This is an overture called "Roman Carnival" by a Frenchman named Hector Berlioz who lived about the time of Andrew Jackson in our country...1830-40s or so being prime. This is what is known as a "concert" overture.
We are familiar with overtures to Broadway plays and perhaps operas. In that setting they are "foreshadowing" what you are going to hear next in the actual work. In easiest terms, an overture is a preview of coming attractions. It wasn't always like that. Older music used the term "overture" to mean something of a first piece of a set of pieces and not necessarily a play, opera or the like. So the first piece is called that; an overture or "introduction"....think of "I'm going to make overtures to Cindy Lou at the dance tonight"...as if I am going to introduce myself to her in the hopes of stuff to follow.
A concert overture is something that isn't tied to a lot of stuff that follows. It is just a piece in the style of a regular overture....so if you look for more to follow...well there isn't any but you think there should be. Beethoven wrote some but they were mostly for special occasions - King Stephen, Consecration of the House, Coriolanus, etc. ---- and Berlioz continued the "tradition". Bored yet?
We are familiar with overtures to Broadway plays and perhaps operas. In that setting they are "foreshadowing" what you are going to hear next in the actual work. In easiest terms, an overture is a preview of coming attractions. It wasn't always like that. Older music used the term "overture" to mean something of a first piece of a set of pieces and not necessarily a play, opera or the like. So the first piece is called that; an overture or "introduction"....think of "I'm going to make overtures to Cindy Lou at the dance tonight"...as if I am going to introduce myself to her in the hopes of stuff to follow.
A concert overture is something that isn't tied to a lot of stuff that follows. It is just a piece in the style of a regular overture....so if you look for more to follow...well there isn't any but you think there should be. Beethoven wrote some but they were mostly for special occasions - King Stephen, Consecration of the House, Coriolanus, etc. ---- and Berlioz continued the "tradition". Bored yet?
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