus (Boito’s “M''efistofeles''”) or short preludes as in Wagner’s “''Lohengrin''” and many of the Verdi operas, or virtually none at all ([[Puccini]]’s “''La Boheme''”).
The concert overture has taken various forms and reasons for being:
*As a piece for an occasion – e.g.[[William Walton]]’s “''Johannesburg Festival Overture''” was commissioned for that city’s 70th birthday celebrations.
*As a gift – [[Brahms]] wrote his “''Academic Festival Overture''” as a thank you for an honorary doctorate at Breslau University.
*As pure music – Brahms again. His “''Tragic Overture''” is named to describe the music therein.
*As a suite – the composer could have just as easily called it a suite, but chose “overture” instead. An example is [[Prokofiev]]’s “''Overture on Hebrew Themes''” which is rare as it is an overture written as chamber music.
*On literary themes. The most popular example would be [[Tchaikovsky]]’s “''Romeo and Juliet – Fantasy Overture''”; however he did the same to “''Hamlet''”
*Descriptive of an event – Tchaikovsky’s “''1812 Overture''”.
*Just for the heck of it – various overtures have been written just at the whim of the composer; and would have been just as acceptable (or not) as a Suite, or Romance, [[Serenade]] or any number of other available terms.
[[Category:Musical forms]]