Gioachino Rossini: The Barber of Seville Overture Context Gioachino Rossini’s highly popular comic opera, The Barber of Seville was premiered on 20th February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. The libretto for the opera was based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s comedy Le Barbier de Séville (1775). Rossini composed some of Read more…
Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel Overture Context Engelbert Humperdinck was born in Germany in 1854. He began taking piano lessons at a very young age, and by age seven he had already composed his first work. Humperdinck came from a largely non-musical family, who, in turn, didn’t support his music Read more…
Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont Overture Context The Egmont Overture is the opening of a set of incidental music that Beethoven was commissioned to write for a 1787 play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe. The music was composed between 1809-1810. The story centres around Dutch nobleman, Count Egmont – whose Read more…
Roger Quilter: A Children’s Overture Context Roger Quilter was born in Hove, Sussex in 1877. In contrast to his older brothers, Roger was the quiet, shy sibling of the group. In the mid-1880s Quilter was sent to a new prep school in Farnborough, where he was able to nurture his love Read more…
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture Context Completed in the summer of 1888, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov completed his ‘Bright Holiday’ work Russian Easter Festival Overture ready for its premiere in December 1888. It was dedicated to the memory of two of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian contemporaries, Modest Mussorgsky and Alexander Borodin, who were Read more…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet Overture-Fantasy Context Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy is a symphonic poem-like work that encapsulates the tragic love story between Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This piece of programme music went through three stages of being re-drafted and manipulated by Tchaikovsky until the version Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture Context Composed in 1880 as a thank you for an honorary degree from The University of Breslau, Johannes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture is a tongue and cheek musical representation of student songs that celebrate drinking, rowdiness and merriment. The irony of this overture is that Read more…
Ethel Smyth: The Wreckers Overture Context Composed and premiered in 1906, The Wreckers is one of Dame Ethel Smyth’s most intriguing operas. The original libretto was in French and was written by Henry Brewster. Smyth tried hard to get a French performance of the opera, however the first performance was Read more…
George Gershwin: Cuban Overture Context The genesis of George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture lies in a two week trip the composer took to Havana in 1932. Known for its nightlife and music, Havana made a big impression on Gershwin. He basked in exciting irregular rhythmic patterns and exotic harmonies which he Read more…
Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture Context Born in February 1792 into a family of musicians in Pesaro, Italy, Gioachino Rossini began to learn the piano from age eight. Rossini became a multi-instrumentalist at a young age, being competent at piano, cello and horn by his late teens. Rossini is most Read more…